Cricket

In a dramatic turn of events, South Africa suffered a shocking 30-run defeat against West Indies in the second T20 International match on Sunday, despite holding a commanding position. The loss handed the Caribbean side an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.West Indies posted a respectable 179 for six, with Shai Hope (41 off 22) and Rovman Powell (35) leading the charge. South Africa's chase started promisingly, with Reeza Hendricks smashing 44 off 18 balls. However, the West Indies pace attack, led by Romario Shepherd (3-15) and Shamar Joseph (3-31), turned the tables.South Africa collapsed spectacularly, losing their last seven wickets for a mere 20 runs in 35 balls. The Proteas were dismissed for 149 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium, handing West Indies a crucial victory.The win gives West Indies a strong advantage in the series and demonstrates their ability to seize opportunities and make the most of crucial moments in T20 cricket. The Caribbean side will now look to complete a whitewash in the final match.

In a crucial match that could determine the series outcome, South Africa opted to field first against West Indies in the second T20I in Trinidad. Aiden Markram, captaining his 50th T20I, made the decision under warm and sunny conditions.South Africa made a single change to their lineup, replacing left-arm seamer Nandre Burger with right-arm seamer Lizaad Williams. Teenager Kwena Maphaka retained his spot after a promising debut, while Wiaan Mulder and Jason Smith remained on the sidelines.West Indies, on the other hand, fielded an unchanged XI from the first game. This meant that experienced pacer Obed McCoy was once again omitted, with Matthew Forde and Shamar Joseph leading the bowling attack.The West Indies will be confident in their ability to restrict South Africa after reducing them to 42 for 5 in the series opener. However, a record sixth-wicket partnership between Tristan Stubbs and Patrick Kruger propelled South Africa to a respectable total.West Indies successfully chased down the target with 13 balls to spare, completing the highest successful chase at the venue. They will be eager to replicate their batting performance and secure the series victory with a game to spare.

Nicholas Pooran's blistering knock of 65 runs off just 26 deliveries propelled West Indies to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the opening match of their three-match Twenty20 International series in Trinidad.After South Africa, missing several regular players, posted a respectable 174-7 in their 20 overs, the West Indies openers, Alick Athanaze and Shai Hope, laid the foundation for the chase with an 84-run partnership. Athanaze contributed 40 runs off 30 balls, while Hope scored 51 off 36 deliveries.However, it was Pooran who stole the show with his explosive innings. The left-hander smashed seven sixes and two fours, finishing the match in style with a boundary off the final delivery. His innings overshadowed the efforts of Tristan Stubbs (76 off 42 balls) and Patrick Kruger (44 off 32 balls), who had earlier rescued South Africa from a precarious position.South Africa's innings had started poorly, with the tourists slumping to 42-5. But Stubbs and Kruger combined for a 71-run sixth-wicket partnership to give their team a fighting total.For the West Indies, Matthew Forde was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-27, while Shamar Joseph claimed 2-40.The victory gives West Indies a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second match scheduled for Sunday at the same venue.

West Indies captain Rovman Powell elected to bowl first against South Africa in the opening T20I at the Brian Lara Academy. However, heavy rain delayed the start of play, postponing the debut of 18-year-old Kwena Maphaka, South Africa's youngest debutant since Victor Mpitsang in 1999.Maphaka's inclusion came after Lungi Ngidi was ruled out with a calf injury. South Africa fielded an experimental lineup, with Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks opening the batting and Rassie van der Dussen batting at No. 5. Donovan Ferreria and Patrick Kruger provided all-round options, while Bjorn Fortuin was the lone specialist spinner.West Indies opted for a more traditional approach, with Shai Hope and Alick Athanaze opening the batting, followed by Nicholas Pooran, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, and Powell. Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, and Shamar Joseph completed the lineup.The match marked the first time that West Indies had played a T20I at the Brian Lara Academy. The venue, named after the legendary West Indian batsman, has hosted several regional matches but had not previously been used for international cricket.The rain delay ultimately forced the match to be reduced to 15 overs per side. South Africa posted a competitive total of 160/6, with Hendricks top-scoring with 42. West Indies, in reply, fell short by 13 runs, despite a valiant effort from Hope (35) and Rutherford (33).The second T20I of the series will be played on Sunday, June 26, at the same venue.

Andre Russell, a key member of the West Indies cricket team, will miss the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa due to a request for rest and recovery. The 36-year-old all-rounder has been a vital cog in the West Indies' recent successes, including their run to the Super Eight during the home World Cup in June.Russell's absence will be a significant blow to the West Indies, who are looking to rebuild after a disappointing World Cup campaign. However, the team will be bolstered by the return of spin-bowling all-rounder Fabian Allen, who missed the World Cup cut. Allen has been in impressive form, having recently won the Lanka Premier League (LPL) with Jaffna Kings.Another notable inclusion in the squad is all-rounder Matthew Forde, who has been picked with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup. Forde is a promising young player who can swing the new ball and hit sixes lower down the order. He has flourished under Daren Sammy at St Lucia Kings in the CPL.The West Indies will also be without Jason Holder, who has also been rested for the T20Is. Holder, who is the team's Test captain, will work closely with the CWI science and medicine team to manage his workload.Alzarri Joseph, who was West Indies' vice-captain during the T20 World Cup and missed the Tests against South Africa, will continue to take time off. The red-ball coach, Andre Coley, has emphasized the importance of rest and recovery for Joseph, who has a heavy workload.Opening batter Brandon King will also miss the series as he continues to recover from a side strain sustained during the World Cup. In his absence, Shai Hope could open the batting with Johnson Charles, while rookie Alick Athanaze could also get a chance at the top.Shimron Hetmyer, who didn't feature in a single game at the 2024 T20 World Cup, has retained his place in the squad. Hetmyer had last played a T20I for West Indies in December 2023."Facing a strong South Africa side is an excellent opportunity for our team to reset and refocus with our game plan," said Daren Sammy, West Indies' white-ball coach. "We have played them recently and had mixed results, so this should be an exciting and important series."

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has identified the team's failure to capitalize on their bowling performance in the first innings as a crucial factor in their 40-run loss to South Africa in the second Test in Providence.Despite bowling South Africa out for a meager 160, the West Indies bowlers were unable to take a significant lead, as Dane Piedt and Nandre Burger added a crucial 63-run partnership for the final wicket. In response, the West Indies were bowled out for 144, conceding a 16-run deficit."Our first innings total needed to be bigger. We needed to get a lead from it," Brathwaite said. "I think that was very important. You can never complain about the bowlers' effort to bowl them out for 160, but yeah, the batting effort in the first innings just wasn't big enough."Despite the disappointing result, Brathwaite highlighted several positives from the series, including the performances of Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, and Jason Holder. Joseph took five wickets in the first innings, while Seales was the West Indies' leading wicket-taker with 12, including a six-wicket haul in the second innings. Holder scored a half-century in the first innings.Brathwaite also praised the bowling of the two spinners, Rahkeem Cornwall and Veerasammy Permaul, who both conceded less than three runs per over in the second innings."I think bowling-wise, you look at Shamar coming back in, not playing the first Test, and coming in bowling out South Africa on the first day. Jayden throughout the series, continued to keep coming despite the hot conditions. That was a positive," Brathwaite said."You see the two spinners, one of the first time two spinners played together in the Caribbean, and they did well, in particular this game where both of them were under three runs an over. That's one thing we asked for, and that was great to see."Looking ahead, Brathwaite expressed excitement about the potential of the West Indies' fast bowling unit, which includes Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, and Seales. However, he also emphasized the importance of the batting unit."I must say, I'm very excited about the batting unit. I really think the line-up we have, can do the job," Brathwaite said. "So, we just got to keep believing."

South Africa's recent Test series victory against the West Indies has reignited their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final next year. The Proteas' 40-run triumph in Georgetown marked their second win in six Tests during the 2023-25 cycle, propelling them to fifth position in the standings.To maintain their chances of reaching the final, South Africa must secure victories in at least five of their upcoming six matches. This includes two away Tests against Bangladesh in October (yet to be confirmed) and two each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home later this year.The second Test against the West Indies proved to be a closely contested battle, with the home side pursuing a target of 263 runs to secure victory. However, South Africa's bowling attack excelled, dismissing the West Indies for 222 runs and sealing the series win."It was very satisfying because winning away from home is never an easy feat, and you should never take it for granted," said South Africa captain Temba Bavuma.South Africa had a full-strength Test side in the Caribbean for the first time since February, when they had to send a second-string team to New Zealand because of the T20 league commitments of most of their players.The rain-affected first match in Trinidad ended in a draw."Our goal was to come to the Caribbean and win the series, and we're happy that we were able to do so. And I think along the way as well, we've played some good cricket," Bavuma said."We were put under pressure, and we were able to have answers in those periods. I think we can obviously get better and improve, but I think for this young group of players, there's a lot of learnings and confidence that we can take from here," he told reporters.South Africa's victory against the West Indies has given them a much-needed boost in their quest for a place in the WTC final. However, they face a challenging road ahead, with tough matches against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan still to come.

South Africa's spin wizard Keshav Maharaj etched his name into the annals of cricket history by becoming his country's most successful spin bowler during the second Test against West Indies in Georgetown. Maharaj's three-wicket haul in the second innings propelled South Africa to a 40-run victory, completing a 10-match winning streak against the Windies.The Proteas resumed the final day with a commanding 239-run lead, but the West Indies bowlers, led by the impressive Jayden Seales, fought back to dismiss the tailenders for just 22 runs. Seales' six-wicket haul was a testament to his skill and determination, but it was not enough to prevent South Africa from setting a challenging target of 263.The West Indies chase began with a setback as opener Mikyle Louis was dismissed cheaply. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty steadied the ship with a 42-run partnership, but the loss of Brathwaite triggered a collapse. Jason Holder's dismissal without scoring left the Windies reeling at 104-6.However, Joshua da Silva and Gudakesh Motie provided a glimmer of hope with a 77-run partnership that reduced the target to 82. Maharaj broke the stand by trapping Motie lbw for 45, and the Windies' hopes dwindled further when da Silva was also dismissed lbw for 27.With the pressure mounting, Shamar Joseph was caught by Temba Bavuma, and Maharaj completed the victory by having Seales caught by David Bedingham. Maharaj's match figures of 3-37 surpassed Hugh Tayfield's tally of 170 Test wickets, making him the most successful South African spin bowler of all time.Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who also took three wickets in the second innings, is now just one wicket away from becoming the second South African bowler to reach 300 Test wickets.South Africa's victory in Georgetown was a testament to their resilience and the brilliance of their bowling attack. Maharaj's historic achievement is a fitting tribute to his skill and dedication, and it will undoubtedly inspire future generations of South African spinners.

South Africa's relentless bowling attack and Keshav Maharaj's record-breaking performance propelled them to a hard-fought 40-run victory over West Indies in Guyana, securing their 10th consecutive Test series win against the Caribbean side.Maharaj, South Africa's leading spinner, claimed five wickets in the match and 13 in the series, surpassing the previous record of 170 wickets held by Hugh Tayfield. His exceptional bowling, coupled with Jayden Seales' career-best 6 for 61 in South Africa's second innings, highlighted the dominance of bowlers throughout the series.Despite a challenging surface for batters, South Africa managed to post a competitive 246 in their second innings, thanks to half-centuries from Kyle Verreynne and Aiden Markram. The 63-run tenth-wicket partnership between Dane Piedt and Nandre Burger in the first innings also proved crucial in setting a challenging target of 263 for West Indies.West Indies' chase began promisingly, but they collapsed to 104 for 6 before a 77-run stand between Gudakesh Motie and Joshua da Silva reignited their hopes. However, Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada, South Africa's most reliable bowlers, stepped up to deny the hosts a historic victory.The series was characterized by tough batting conditions, with no centuries scored across the two matches. West Indies struggled to form substantial partnerships in their second innings, while South Africa managed three half-century stands.Overall, the series showcased the resilience and skill of both teams' bowling attacks, who exploited the challenging conditions to their advantage. South Africa's victory not only extended their dominance over West Indies but also earned them valuable points in the World Test Championship 2023-25.