Kieron Pollard blasted 51 off 25 balls while Dwayne Bravo took 4/19 as West Indies levelled the five-match series against South Africa 2-2 with one more match to play.
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Kieron Pollard blasted 25 runs in one over of Kagiso Rabada. West Indies managed 66 runs in the final four overs as they notched up a great score. Lendl Simmons’ earlier assault had given West Indies a good platform in the powerplay. Dwayne Bravo put up a splendid performance with the ball to take 4/19. Quinton de Kock’s fifty went in vain as West Indies won the fourth match by 21 runs to level the five-match series 2-2.
South Africa chose to bowl but they got their lengths wrong to the Windies batsmen at the start. South Africa’s tactics surprised everyone at the start, with the Proteas choosing to open with Aiden Markram. Lendl Simmons pounced on the moment and blasted two fours and two sixes in the first over. Evin Lewis followed the good work by thumping Lungi Ngidi for a six to get off the mark.
South Africa fought back with Anrich Nortje and Rabada taking the wickets of Lewis and Chris Gayle. Simmons, though, continued the fine work as he slammed a four and six each off Nortje and Ngidi.
The introduction of Tabraiz Shamsi and George Linde pegged West Indies back in a big way. Linde got the wickets of Shimron Hetmyer and Simmons. Nicholas Pooran looked to get going with a couple of boundaries. Linde, though, kept West Indies on a tight leash and he ended with figures of 4/16. Shamsi was in good control and when he got the wicket of Andre Russell, he ended with figures of 2/13.
The end overs saw the West Indies unbleash carnage. Pollard blasted his first six off Nortje. Fabian Allen responded with two boundaries off Ngidi. The 19th over changed the entire match. Rabada bowled two full tosses and smashed two sixes. The third ball was also pulled for a big six as 25 runs came in the over. Allen hit a four and a six off Ngidi but Pollard notched up his fifty off 24 balls to help West Indies end on 167/6.
West Indies achieved success in their second over when Chris Gayle had Reeza Hendricks stumped. Quinton de Kock launched a six and a four off Andre Russell. Obed McCoy struck in his second over to remove Temba Bavuma as South Africa managed 43 in the powerplay.
The asking rate mounted close to 10 but South Africa kept losing wickets. Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen fell cheaply. South Africa could not find the boundaries for a couple of overs. David Miller tried to break the shackles with a six off Russell but he fell in the next ball.
De Kock hit two fours off Fidel Edwards and launched a big six off Dwayne Bravo to reach his fifty off 37 balls. However, the game was sealed in the 18th over as Bravo took three wickets in one over to help West Indies win.
The final match of the series will be played on July 3 at the National Cricket Stadium in Granada. After the end of the South Africa series, West Indies will play a limited overs series against Australia.
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