JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The West Indies got a consolation win off South Africa after rain reduced their Twenty20 match to a shootout at the Wanderers on Saturday.
South Africa won the series 2-1 and the West Indies won the last match by six runs on the DLS method in a thrilling finish.
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Rain delayed the start of the match for nearly two hours and reduced it to 16 overs per side. The West Indies was 66-1 after six overs when an hour-long rain delay reduced the game to 10 overs per side.
West Indies reached 114-3. Captain Shai Hope hit 48 runs off 25 balls and Shimron Hetmyer 48 not out off 22. They hit 10 sixes between them. One by Hetmyer hit a spectator in the head while he was lying on his back. The man quickly stood up and clapped.
South Africa’s target was 125 and it fell short at 118-6.
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Quinton de Kock took 18 off the first over but captain Aiden Markram was caught off a top-edged pull in the second.
De Kock went for 28 off 14, Ryan Rickelton hit straight to long-on on 15 and Dewald Brevis went two balls later on 17 as spinner Gudakesh Motie took their wickets in eight balls.
Jason Smith hit 20 runs in the eighth over and South Africa arrived at the final over needing 16 runs to win. It was down to nine when Smith was bowled by a Shamar Joseph yorker with two balls left.
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South Africa received good news before the game when David Miller was “medically cleared” to play in his sixth T20 World Cup starting next weekend. A groin injury sidelined him from the series with West Indies.
At the World Cup in India, the West Indies will open against Scotland next Saturday in Kolkata. South Africa starts two days later against Canada in Ahmedabad.
The Associated Press
