West Indies vs South Africa Highlights 2024

Brandon King, the stand-in captain, scored 79 runs as West Indies beat South Africa by 28 runs in Kingston. King hit six sixes and six boundaries off 45 balls, helping West Indies reach 175-8. South Africa struggled to score, reaching only 147 despite Reeza Hendricks’ half-century. King, playing at Sabina Park, attributed his success to knowing the conditions well. He mentioned the team aimed for 200-220 runs but fell short due to the challenging pitch. South Africa faced difficulties after losing Quinton de Kock early, and Hendricks made a career-best 87 runs.

The Proteas struggled to start, scoring 77 runs in 10 overs. Wickets fell regularly. Gudakesh Motie took 3 wickets, including captain Rassie van der Dussen (17). Matthew Breetzke scored 19 runs. Matthew Forde got 3 wickets, ending South Africa’s innings. Van der Dussen mentioned West Indies’ unexpected playstyle and the need for quicker adaptation. King scored his 10th half-century with Mayers in a 79-run partnership. By the 10th over, West Indies reached 109-1. Phehlukwayo took three wickets with figures of 3-28. Baartman shined on debut with three wickets. Chase ended unbeaten with 32 runs off 30 balls. The series continues before the T20 World Cup hosted by West Indies and the USA on June 1.

West Indies vs South Africa Live Score: First Innings

West Indies Score – 175/8 in 20.0 overs

West Indies batting performance

Brandon King 79(45)

Kyle Mayers 34(25)

Ottniel Baartman 4-26-3

Andile Phehlukwayo 4-28-3

Second Innings

South Africa Score – 147/10 in 19.5 overs

South Africa batting performance

Reeza Hendricks 87(51)

Matthew Breetzke 19(13)

Gudakesh Motie 4-25-3

Matthew Forde 2.5-27-3

King Brandon

On his own field, in his first game as a captain for his country, King led West Indies against South Africa. He took charge in the beginning and paved the way for West Indies to recover at Sabina Park. King faced most of the balls in the first three overs and made good use of that opportunity. Out of 18 balls bowled, he hit 28 runs with three fours and two sixes. On the other hand, Charles only faced two balls without scoring any runs. Although Charles was Baartman’s first international dismissal, King swiftly reached his fifty in T20I cricket from just 26 balls. He was close to surpassing his highest score with creative footwork at the crease, even exposing his stumps. Phehlukwayo took advantage of King’s movement by bowling a wide ball that forced King to stretch and hit it poorly to van der Dussen at covers. After scoring 79 runs, King got out in the 11th over, six runs short of his T20I best score.

West Indies’ middle order gives way

After a good start by King, West Indies aimed for a score over 200. However, their middle-order couldn’t support the captain’s effort. None of the batsmen after Fletcher managed to score more than ten runs. The highest score after the top four was Forde’s 5 runs. Some players like Fletcher and Allen made mistakes by playing rash shots and got out. Hosein and Forde were also outsmarted by Baartman’s bowling variations. Motie got run-out in the last over, leading to West Indies losing 6 wickets for 40 runs in the final phase of their innings.

Forde’s first

After not scoring in his first T20I against England, Forde faced de Kock. De Kock hit a four on his first ball without moving his feet. Forde responded well with the next ball, making de Kock nick it behind. De Kock has only gone past fifty thrice in 30 T20 innings since retiring from ODIs in November. His highest score in the last five matches is 12.

Ther Hendricks Half-Century

Hendricks didn’t play at 2022 T20 World Cup despite good form. Now, he should start the tournament. His 87 was his 10th half-century in 2024 and 49th overall. He stood out in South Africa’s disappointing batting. He was the only one to score over 20. Hendricks timed well and hit powerfully but too late for victory.