The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 runners-up South Africa suffered their third-consecutive T20I series loss at the hands of the two-time T20 world champions West Indies as they lost the 2nd T20I of the three-match series by 30 runs.
Playing at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, South Africa's skipper Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to field first. Windies couldn't hit the ground running and lost the wicket of Alick Athanaze inside the powerplay.
Senior batter Shai Hope injected some momentum into West Indies' run rate after the powerplay but perished in the ninth over at an individual score of 41.
The Player of the Match (POTM) in the first T20I Nicholas Pooran couldn't replicate his heroics from the previous game and was undone by Lizaad Williams.
Williams picked up three crucial wickets and emerged as the pick of all the South African bowlers with figures of 3/36 in his four overs.
A 47-run stand between skipper Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford added stability to an otherwise tottering batting order. Powell scored 35 off 22 balls with the help of three sixes and a four and Rutherford smashed a quickfire 29 off just 18 balls at a stunning strike rate of 161.11.
West Indies posted 179 runs on the board for the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs.
In reply, South Africa got off to an absolute flyer as Ryan Rickelton (20 off 13 balls) and Reeza Hendricks (44 off 18 balls) added 63 runs for the opening wicket in just 4.4 overs.
However, the visitors suffered two consecutive setbacks in no time as Shamar Joseph got rid of Rickelton and Romario Shepherd got the prized scalp of Hendricks inside the powerplay.
Markram (19 off nine deliveries), Tristan Stubbs (28 runs of 24 balls) and Rassie van der Dussen (17 off 24 balls) got their eyes in but couldn't quite carry on for long as the hosts kept getting breakthroughs at regular intervals.
Shepherd stood out among all the West Indies bowlers and bowled a miserly spell, conceding just 3.75 runs per over to claim a three-wicket haul. Joseph also picked up a three-for himself and finished with figures of 3/31 as South Africa got bundled out for 149 in 19.4 overs and lost the game by 30 runs.
