Brandon King, who was standing in for the regular captain, hit a score of 79 as West Indies won by 28 runs against South Africa at Kingston Twenty20 international cricket match on Thursday.
For the first time ever, King opened for West Indies in place of his skipper Rovman Powell, on IPL assignment in India. He scored 79 from 45 balls smacking half a dozen sixes and boundaries each to take West Indies to total of 175/8 in their allotted 20 overs
In reply, South Africa made only 147 all out with Reeza Hendricks making his fifteenth T20I fifty.
“I know these conditions really well and that was an advantage,” said Man of the Match. “We knew we have to go hard with the new ball because it was going to get harder later on. We were looking at around 200-220 but we had wickets in hand so that left us short on a difficult pitch.”
South Africa’s innings never recovered after Quinton de Kock lost his wicket for just four runs off the first over.
Among openers Reeza Hendricks batted till end with career-best individual innings of unbeaten 87 off51 balls including six maximums and fours each.
South African never scored freely as they could manage only77runs from opening10overs and kept losing wickets regularly since then.
Furthermore Windies spinner Gudakesh Motie wrecked through middle batsmen including captain Rassie van der Dussen (17) ending up with three scalps for twenty five runs.
Only Matthew Breetzke (19) reached double digits besides the above mentioned opener.
Pace bowler Matthew Forde took three wickets giving away twenty seven runs playing only his second T20I. This included two consecutive deliveries removing De Kock and Hendricks before taking Baartman’s wicket which marked an end to South African innings on the fifth ball of the last over.
“West Indies played differently to what we had anticipated,” said Van der Dussen. “Had they not started so well, it would have been different, but we need to learn to adapt quicker.”
Brandon King made 10th international half-century using his knowledge about this ground.
King and Mayers put up a partnership of 79 after Fletcher’s wicket for the second wicket while Mayers (34 off 25 balls) strikes three sixes and a four in his innings.
Together they took West Indies to 109/1 from ten overs.
It was only in over number fifteen that Andile Phehlukwayo, South Africa’s medium pace bowler, stopped their upward run by dismissing King then getting rid of Fabian Allen and Andre Fletcher with consecutive balls in less than four deliveries.
Phehlukwayo managed impressive figures of three wickets for twenty eight runs as he bowled all four overs during that period.
Ottneil Baartman made his first appearance taking three wickets at an expense of twenty six runs. Here he dismissed Charles (1), Hosein (2) and Forde (5).
A score of unbeaten thirty two runs off thirty deliveries came from Roston Chase.
The T20 World Cup will begin on June 2nd in West Indies and United States after Sunday’s third match here; before ending the series involving these teams on Saturday.
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