Gqeberha — Quinton de Kock and Johnson Charles scored magnificent centuries in record-breaking second T20I between South Africa and the West Indies at SuperSport Park.
Over 500 runs were scored at SuperSport Park on Sunday afternoon as South Africa and the West Indies put on a performance the world and both teams will remember for many years to come.
Aiden Markram won his first toss as T20I captain and sent the West Indies in to bat first. The loss to the West Indies on Saturday showed South Africa that SuperSport Park favours the chasing team in T20 cricket.
West Indies batter, Johnson Charles, set SuperSport Park alight with a superb maiden T20I century as the West Indies muscled their way to a mammoth 258/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Charles combined beautifully with Kyle Mayers (51) and the pair recorded a timely century stand having lost Brandon King in the first over.
Charles muscled his way to 118 off 46 balls and struck ten 4s and eleven 6s, while Mayers’ half-century saw him entertain the crowd with five 4s and four 6s.
Coming in at six with the score on 179/4, Romario Shepherd added finishing touches to what was already a competitive score. The all-rounder struck big blows and further put the South African bowling attack into misery. He finished unbeaten on 41 runs off 18 deliveries and pushed the West Indies to 258/5, the highest total scored against South Africa in T20Is.
The run chase required a special batting performance from the South Africans and that is what they delivered in Centurion.
At the top of the order, Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks threw the first punch at the West Indies bowling attack and made their intentions clear.
The pair put together a 152-runs stand which saw Quinton de Kock score his maiden T20I century. De Kock reached the three-figure mark off just 43 balls while Hendricks kept the intensity high with a 28-ball 68.
On 193-3 with just over seven overs remaining in the match and two new batters at the crease, 259 runs looked impossible to reach for South Africa. SuperSport Park had been roaring throughout the run chase but the West Indies silenced the crowd when a fourth wicket fell courtesy of a stunning catch by Shepherd. After all, it was the big wicket of David Miller.
Miller was back in the dugout and South Africa needed 43 runs to win with 26 balls remaining in the match.
Fresh from an ODI century earlier in the week, Heinrich Klaasen (16 off 7) joined Aiden Markram (38 off 21) in the middle and the pair guided the Proteas to a six-wicket victory.
The Proteas levelled the series one-all and head over to the Wanderers with an opportunity to win the series.
Scorecard
West Indies: 258/5 (Charles 118, Mayers 51, Jansen 3/52, Parnell 2/43)
South Africa: 259/4 (De Kock 100, Hendricks 68, Powell 1/27, Smith 1/36)
South Africa won by 6 wickets
Sport
