South Africa 225 for 3 (De Kock 115, Rickleton 77*, Hosein 2-41) beat West Indies 221 for 4 (Hetmyer 75, Rutherford 57*, King 49, Maharaj 2-22) by seven wickets
Welcome home Quinny
De Kock had not played a home T20I in almost three years, since March 2023, and he could not have asked for a better return. In his 100th T20I innings (and 101st match), he left records in his wake. His first boundary, a top-edge from a pull of Jayden Seales, took him to 12,000 runs in all T20s. His fourth six, still in the powerplay, made him the leading South African run-scorer in T20s, surpassing Faf du Plessis. De Kock went on to bring up fifty off 21 balls when he flicked Romario Shepherd through backward square and he seemed unstoppable. He went on to do everything from dab the ball past short third to picking the slower ball from Jayden Seales and sending it for six. His century came up when he sent a leg-stump half-volley from Jason Holder behind square for six. De Kock’s celebrations were muted but the crowd made up for it with a standing ovation at the milestone and when he was dismissed.
West Indies can’t hold on
Holder couldn’t catch a break. After Akeal Hosein dropped Aiden Markram on 27 – he went on to a matchwinning 86* – in the first T20I off his bowling, Seales put down Rickelton on 17 and made a meal of a good plan. Seales was stationed at short third, waiting for Rickelton to slash at a wide ball, and he did at the start of Holder’s second over. The edge carried to the fielder but burst through his hands and trickled away for four. Holder was visibly disappointed, especially as that was West Indies’ only chance to dismiss Rickelton.
King reigns over the opening exchanges
South Africa had things under control in the first four overs as West Indies reached 29 for 1. At that stage, King was on 3 off 5 but immediately punched Anrich Nortje over the gap between cover and mid-off to start the fifth over with a four. King hit the next ball straight down the ground for four more and then outrageously backed away from his stumps as the ball landed outside off and still managed to flay it over for six. Nortje got a dot ball in before King moved again and edged for four before he smashed the final-ball full-toss over cover and ended the over on 27 off 11. Nortje’s opening over cost 24 runs and he was taken out of the attack but not for long. Heymyer hit him for 22 in his second over, the 10th, and West Indies were 115 for 1 at the halfway stage.
But there is only one Maharaj
Kagiso Rabada halted West Indies’ charge when King hit him to Tristan Stubbs at long-on, but with big hitters to come, South Africa were still staring at a mammoth total. Enter the final over from Keshav Maharaj, the 15th. He had suffered his most expensive T20I figures in Paarl, but here his first three overs had cost just 19. With no boundaries in four overs, pressure was mounting, and Rovman Powell tried to break the shackles when he walked down the track to Maharaj, missed his swipe and inside-edged onto his stumps. Four balls later, Maharaj tempted Hetmyer with a ball outside off. He tried to hit out and sent the ball straight to Dewald Brevis at deep point. West Indies had lost three wickets for 12 runs in 18 balls and were 145 for 4 after 15 overs. Rutherford took them over 220 but they needed a lot more.