ICC T20 WC 2021 - Super 12 - Proteas turn in clinical performance, squarely beat WI by 8 wickets

Quinton de Kock refuses to take a knee just before the game, withdraws from WI game.

South Africa 144 for 2 (Markram 51*, Van der Dussen 43, Hosein 27/1) beat West Indies 143 for 8 (Lewis 56, Pretorius 17/3) by eight wickets.

Markram takes SA over the line with his quick-fire fifty (©AFP/GettyImages)

South Africa and West Indies were at loggerheads with each other at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in a Group 1 match on Tuesday.

Batting mainstay of South Africa, Quinton de Kock was dropped from the starting eleven due to a surprising reason. De Kock refused to take the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Right-handed batter Reeza Hendricks replaced opener Quinton in the Proteas side as a corollary.

Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted for the field.

Bavuma hands ball to part-time spinner Markram to start proceedings

Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma handed the opening over to part-time right-arm off-spinner Aiden Markram. After a sedate start, Caribbean opener Evin Lewis started his onslaught on Kagiso Rabada. He smashed a four to backward point, also he smoked a maximum down the ground on the next ball.

Also, Lewis continued his onslaught against Markram too and smashed two consecutive sixes off him. He pulled the next ball towards mid-on to get four runs. His partner Lendl Simmons was dropped by wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen.

Lewis completed his fifty in just 33 balls with a maximum over deep mid-wicket. Lewis pummeled another six after completing his fifty but was caught by Rabada on the next ball.

One down batter Nicholas Pooran smashed two back-to-back to fours off Tabraiz Shamsi, however, David Miller caught him at long-off on 12. Rabada shattered the stumps of Simmons in the next over. Simmons played a distinctly uncharacteristic innings of 16 runs in 35 balls which heavily slowed down the Caribbean innings.

Next batter Kieron Pollard smacked two sixes to Shamsi to help his side to a three-figure mark. However, West Indies lost two wickets in the second last over of the innings, which hampered their progress. Also, Dwaine Pretorius bagged two wickets in the final over to halt the Caribbean team to a total of 143 runs in 20 overs by losing eight wickets.

Proteas execute perfect chase

Caribbean skipper Kieron Pollard brought spinner Akeal Hosein into the attack for the first over like his Proteas counterpart. Caribbean all-rounder Andre Russell ran out Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma on 2.

The other opener, Reeza Hendricks smashed a boundary and a six to Hosein in the third over of the innings. Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen batted sensibly and added 57 runs for the second wicket. Hendricks lost his wicket in the tenth over as Shimron Hetmyer caught him at deep square leg.

At two down, Aiden Markram joined van der Dussen in the middle. Markram smashed a maximum to Hayden Walsh over long on and subsequently smoked another six over backward square leg. Also, Markram continued to deal in sixes as he slogged a six to Ravi Rampaul over the deep mid-wicket boundary.

As Proteas were near the win, Markram hit two fours and a gigantic six to Russell. With this six, he completed his fifty in just 25 balls. Markram helped his side to the target in the penultimate over.

ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Group 1 Standings

West Indies lagging at sixth position in Group 1

West Indies team suffered their second loss in Super 12 round and are precariously placed at the last position in the ‘Group of Death’. South Africa are at number 4 and would look to bolster their position when they meet Sri Lanka at the Sharjah Cricket Ground on October 30.

Former champions West Indies next face Bangladesh at the Sharjah Cricket Ground on October 29.

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