SA vs WI: West Indies Posts A Competitive Total On The Board

West Indies were put into bat first and came out firing especially Brandon King who was great at the start and they all came out all guns blazing. But they gave away their wickets as well. Shimron Hetmyer was the top-scorer with 48 runs off 32 balls was the top scorer and others played around him. But the West Indies failed to get the finishing kick they desired.

South Africa bowled really well with George Linde leading the way with figures of 3/25 in 4 overs. Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj also picked up 2 wickets apiece as South Africa have done well to keep powerful West Indies to 173/7 in 20 overs. Runs on the board matter, but South Africa bats deep and may well win the game if the pitch gets better to bat on under lights.

South Africa strike thrice in powerplay to peg West Indies back after a fast start 

Put into bat first, Brandon King and Johnson Charles came out to bat for West Indies while Kagiso Rabada had ball in hand for South Africa. King started with a bang smashing back-to-back boundaries off Rabada first over covers and then down the ground past the bowler. George Linde came out to bat next. King was in his zone as he made room on the short and wide ball and hammered it away over cover point for a boundary.

Rabada continued as King took him on and coming down the ground and lofting it over long-off for the maximum. King then hit Rabada for another boundary as he made room and smashed it through covers for a boundary. Keshav Maharaj came into the attack inside the powerplay as Charles took him on as he swept it away over deep backward square leg and then cut the ball past point and backward point for a boundary.

But it was Maharaj who got the breakthrough for South Africa as he removed Charles for 13 off 9 balls with one four and one six to his name as he looked to play the slog sweep and missed it as the ball cannoned into the middle stump line. Matthew Forde came out to bat next at 3. Corbin Bosch came out to bat next as King welcomed him to the bowling crease with a boundary through extra covers for a boundary. Bosch hit back by dismissing King for 27 off 16 balls with 5 fours and one six to his name as he cleaned the batter up.

Sherfane Rutherford came out to bat next. He got off the mark with a boundary as he got forward and drove it in the gap between extra cover and point for a boundary. Maharaj came to bowl the final over of powerplay as South Africa lost a review off a ball pitching outside the leg stump as it was a desperate review. Rutherford survived a run out scare as well. Maharaj struck again as he removed Rutherford for 6 off 6 balls with one boundary to his name as he got a bottom edge that went back onto the stumps. Captain of the night Roston Chase came out to bat next.

Chase got off the mark as Forde danced down the track and launched it over the bowler’s head for a maximum. At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were 57/3 in 6 overs with Forde unbeaten on 7 off 4 balls while Chase was unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball.

West Indies stride forward despite losing a couple of wickets in the middle phase of the game. 

Kwena Maphaka came into the attack post the powerplay. Chase got the outside edge away from the body as the ball went away to the deep third man fence. George Linde came back into the attack. Forde took him on by making room leg side and swept it to deep backward square leg for the maximum. Bosch continued as Chase drove him by opening the bat face and sliced it away over backward point for a boundary. Bosch hit back as he dismissed Forde for 16 off 12 balls with 2 sixes to his name as he was holed out at long-on.

Shimron Hetmyer came out to bat next. Maharaj continued as Hetmyer cleared his front leg and smashed it down the ground past long-on for a boundary. West Indies were 88/4 in 10 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break. Maphaka continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Linde then struck for South Africa as he removed Chase for 22 off 18 balls with 2 fours to his name as the batter chopped the ball back onto the stumps. Rovman Powell came out to bat next.

Powell shuffled across to paddle it to deep fine leg for a boundary as the 100 came up for West Indies in 11.4 overs. Rabada returned to the bowling crease and bowled a tight over. Maharaj continued as Hetmyer hammered him by whacking over cow corner for the maximum. It was a huge hit. Hetmyer then stepped down the track and heaved it away over deep midwicket for the maximum. Maharaj finished his spell.

Maphaka returned as Hetmyer slapped him through deep cover for a boundary and then pulled it to deep midwicket for a boundary in which the bowler overstepped as well. Free Hit yielded just a single. At the end of 15 overs, West Indies were 134/5 in 15 overs with Hetmyer unbeaten on 32 off 19 balls and Powell unbeaten on 11 off 11 balls.

Late Flourish leads West Indies to finish with 173/7 in 20 overs. 

Corbin Bosch came back into the attack as Hetmyer backed away and slapped it to deep cover region for a boundary. Kagiso Rabada continued as Powell rocked back and pulled it up over deep square leg for the maximum. The partnership was now 50 runs between Powell and Hetmyer. Maphaka continued and bowled a good tight over. Bosch returned as Hetmyer launched the ball over long-on for the maximum. It was also the 350th six in T20Is for Hetmyer.

Powell then used his wrists to whip it to deep square leg for a boundary. Bosch finished his spell and now George Linde came to bowl the final over of the innings. He dismissed Hetmyer for 48 off 32 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes to his name as the deep midwicket fielder Dewald Brevis took a stunner of a catch by getting it back in play and taking the catch. Jason Holder came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.

Linde got another as Holder fell for 1 off 2 balls as the batter flat batted it down to long-off where Bosch took the catch. Romario Shepherd came out to bat next and got off the mark as well as West Indies finished with 173/7 in 20 overs with 10 extras given by the fielding side. Rovman Powell was unbeaten on 29 off 25 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name while Shepherd was unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball.

The South African bowlers bowled decently with George Linde being the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/25 in 4 overs. Corbin Bosch finished with 2/35 in 4 overs. Keshav Maharaj finished with 2/44 in 4 overs. Kagiso Rabada finished with 0/35 in 4 overs while Kwena Maphaka finished with 0/30 in 4 overs. This means that South Africa will need 174 runs to win the contest of 20 overs to take a 1-0 lead in 3-match series.

Who’s Winning, South Africa or West Indies? 

West Indies have got the runs on the board as they have posted 173 on the board. But the pitch looks decent and good to bat on under lights. In all probability, they might be 20 runs short on this pitch. But they might defend this score with the bowling they have and South Africa has to bat well to win this at Paarl.

Let’s see how the chase unfolds for both teams in the second half of the game.

Also Read: SA vs WI: South Africa & West Indies Tussle Out Before T20 WC 2026