On Tuesday, Tabraiz Shamsi cemented his reputation as the best T20 bowler in the world by leading South Africa to a thrilling one-run victory over the West Indies in the third match of their five-match series at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada.
The left-arm wrist-spinner bowled his most economical four-over session in the series allowing only 13 runs for the vital wickets of Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer after they were put in to bat for the third time in the series. Even though he bowled well, and the West Indies feared power-hitters struggled for the second match in a row, the contest came down to the final over bowled by Kagiso Rabada with 15 runs needed.
Fabian Allen hit an early boundary and then a six off the final ball of the contest, but the pacer had held his cool in between to restrict the hosts to 166 for seven.
South Africa now leads 2-1 heading into Thursday’s fourth match at the same site. The West Indies highest scorers were Lewis and Nicholas Pooran, both scored 27 runs and Andre Russell scored 25.
“After losing the first match so terribly, we suffered a lot of criticism, so I am incredibly proud of how we have fought back in the subsequent two matches,” Shamsi said after collecting the man-of-the-match award.
“These pitches are becoming highly difficult to score runs on, and while I would have like a higher total to defend, I believed we had a good opportunity if we stayed to our preparations, and it all worked out well for us in the end on this occasion.”
Earlier, Obed McCoy and veteran Dwayne Bravo combined for seven wickets as South Africa stumbled from a promising position. Quinton de Kock, who was playing in his 50th T20 International, top-scored with 72, while Rassie van der Dussen added 32, and Aiden Markram, who was promoted to the middle order in place of Heinrich Klaasen, chipped in with 23.
However, it was Vincentian McCoy who stole the show with his array of cleverly disguised deliveries, earning the seamer four for 22, bettering his previous haul of three for 25 just two days prior. Bravo, who was once again given the task of bowling in the late overs of the innings, used his previous expertise under duress to take two crucial wickets and end with three for 25.
De Kock put up 43 with Markram and 60 with van der Dussen after McCoy removed starter Reeza Hendricks and captain Temba Bavuma in the fifth over to put South Africa in position for a total closer to the 180-run barrier.
However, de Kock’s dismissal by Bravo prompted a collapse from 147 for three in the 16th over, with the visitors losing five wickets for 17 runs.
