South Africa’s Quinton de Kock in action against the West Indies.
A run chase of 221 may have looked a tall order after the top-end and back-end assaults from Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford, but a pair of South African southpaws returned the favour with a withering response.
RESULT | 2nd T20: Proteas takes series win as De Kock’s stars
Quinton de Kock, who racked up a ton, partnered up with Ryan Rickelton to lead South Africa to a seven-wicket win at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
With the win, they sealed the three-match series with one game to play at the Wanderers on Saturday.
They shared a second-wicket stand of 162 off 76 delivers that offset the early loss of Aiden Markram (15) as they took toll of a flat surface that didn’t offer anything for the bowlers.
When Markram, who was looking in great touch, inexplicably picked out Hetmyer at deep square-leg off Matthew Forde to leave South Africa at 27/1 after 2.4 overs, a silence enveloped the ground.
De Kock, who played a fair bit of his domestic cricket at this ground, and also played his last Test here in 2021, thrilled and entertained in his 49-ball knock that saw him hit ten sixes and six fours.
He made light work of the deliveries that came his way, taking charge of the chase as soon as Markram went.
His pyrotechnics began with the 15-run over off Roston Chase’s first, the fourth of the innings, by drilling a six and a four.
He hit a six off the next over off Matthew Forde’s bowling as South Africa reached the five-over mark at 55/1.
De Kock then manhandled Jason Holder, taking 15 off his over as the Proteas moved to 70/1 after six overs.
After that, they went unchallenged as De Kock scored at will while Rickelton found his feet, but when the latter punched two fours in the eighth over bowled by Romario Shepherd that went for 16, he too was on his way.
South Africa continued to punch sixes at will, with De Kock crossing his 50 in 21 balls, while the Windies were made to rue a grassed catch by Jayden Seales that gave Rickelton a life on 18 off Holder’s bowling.
When South Africa reached the halfway mark at 122/1, they were already seven runs ahead of the West Indies and they had no reason to slow down nor look back.
De Kock eventually perished when he gifted Brandon King a catch off Akeal Hosein’s bowling, but with that wicket falling at 189 after 14.3 overs, the game was as good as won.
Rickelton, in De Kock’s slipstream, had raised his 50 off 25 balls with nine fours and three sixes as his return to the T20 team took another positive turn.
Such was the bounty of runs, the Proteas were able to relinquish the wicket of Dewald Brevis (4), but they needed nine by then.
His wicket allowed Jason Smith (6*) to get a chance to bat, but the finishing touches were added by Rickelton, who clubbed the winning runs.
It was a pity that the West Indies were on the receiving end of the pummelling considering the fact they also piled on the runs.
The 126-run second wicket stand between Hetmyer (75) and King (49) left SA seeking answers after they collected the early wicket of Shai Hope (4).
They did slow the game down when the West Indies lost King, Hetmyer and Rovman Powell (2) in quick succession.
However, Rutherford (57*) and Shepherd (17*) took South Africa’s bowlers down in the last five overs, ransacking 76 in that period.
However, they were then subjected to their own take down that left them battered and bruised ahead of Saturday’s Pink Day T20 at the Wanderers.
Scores in brief
West Indies: 221/4 (Shimron Hetmyer 75, Sherfane Rutherford 57*, Brandon King 49, Keshav Maharaj 2/22, Kagiso Rabada 1/35, Marco Jansen 1/39)
South Africa: 225/3 (Quinton de Kock 115, Ryan Rickelton 77*, Aiden Markram 15, Akeal Hosein 2/41, Matthew Forde 1/34)
South Africa won by seven wickets
