New Delhi: A chase that will go down in the books of history as South Africa chased down 259 in a T20I against West Indies. Johnson Charles scored a 39-ball ton, but Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks blasted off West Indian bowlers as it rained fours and sixes at the Centurion. De Kock scored 100 off 44 while Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen finished the affairs.
Multiple records were broken and so were the hopes for bowlers in this high-scoring game between two power-hitting giants. The 152-run opening partnership between de Kock and Hendricks did the same for the Proteas that Charles and Kyle Mayers did for the Windies.
Quinton de Kock’s century featured nine fours and eight sixes Reeza Hendricks hit 11 fours and two sixes in his inning of 68 off 28. While a few wickets fell, Markram went on with singles and doubles and Klaasen finished it with 16* off 7.
In West Indies’ inning Wayne Parnell dismissed Brandon King in the first over, while Marco Jensen picked two wickets in the 11th over, but Johnson Charles was unshakable. His knock of 118 off 46 featured 10 fours and 11 maximums. Kyle Mayers scored 51 off 27 playing with him.
Jensen picked three and Parnell two, but Romario Shephard scored a cracking 41* off 18 while Odean Smith hit 11* off 5 to provide a good finish to West Indies. 258 in a T20 game was not enough on the pitch and the game would have been a mass entertainer for the audience in the stadium.
