AHMEDABAD, India — South Africa delivered a commanding performance to crush the West Indies by nine wickets in a crucial T20 World Cup encounter. The Proteas, now the tournament’s only undefeated team, effortlessly chased down a target of 177 with 23 balls to spare, finishing at 177-1.
The match began with the West Indies in dire straits, collapsing to 83-7 before a record-breaking rescue act from Romario Shepherd (52 not out) and Jason Holder (49). Their 89-run partnership established the highest eighth-wicket stand in T20 International history, pushing their team to a competitive total of 176-8.
South Africa’s response was immediate and brutal. Openers Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock launched a devastating assault, putting on 95 runs for the first wicket in just 8.3 overs. Markram’s explosive half-century came off just 27 balls, featuring seven fours and four sixes. De Kock provided equally ferocious support with 47 from 24 deliveries before being dismissed. Ryan Rickleton (45 not out) then joined Markram to seal the comprehensive victory with an unbroken 82-run stand.
South African captain Aiden Markram credited his bowlers for the win, noting the challenging early conditions. ‘The wicket got really good again for batting; it was slightly tacky earlier when we bowled,’ Markram observed. ‘Steep bounce came from the tackiness. Fortunately we ended up on the right side of the toss. The guys bowled really well up front to take wickets.’
The bowling attack, led by Lungi Ngidi (3-30) and Kagiso Rabada (2-2), had earlier dismantled the West Indies top order, reducing them from 29-0 to 43-4 within four overs. West Indies captain Shai Hope acknowledged the powerplay collapse proved decisive: ‘Very important to get a big score, and losing so many wickets in the powerplay cost us. We were 40-50 runs short.’
This victory follows South Africa’s impressive 76-run demolition of pre-tournament favorites India in the Super Eights stage. The result sets up a winner-takes-all final group match between India and West Indies on Sunday, while South Africa’s progression to the semi-finals now depends on India defeating Zimbabwe in their upcoming fixture.