West Indies kick off T20I series with victory against South Africa

West Indies defeated South Africa by 28 runs during the first T20I against South Africa on Thursday in Kingston.

The stand-in skipper, Brandon King, showcased his skills by making 79 runs off 45 deliveries, in place of regular captain Rovman Powell, who was engaged in the Indian Premier League (IPL) innings.

The Windies were able to gain victory against South Africa because of the remarkable innings played by King, who hit six sixes and six boundaries. The team ended up scoring 175 for 8 within the 20 overs.

Andile Phehlukwayo and Ottniel Baartman claimed three wickets each for the visitors.

Despite the efforts made by the South African batter Reeza Hendricks, who scored his 15th T20I half century, the team could only score 147 all out against the winning team. Hendricks scored 87 runs in 51 balls.

West Indies’ spinner Gudakesh Motie, 3/25, and fast bowler Mathew Forde, 3/27, contributed to the team’s success with impressive bowling performances.

Despite efforts made by the South African players in the innings, the team kept on losing wickets periodically.

King was awarded the Player of the Match award, who discussed the strategic approach on the challenging pitch.

“I know the conditions well, which was an advantage,” said King who was playing at his home Sabina Park Ground. “We knew we had to go hard against the new ball as it’d get tougher later. We had 200-220 in mind as we had wickets in hand but fell short on a tough pitch.”

In order to be prepared for the upcoming T20 World Cup, both the teams need to brush up on their skills and strategies by performing well in the forthcoming matches scheduled in Kingston.