Shai Hope’s unbeaten 128 saw the West Indies claim a 48-run victory over the Proteas, for whom Temba Bavuma also made a career-best 144, in the second ODI in East London on Saturday night.
Bavuma’s performance proved to be in vain as he ran out of partners. South Africa’ s starting team featured four debutants and they were well ahead of the required scoring rate, thanks to Bavuma’s brilliantly clean striking.
After Quinton de Kock made an electrifying 48 off 26 balls to give the Proteas the perfect start in pursuit of a hefty target of 336, Bavuma took on the charge, striking some excellent shots, particularly a couple of sixes over long-off, to put the Proteas in a dominant position. His 144, featured 11 fours and seven sixes and came off w 118 balls.
South Africa appeared on course to challenge the big total at 184-2 in the 25th over. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein then turned the game in West Indies’ favor. He removed Tony de Zorzi for 27 to start South Africa’s slide, claimed another two wickets and created a run out, as West Indies took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Hosein finished with 3-59 and West Indies took eight wickets for just 103 runs to finish off South Africa after its bright start.
Shai Hope lauded important partnerships from batters in West Indies’ ODI win vs South Africa. Hope, on his ODI captaincy debut, hit a century.
“Credit must go to the batting partners to make it easy for me. Brilliant start to the series,” Hope said in the post-match press conference.
Hope credited South Africa captain Temba Bavuma for his century and said that good fielding won West Indies the game.
“Temba played a brilliant innings, but catches win matches. We put ourselves under pressure… It was important for us to focus on what was ahead of us. I thought it was difficult to start on. Once you get in, you’ve got to go big. You have to play the situation,” Hope added.
Shai Hope made 128 not out in his first game as West Indies ODI captain. Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma replied with a century of his own in the second ODI at Buffalo Park but his 144 from 118 balls wasn’t enough as the other South African batters failed around him.
The first ODI was abandoned because of rain.
West Indies 335 for 8 (Hope 128*, Coetzee 3-57) beat South Africa 287 (Bavuma 144, Hosein 3-59, Joseph 3-53) by 48 runs