Three wickets for Lungi Ngidi and another half-century for captain Aiden Markram powered the Proteas to a nine-wicket win against West Indies, virtually assuring them of a semifinal spot in the T20 World Cup.
After last Sunday’s opening Super Eights win against co-hosts India, the South Africans produced another dominant performance on Thursday, retaining their unbeaten run at the tournament, while ending the West Indies’s.
Ngidi took 3/30, with the Proteas limiting the West Indies to 176/8 at at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But it was a wild first half to the match that saw the Caribbean outfit, seemingly beaten by the 10th over of their innings, recover to post a total that appeared competitive.
But Markram is in blazing form at the tournament and annihilated the West Indies bowling with an array of sumptuous shots, finishing unbeaten on 82 as his side reached the target with 23 balls to spare.
A rollercoaster power play by the West Indies, after being put in to bat, saw them score 52 runs, which included seven fours and two sixes, but also lose four wickets, while there were a couple of dropped catches by the Proteas and a miss by Dewald Brevis in the first over when he fell over the boundary attempting to dismiss Shai Hope.
It was chaotic, with a batter-friendly pitch rewarding shot-making, allied to the West Indies’ aggression and some indifferent bowling by the Proteas — especially from Marco Jansen — creating a heady mix at the start.
Kagiso Rabada produced his best bowling performance of the tournament to provide the Proteas with control, picking up two wickets in his first over — the third of the innings — dismissing Hope and the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer.
Ngidi backed him up with two wickets in the over that followed, dismissing Brandon King and Roston Chase.
The West Indies simply couldn’t stop themselves, Sherfane Rutherford, so dangerous in the last few months; Matthew Forde and Rovman Powell kept attacking and lost their wickets and by the halfway mark of their innings, they were 83/7.
“The West Indies will take the game to you,” said Markram, “but I was impressed by how we bowled in the power play. The pitch was a bit tacky at the start and there was extra bounce, and we were able to use that to our advantage.”
Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd, shared a world record partnership for the eighth wicket worth 89, maintaining the aggression throughout. Holder was run out in the last over for 49, facing only 31 balls and hitting three sixes and four fours, while Shepherd reached a maiden T20 International half century that included four sixes and three fours in his unbeaten 52.
Rabada’s 2/22 was a welcome return to his best form, and timely too with some bigger matches to come. His pace was good, but most importantly so was his control of line and length. Ngidi was mesmeric again, conceding only five runs in the 19th over, with his mixture of slower balls bamboozling Shepherd.
Markram’s 14th half-century in T20Is, provided a pulsating start for his team, as he and Quinton de Kock notched up 69 in the power play.
“It was important for us to get out of the power play [without losing a wicket] but also to take advantage of the good batting conditions.”
“I’m just trying to get into rhythm as quickly as possible and not be so rigid and structured,” he said about his own form.
After De Kock was caught at long-on for 47, after sharing an opening partnership of 95 with his captain, Ryan Ricklelton made a polished 45 not out, to illustrate that after their early dismissals last Sunday against India, the top order was back in fine fettle.
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