Quinton de Kock blasts Proteas to T20I series win over West Indies

West Indies 221/4

South Africa (17.3/20 ov, T:222) 225/3

South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl, but West Indies made full use of the good batting conditions to post an imposing 221 for 4. Their innings was built around an aggressive partnership between Shimron Hetmyer and Brandon King after an early setback.

Marco Jansen struck in the second over to remove captain Shai Hope for 4, but King and Hetmyer quickly took control. They added 82 runs for the second wicket, with King scoring 49 off 30 balls before Kagiso Rabada dismissed him just short of a half-century. Hetmyer went on to reach his seventh T20I fifty from 29 balls and looked set for more before Keshav Maharaj removed him for 75 off 42 balls.

West Indies briefly lost momentum when Rovman Powell also fell cheaply, but a powerful unbeaten stand between Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd lifted them strongly at the end. Rutherford smashed 57 not out from 24 balls, while Shepherd added 17 not out, as the visitors finished on 221 for 4.

Chasing 222, South Africa lost Aiden Markram early for 15, but that only brought Quinton de Kock into full flow. He attacked from the outset, dominating the powerplay as South Africa raced to 70 for 1.

De Kock found excellent support from Ryan Rickelton, and the pair put West Indies under constant pressure with a decisive second-wicket partnership worth over a hundred runs. De Kock reached his 19th T20I fifty with ease and then went on to register his second T20I century.

He was eventually dismissed for a breathtaking 115, an innings filled with six fours and ten sixes, but the damage had already been done. Rickelton stayed calm to finish unbeaten on 77 off 36 balls, with Jason Smith applying the final touches as South Africa reached 225 for 3 in just 17.3 overs.

The win gave South Africa an unassailable 2--0 lead and handed West Indies their third consecutive T20I series defeat, with de Kock rightly named Player of the Match for a knock that defined the contest. 

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