Bravo!
Veterans show class as West Indies level T20 series with South Africa
Published:Friday | July 2, 2021 | 12:12 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
They say when you want something done, you should do it yourself, and that is exactly what captain Kieron Pollard did as he and compatriot Dwayne Bravo guided the West Indies to a 21-run win over South Africa in the fourth Twenty20 (T20) International in Grenada to lock the series at 2-2 with one game to play.
Throughout the series, Pollard had been admonishing his batsmen to play smart, situational cricket and execute, and the skipper led by example by hitting a top score of 51 to help the West Indies to a decent total of 167 for seven, which they eventually defended, restricting the Proteas to 146 for nine.
For the first time in the series, the West Indies used the Grenada pitch first up after being asked to bat, and the regional side got off to a flyer thanks to Lendl Simmons,who took 20 off the opening over bowled by Aiden Markram. Simmons went on to make 47 before being dismissed.
Evin Lewis wanted some of the action and hit a six in the next over, but he fell soon after to Anrich Nortje for seven to leave the host 27 for one in the third over.
Chris Gayle didn’t last very long either as he edged Kagiso Rabada to the keeper for five at 32 for two.
LUSTY BLOWS
The hosts were in tatters at 101 for six in the 16th over before Pollard took matters into his own hands by launching some lusty blows to spruce up the score.
The burly right-hander blasted two fours and five sixes in his 25-ball knock as he and Fabian Allen added an unbeaten 66 runs for the seventh wicket to get the West Indies over the 160 mark.
Allen was left not out on 19 from 13 balls with two fours and six.
With the unfamiliarity of chasing in the series, South Africa began their reply in an uncharacteristically slow manner, getting just eight runs off the opening over bowled by Fidel Edwards, who was playing his first game of the series.
Surprisingly, Pollard went to Chris Gayle for the second over, and his first ball brought the wicket of Reeza Hendricks, who was stumped for nought.
Obed McCoy then made the situation more difficult for the visitors as he removed Bavuma for seven to leave the Proteas 36 for two.
With Fabian Allen going off injured, Pollard had to send down a few overs, and he made a breakthrough when he had Rassie van der Dussen caught behind for 6 to leave the visitors in a spot of bother at 75 for four in the 11th over.
With dangerman Quinton de Kock still at the crease, the home side knew his wicket would be the big prize, and it was the veteran Dwayne Bravo who came up trumps, sending back de Kock for a top score of 60, to pretty much seal the deal for the host.
The deciding match is set for the same venue on Saturday at 1 p.m. Jamaica time.
SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES
L Simmons lbw b Linde 47
E Lewis c Markram b Nortje 7
C Gayle c wkp de Kock b Rabada 5
S Hetmyer c wkp de Kock b Linde 7
+N Pooran c van der Dussen b Shamsi 16
*K Pollard not out 51
A Russell c Nortje b Shamsi 9
F Allen not out 19
Extras (b1, lb1, w4) 6
TOTAL ( 6 wkts, 20 overs) 167
Did not bat: D Bravo, O McCoy, F Edwards
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Lewis, 2.1 overs), 2-32 (Gayle, 3.3), 3-63 (Hetmyer, 9), 4-70 (Simmons, 10.5), 5-89 (Pooran, 13.3), 6-101 (Russell, 15.3)
Bowling: Markram 1-0-20-0, Ngidi 4-0-48-0 (w2), Nortje 4-0-32-1, Rabada 3-0-36-1 (w1), Linde 4-0-16-2, Shamsi 4-0-13-2 (w1)
SOUTH AFRICA
+Q de Kock c Simmons b Bravo 60
R Hendricks st Pooran b Gayle 2
*T Bavuma lbw b McCoy 7
Aiden Markram b Russell 20
R van der Dussen c wkp Pooran b Pollard 6
D Miller c Gayle b Russell 12
G Linde c Simmons b Bravo 6
K Rabada not out 16
T Shamsi c Gayle b Bravo 0
L Ngidi c Simmons b Bravo 0
A Nortje not out 4
Extras ( (b5, lb3, w4, nb1) 13
TOTAL (9 wkts, 20 overs) 146
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Hendricks, 1.1 overs), 2-36 (Bavuma, 4.2), 3-62 (Markram, 9.1), 4-75 (Dussen, 10.4), 5-94 (Miller, 13.3), 6-110 (Linde, 15.2), 7-126 (de Kock, 17.1), 8-126 (Shamsi, 17.3), 9-127 (Ngidi, 18)
Bowling: Edwards 2-0-21-0, Gayle 2-0-11-1 (w1), McCoy 4-0-33-1 (w2, nb1), Russell 4-0-30-2 (w1), Bravo 4-0-19-4, Pollard 4-0-24-1.
Result: West Indies won by 21 runs.
Series: Five-match series tied 2-2.
Man-of-the-Match: Kieron Pollard.
Toss: South Africa.
Umpires: L Reifer, P Gustard; TV – G Brathwaite.