NEW DELHI: The SuperSport Park in Centurion witnessed a batting mayhem as South Africa brushed away West Indies by six wickets to register the highest ever successful run chase in T20Is.
A jaw-dropping 517 runs were scored in the match as bowlers from both the sides were taken to the cleaners.
For the hosts, it was opener Quinton de Kock, who went ballistic with a 43-ball ton to lay a solid platform in chase after West Indies raked up their highest ever T20I total of 258 for five.
Johnson Charles fired the fastest T20I century for West Indies in the shortest format after hosts opted to bowl first on a batting paradise. The 34-year-old Charles smashed his ton off 39 balls, eight fewer than Chris Gayle’s previous best mark. He hit 11 sixes — half of the West Indies total for the innings — which equalled the record 22 in an innings set by Afghanistan’s against Ireland three years ago.
Charles was ably supported by Kyle Mayers (51) in a 135-run second-wicket partnership followed by an unbeaten 41 from Romario Shepherd.
South Africa began at blistering pace in reply and by scoring 150 without loss off the first 10 overs set another T20 record.
De Kock took 43 balls to reach his century but departed straight after to end a 152-run opening partnership with Reeza Hendricks, who made 68 off 28 balls.
“I said to Reeza afterwards we did something special out there. I’ve been looking for a T20 century for a while and to do it at my home ground was something special,” said De Kock.
The pair succeeded in reducing the required run rate, allowing captain Aiden Markram (38 not out) to steer his side home to a remarkable win with seven balls remaining.
“It was a pretty crazy game. When we came out to bowl we thought we had done enough. They applied the pressure from ball one and we didn’t respond,” West Indies captain Rovman Powell said.
The batter-friendly pitch delivered a total of 35 sixes and 46 fours in a run feast for an enthusiastic crowd, producing 517 runs for the highest aggregate in a T20 international.
South Africa tied the three-match T20 series with the final game at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
A jaw-dropping 517 runs were scored in the match as bowlers from both the sides were taken to the cleaners.
For the hosts, it was opener Quinton de Kock, who went ballistic with a 43-ball ton to lay a solid platform in chase after West Indies raked up their highest ever T20I total of 258 for five.
Johnson Charles fired the fastest T20I century for West Indies in the shortest format after hosts opted to bowl first on a batting paradise. The 34-year-old Charles smashed his ton off 39 balls, eight fewer than Chris Gayle’s previous best mark. He hit 11 sixes — half of the West Indies total for the innings — which equalled the record 22 in an innings set by Afghanistan’s against Ireland three years ago.
Charles was ably supported by Kyle Mayers (51) in a 135-run second-wicket partnership followed by an unbeaten 41 from Romario Shepherd.
South Africa began at blistering pace in reply and by scoring 150 without loss off the first 10 overs set another T20 record.
De Kock took 43 balls to reach his century but departed straight after to end a 152-run opening partnership with Reeza Hendricks, who made 68 off 28 balls.
“I said to Reeza afterwards we did something special out there. I’ve been looking for a T20 century for a while and to do it at my home ground was something special,” said De Kock.
The pair succeeded in reducing the required run rate, allowing captain Aiden Markram (38 not out) to steer his side home to a remarkable win with seven balls remaining.
“It was a pretty crazy game. When we came out to bowl we thought we had done enough. They applied the pressure from ball one and we didn’t respond,” West Indies captain Rovman Powell said.
The batter-friendly pitch delivered a total of 35 sixes and 46 fours in a run feast for an enthusiastic crowd, producing 517 runs for the highest aggregate in a T20 international.
South Africa tied the three-match T20 series with the final game at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
West Indies won the first match by three wickets on Saturday.
(With inputs from Reuters)