Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed an adjustment to the men’s international schedule for the 2025/26 season, with the five-match T20 International (T20I) series between the Proteas and West Indies reduced to three matches, to be played from 27 - 31 January 2026.

The decision follows the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) confirmation of the commencement date for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with the tournament support period now scheduled to begin on 31 January. As a result, the T20I series, which had been set for 27 January - 6 February, has been revised to three matches in order to accommodate the adjusted international calendar.

The series will see Boland Park in Paarl host the opening match on 27 January, before the teams move to the Highveld for the second encounter at SuperSport Park in Centurion on 29 January.

This season’s iconic Pink Day, traditionally staged as a one-day international (ODI), will take place during the third T20I at DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 31 January. Pink Day has become one of the most celebrated events on the cricketing calendar, raising funds and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

In addition, the 2025/26 season will also feature a three-match Youth ODI series between South Africa Under-19s and India Under19s at Willowmoore Park in Benoni from 3 - 7 January.

The series will form a key part of both teams’ preparation for the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe early next year.

FIXTURES

SA Under-19 Men’s Youth ODI Series against India Under-19

1st YODI - Saturday, 3 January at 10am

South Africa U19 v India U19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni

2nd YODI - Monday, 5 January at 10am

South Africa U19 v India U19 - Willowmoore Park, Benoni

3rd YODI - Wednesday, 7 January at 10am

South Africa U19 v India U19 - Willowmoore Park, Benoni

Proteas Men’s T20I Series against West Indies

1st T20I - Tuesday, 27 January at 6pm

South Africa v West Indies - Boland Park, Paarl

2nd T20I - Thursday, 29 January at 6pm

South Africa v West Indies - SuperSport Park, Centurion

3rd T20I - Saturday, 31 January at 6pm - Pink Day

South Africa v West Indies - DP World Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Tazmin Brits carved a sensational unbeaten 98 to set South Africa Women up for a commanding 50-run victory over West Indies Women in their T20I contest at the Three Ws Oval in Cave Hill, Barbados, on Friday night. South Africa leads the three-match series 1-0.

Brits was at the crease from the start to the finish of South Africa's innings as she authored a record-breaking knock to lead her side to 183 for six. This is the visitors' highest score against the West Indies in T20Is. The hosts progressed in fits and starts on their way to 133 for six.

"It is very pleasing to start with a win. I think T20 cricket is all about momentum, so really nice to take this win into the rest of the series," Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa's captain, said after the match.

Brits rightly faced the last delivery of South Africa's innings, and she tonked it for a six to lift her score to 98 off 63 balls. Her knock featured nine fours and four sixes. This is the highest individual score by any batter against the West Indies. It is also her 14th T20I half-century. She faced 34 deliveries to reach the milestone.

"I know it sounds like a cliche, but as long as I put in performances to get the team over the line, that's what I am all about," Brits, who was named the Player of the Match for her performance, shared after the fixture.

SLUGGISH START

Brits' innings made up for South Africa's slow start. The hosts were forced onto the back foot after losing Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp with only 25 runs on the board after 4.2 overs. Brits combined with Nadine de Klerk (21) for a 71-run third-wicket partnership that breathed new life into the innings.

"We probably didn't use the wicket as we wanted to," Hayley Matthews, the West Indies captain, shared.

South Africa's bowling attack did not waste time before putting the hosts under pressure with the ball. They bagged their first wicket in the second over, courtesy of a brilliant catch by Tryon at the boundary to see the back of the big-hitting Qiana Joseph. They did not look back and took four more wickets between then and the 10th over.

Tryon's catch was off Marizanne Kapp's bowling. The allrounder was South Africa's most successful bowler with two wickets for 27 runs in three overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka, and Nadine de Klerk each took a single wicket.

The visitors' bowling attack was backed by excellent fielding. The visitors made minimal mistakes and looked a world removed from their opponents, who made several errors in the field. South Africa's cohesion in the field denied the West Indies room to be expansive.

Jannillea Glasgow couldn't provide the hosts with a similar innings to Brits', but she did enough to be the hosts' top run-scorer in the contest with an unbeaten 53 off 44 balls. Her innings featured five fours. This is her maiden half-century in T20Is. She faced 40 deliveries to reach the milestone.

Glasgow shared an 81-run partnership with Chinelle Henry, who scored a fighting 26 from 32 balls. Their sixth-wicket partnership provided the local crowd with something to root for, despite it not moving quickly enough to pose a threat to South Africa's total. The West Indies were so far behind in the contest that they struck their first six in the 18th over.

Jahzara Claxton was another top performer for the West Indies. The 19-year-old pacer bowled well on her way to her best bowling figures in T20Is. She bagged the key wickets of Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, and Nadine de Klerk to finish with 3-39. Claxton outdid her previous best, 1-15, which she claimed against England earlier in the year.

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WEST INDIES: Hayley Matthews (capt), Shermaine Campbelle (wk), Aaliyah Alleyne, Jahzara Claxton, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Realeanna Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Qiana Joseph, Karishma Ramharack.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Miane Smit, Marizanne Kapp, Karabo Meso (wk), Annerie Dercksen, Chloe Tryon, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka.

The Proteas Women are set to commence their three-match T20 International (T20I) series against the West Indies on Friday, 20 June at the Three Ws Oval in Barbados.

The first of three T20Is will get under way at 2pm local time (8pm SAST) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport Cricket (Ch. 212).

The series marks a switch of formats following a successful one-day international (ODI) campaign, with the Proteas Women aiming to build on their 2-1 series triumph and continue their momentum in the shorter format.

Allrounder Annerie Dercksen, who featured throughout the ODI series, shared her thoughts during the pre-match press conference on Thursday ahead of the first T20I.

The Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers star highlighted the importance of maintaining a winning mentality in the T20Is, even in a 50-over World Cup year.

“Winning is very important every time we step over the rope. We always aim to win when we represent our country.

“With that being said, the 50-over World Cup is quite soon. We've got a T20 World Cup next year, June, so that also isn't far away. Coach Mandla (Mashimbyi) and his staff will also definitely be looking at some combinations that we can maybe use for that World Cup.

“Momentum is really important going into this 50-over World Cup, but then also keeping in the back of our mind that there is a T20 World Cup soon.

“We definitely don't take the series lightly,” Dercksen added.

'A FUNNY GAME'

After recording her maiden ODI hundred at the backend of the recent ODI Tri-Series against hosts Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Dercksen also reflected on her performances in the Caribbean.

She pinpointed the difference in conditions and circumstances between the two tours, while praising the rest of her batting order for helping to take the pressure off.

"Looking back on Sri Lanka, it's probably a bit more of a low-scoring series for me than I had then but also taking into account that the conditions were very different there and I probably came in at very different situations.

“Those in the top-order and middle-order took control of that middle-overs period and we sort of had to come in and finish off games.

“That naturally means that you're playing a more high-risk game and the conditions were probably a bit in the bowling side's favour. The pitch slows down quite a bit but I still feel like I'm hitting the balls well in the net.

“Cricket's a funny game so you just need a couple of things to go your way and then you're right back in it. I'm not too negative,” the 24-year-old commented.

PROTEAS WOMEN SQUAD (West Indies Outbound Tour)

Laura Wolvaardt (Captain) (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions), Nadine de Klerk (World Sports Betting Western Province), Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Karabo Meso (DP World LIons), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions), Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), *Miané Smit (Knights) and Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions)

*Uncapped in T20Is

FIXTURES

T20I Series

Friday, 20 June @ 8pm SAST

1st T20I: West Indies v South Africa (Three Ws Oval, Barbados)

Sunday, 22 June @  4pm SAST

2nd T20I: West Indies v South Africa (Three Ws Oval, Barbados)

Monday, 23 June @ 8pm SAST

3rd T20I: West Indies v South Africa (Three Ws Oval, Barbados)

Marques Ackerman finished with an unbeaten 35 as South Africa A (SA ‘A’) made light work of West Indies A on the final morning to wrap up a seven-wicket win and with it seal a 2-0 series scoreline in the second and final four-day match at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia on Wednesday.

The visiting captain faced 35 balls, striking five fours and a six, to take his side to their 100-run target in just 19.3 overs.

He shared a partnership of 50 for the third wicket with Sinethemba Qeshile (26 off 42 balls), the only wicket to fall on the day, with the tourists needing only 5.3 overs to knock off the remaining 32 runs required to earn themselves a series whitewash.

The South Africans, who also won the one-day series between the sides 2-0 last month, were victorious by an innings and 88 runs in the first game.

They started the last day of the tour comfortably placed on 68 for two, with Ackerman and Qeshile adding a further 12 to their stand, before the latter was bowled by Johann Layne (1/29).

Lhuan-dre Pretorius (6*) was next in and ensured there were no further losses alongside his captain, carrying the away side to another comfortable win.

Ruan de Swardt was the stand out player in match two after collecting four wickets and top-scoring with 86. Mihlali Mpongwana and Okuhle Cele also enjoyed successful outing with five wickets apiece.

South Africa A Squad against West Indies A

Marques Ackerman (captain, Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Okuhle Cele (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Ruan de Swardt (Renault North West Dragons), Schalk Engelbrecht (Momentum Multiply Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (DP World Lions), Jordan Hermann (Dafabet Warriors), Tristan Luus (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Rivaldo Moonsamy (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tshepo Moreki (DP World Lions), Mihlali Mpongwana (World Sports Betting Western Province), Nqaba Peter (DP World Lions), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (Momentum Multiply Titans), Sinethemba Qeshile (Dafabet Warriors), Lesego Senokwane (Knights), Jason Smith (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), and Prenelan Subrayen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins).

FIXTURES (ALL TIMES LOCAL)

FOUR-DAY MATCHES

Sunday, 1 – Wednesday, 4 June at 10AM

West Indies A lost to South Africa A by an innings and 88 runs – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Saint Lucia

Sunday, 8 – Wednesday, 11 June at 10AM

West Indies A lost to South Africa A by 7 wickets – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Saint Lucia

The just-ended T20 series between the West Indies and South Africa was not a contest for points. It meant two different things to both outfits. Darren Sammy retained most of his squad from the 2024 T20 World Cup because he wanted to use this series as the first step towards building a championship-winning side.

Rob Water, the Proteas coach, had other ideas. “We need to grow the base of our players that are competing at this level. For me, the importance of fixtures like these are massive. The leagues and the congestion is a challenge, but actually, it can be a positive for us in that we've got a broader group of players that are playing competitive cricket," he shared before the tour.

Sammy looks to be on track with his vision after his side subjected South Africa to a series white-wash, his side’s second 3 - 0 victory over the Proteas in three months. For the South Africans, it has been learning through ordeal. The West Indies’ batters showed no mercy to the inexperienced South African bowling attack and their victories were emphatic.

"It was a tough one today. Probably got the tougher of the conditions. That being said, we can improve as a team. It's quite a bit we can take from it,” Markram shared after losing the final match by eight wickets.

The South Africans had the worst of the conditions in the third T20I, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. When they went in to bat, the pitch was amenable to spin and boundaries were hard to come by. When the West Indies came in to bat, the pitch had improved and the wetness in the outfield made gripping the ball tough.

“The rain didn't help. Probably got the tougher of the conditions. That being said, we can improve as a team. It's going to take a little bit of time. It's quite a bit we can take from it. It's never great to lose,” Markram added.

However, despite the heartache of losing so badly, Walter found some silver linings from the tour. While the South African coach was disappointed that a few batters got starts and did not cash in, there was the highlight of seeing Tristan Stubbs perform consistently. The 24-year-old finished with the most runs in the series. And Walter also identified two finds worth investing in.

“In our two trips to the West Indies where we've tried to give some different faces an opportunity against high-quality opposition, which has been great,” Walter shared after the series.

One of those faces was Kwena Maphaka, whom Walter says has gained invaluable experience competing against a team as good as the West Indies.

“He's got speed. Left-armers always give a different angle, he’s able to swing the ball when there's a bit of shape. We saw some really exciting change-ups for a young guy to have. He bowled some seriously good overs in the death phase of the game. Which will shine his ability to, you know, deal with the pressure of T20 cricket. It is early days. So we don't put too much pressure on a young cricketer, just allow him to make his way into international cricket,” Walter explained.

Walter was also impressed by Patrick Kruger. The 29-year-old allrounder showed his ability with the bat in the first match when he shared a potentially match-saving 71-run sixth-wicket partnership with Tristan Stubbs. Kruger scored a valuable 44 from 32 in that match. He finished the series with the fifth-most runs for South Africa.

“(Kruger) is a nice find for the tour, batted well in the first T20I, and bowled well across the three games. So, it was nice to get him into the team and give him a consistent run,” Walter shared.

“So irrespective of the results, it’s huge that we were able to give those guys some exposure, give them a good read in their own personal games as to where they need to look to improve and where they excel. So from that point of view, very chuffed that the two is able to deliver that for us,” Walter added.

Nicholas Pooran starred with the bat, while Romario Shepherd was exceptional with the ball as the West Indies cantered to an 8-wicket win over South Africa. The hosts romped to 116/2 in 9.2 overs. The two sides locked horns in a T20I match at the Brian Lara Academy in Torouba, Trinidad, on Tuesday.

The victory sealed a series whitewash for the hosts, who recorded a 3 - 0 win.

Shepherd, who took two wickets for 14 runs in two overs, played an integral part in restricting South Africa to a gettable total. The visitors, who were asked to bat first, managed to get to 108/4 in 13 overs in a truncated encounter. West Indies' target was revised to 116 in 13 overs as per the Duckworth-Lewis method.

The match was reduced to 13 overs a side after two rain delays, one before the start of the encounter, and the other, an interruption 4.3 overs into the South African innings. Under the revised playing conditions, the powerplay was reduced to four overs and teams were allowed a maximum of five bowlers, three of whom were allowed three overs each and the other two overs each.

First ball? Let's smash it out of the park says Nicholas Pooran

(via @windiescricket) #WIvSApic.twitter.com/ENPjbLYThM

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 27, 2024

Pooran put on a masterclass in power-hitting as he set the platform for his side. The left-hander registered a strike rate of 269 during his 13-ball stay at the crease. He launched two fours and four sixes on his way to an imperious 35.

Pooran began his innings with a six and continued in that vein. The left-hander was taking on whatever bowler Aiden Markram turned to. Pooran arrived at the crease at the tailend of the first over, after Bjorn Fortuin had dismissed Alick Athanaze.

His partner, Shai Hope, who won the Player of the Series award, did not take long before he joined in the six-hitting. When the duo registered their 50-run partnership in 15 deliveries, they had yet to hit a four. At that point, all their boundaries were sixes. The partnership was eventually broken when Ottniel Baartman dismissed Pooran, however, by then the damage had already been done. The West Indies were on 60/2 after 3.5 overs.

Hope and his new partner, Shimron Hetmyer, had no trouble in seeing the West Indies past the finishing line. The pair constructed an unbeaten 56-run partnership that guided them to victory. Hope scored an outstanding 42 off 24, while Hetmyer was equally brilliant with an unbeaten 31 off 17.

Shai Hope ends it in style for the West Indies 🚀

The hosts complete a 3-0 T20I series win over South Africa ✅#WIvSA | #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/aQJ74CrurO

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 27, 2024

South Africa's inexperienced bowling attack had no answers to the marauding trio, against whom they conceded a combined seven fours and nine sixes. Only Patrick Kruger and Bjorn Fortuin conceded runs at less than 10 runs an over. Fortuin took one wicket for eight runs in his solitary over and Kruger went wicketless in his 2.2 overs, where he conceded 21 runs at nine runs an over.

During South Africa's innings, Tristan Stubbs put on another display of his T20 skills when he scored a quick-fire 40 off 15 balls. He arrived at the crease in the 10th over with South Africa in desperate need of brilliance and blasted his way to 40 off 15 deliveries in a blistering knock that featured five fours and three sixes. The 24-year-old was unstoppable in this innings, alternating between fours and sixes. He shared a 40-run partnership with debutant Jason Smith, in which Stubbs contributed 39 runs.

Stubbs' barnstorming knock came on the back of a fruitful second-wicket partnership between Ryan Rickelton (27) and Aiden Markram (20). The pair scored a momentum-building 38 runs off 25 deliveries. However, it was all a little too late.

Akeal Hosein and Matthew Forde, who bagged a single wicket each, were the other wicket-takers for the West Indies. Hosein took a single wicket for 11 runs in three overs, while Forde took one for 28 runs in three overs.

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WEST INDIES: Shai Hope, Alick Athanaze, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Roston Chase (capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Fabian Allen, Gudakesh Motie, Obed McCoy

SOUTH AFRICA: Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Jason Smith, Wiaan, Patrick Kruger, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottneil Baartman, Lizaad Williams, Kwena Maphaka

South Africa have some introspection to do after they find themselves trailing the West Indies 0 - 2 in their three-match T20 series following their 30-run loss to the hosts in the second match.

Moments before the contest, Patrick Kruger, who played an excellent knock in the first match spoke positively about the team’s intent and mindset when he stood before the press. “We are backing ourselves, we still have one game to win before another to win the series,” he shared.

That positivity was visible in the way the bowlers went about their business. The Proteas’ bowling attack produced a better performance on the pitch where they conceded 71 runs in the powerplay in the first encounter. This time around, they restricted the hosts to 43/1, denying them complete control of the innings.

Lizaad Williams starred with the ball for South Africa, dismissing Alick Athanaze, Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell at crucial moments. His effort helped the visitors to restrict the hosts to a par total.

“I was trying to break their momentum of swing. There was a bit of a grip as it was a used wicket. I've just played a handful of games, grateful for the opportunity, I am trying to make the best of it,” Williams shared.

“I have known him for quite a while, proper fighter, puts in a lot of work behind the scenes, glad he could grab his opportunity today,” Markram said when asked about Williams’ performance after the match.

As Kruger mentioned before the match, the South African contingent walked out backing themselves to chase down the target. Reeza Hendricks’ rediscovery of form made it seem as if they were going to make short work of the score. The opener smashed 44 runs off 18 deliveries to set his side up for victory.

Wickets were the only way back for the West Indies, given the kind of start South Africa had had. Romario Shepherd delivered two big ones, he accounted for Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram.

“Somewhere in the middle overs, the balance shifted. We did well in the powerplay, which is really nice to see compared to the other evening,” Markram explained.

The visitors were ahead of the match during the first half of the match, racing to 100 inside 10 overs. However, West Indies pulled things back and conceded only one boundary between the 10th and 14th overs.

By drying the runs, West Indies’ spin duo of Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie dismantled a well-set-up chase. They made crucial breakthroughs, removing South Africa’s big-hitting pair of Tristan Stubbs and Donovan Ferreira.

“They bowled really well in the back end of the middle overs. They made scoring tough,” Aiden Markram said.

Hosein and Motie’s brilliance was built on the back of outstanding work by Romario Shepherd. The seamer finished the match with three wickets for 15 runs in 10 overs. Shepherd came into the match on the back of a disastrous outing in the first match, where he conceded 39 runs in three overs for a solitary wicket.

“Very pleased after the first game which didn't go well. I went with the same plans, but the execution was better. I tried to stay calm and went about ball by ball. My role is to come and try and hit the deck as much as possible with the change-ups and all that. That is what my captain expects of me,” Shepherd explained.

The Proteas lost their last seven wickets for 20 runs in 5.5 overs as they capitulated from a winning position to give the West Indies an unbeatable lead in the series. Despite having lost the series, Markram made it clear that his side will not treat the third and final match of the series as a dead rubber.

“One thing guaranteed with us is a never-say-die attitude. We'll identify areas where we can get better at. Looking forward to the next game, hopefully, we can put up a better show," he shared, looking ahead to the final match on Tuesday.

One of the places Rob Walter and his staff might look at will be that in the first two matches, a clear pattern has emerged, the West Indies are clearly the better big-hitting side. In the first T20I, they hit 13 sixes to South Africa’s six. The second T20I had an identical distribution of sixes across teams. This may be a marker of where the game was won.

The other one would be the Proteas’ batting at the death. The West Indies scored 50 runs in their last five overs, while South Africa managed 11.

Shai Hope was outstanding with the bat, while Romario Shepherd was excellent with the ball for the West Indies as they defeated South Africa by 30 runs in their T20I contest at the Brian Lara Academy in Torouba, Trinidad, on Sunday.

 

The hosts, who were asked to bat first, put up a total of 179 for six in their innings.

Their bowling attack, led by Shepherd, bowled out South Africa for 149 in 19.4 overs.

Shepherd was named the Player of the Match for his three wickets for 15 runs in four overs.

An emphatic series win for the #MenInMaroon taking it with precision bowling in the clutch 👏🏾🏏💥#WIvSA #T20Fest pic.twitter.com/VeOmZgd92x

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) August 25, 2024

The West Indies lead South Africa 2-0 in the three-match series.

The hosts have now defeated the visitors three times in a row in a bilateral series.

HOPE LAYS THE PLATFORM

Shai Hope set his side on course to victory by laying a great platform with an outstanding knock that yielded 41 runs from 22 balls.

The opener creamed two fours and four sixes during his stay in the middle.

Shai Hope brought the heat at the top of the innings.🔥#WIvSA #T20Fest pic.twitter.com/dLzmiFpNtU

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) August 25, 2024

Early in his innings, the 30-year-old was happy to play second fiddle to Alick Athanaze (28 off 21) in the powerplay scoring 13 runs from 13 balls, and took control of the innings immediately after Athanaze's dismissal. He scored 28 runs off the next nine deliveries he faced.

The West Indies' star from the first match, Nicholas Pooran, found the going hard and did not access his boundary-hitting mode and only managed a run-a-ball 19 runs.

However, the hosts found their way back through the 47-run fifth-wicket partnership between Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford.

Powell scored a brisk 35 off 22 and Sherfane Rutherford managed a well-played 29 off 17 to bring their side closer to a defendable total.

There was little the South African bowling attack could do to stop the march of the West Indies contingent.

However, in this atmosphere, Lizaad Williams was able to bag three wickets for 36 runs in his four overs.

Patrick Kruger collected his first two T20I wickets in his three overs at the cost of 29 runs.

The West Indies bowling attack came to the party to defend what many would have considered a par score.

More impressively, they did so after losing the powerplay to the visitors.

PROTEAS FOLD AFTER ROLLICKING START

Reeza Hendricks (44 off 18) was timing and placing the ball well to give his side a rollicking start.

The opener showed his range as he smashed six fours and two sixes in the powerplay.

Hendricks was looking good for a 16th T20I half-century but fell short by six runs.

Hendricks's wicket came seven balls after the dismissal of Ryan Rickelton.

The left-hander had a good start, scoring 20 off 13, but was unable to convert that to a substantial score.

South Africa were well ahead of the game with a score of 71 for 2 after the powerplay.

The visitors' momentum was severely curtailed though and they lost their third wicket nine deliveries after Hendricks's dismissal. 

Similar to Rickelton, Aiden Markram (19 from 9) had a start but failed to convert.

West Indies' spin duo of Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie squeezed the South African batters, drying out runs in the middle overs.

They saw to it that the visitors' rebuilding effort was through singles, twos and sometimes threes.

They bowled against Stubbs and expertly denied him boundaries. Stubbs hit only two boundaries, one four and one six, during his stay in the middle.

Hosein and Motie dismissed Stubbs, Van der Dussen and Donovan Ferreira in a space of 2.1 overs.

The contest spiralled downhill for South Africa from that point onwards.

Shamar Joseph, who bagged the first wicket of the match for the West Indies, took two more to register his career-best T20I bowling figures.

 He finished with three wickets for 31 runs in four overs.

Best bowling figures in T20I for Shamar Joseph! 💪🏾🔥#WIvSA | #T20Fest pic.twitter.com/BVdpb2Skkz

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) August 25, 2024

However, the star of the show was Shepherd.

The seamer accounted for South Africa's premier batters, Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram, and the explosive Patrick Kruger.

None of the South Africans could get him off the square.

Brilliant with the ball today Sheppy! 👏🏾👏🏾#WIvSA | #T20Fest pic.twitter.com/7TN0uhbRcg

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) August 25, 2024

Akeal Hosein was also outstanding with two wickets for 25 runs in four overs.

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WEST INDIES: Shai Hope, 2 Alick Athanaze, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Rovman Powell (capt), 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Matthew Forde, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Shamar Joseph

SOUTH AFRICA: Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Donovan Ferreira, Patrick Kruger, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottneil Baartman, Lizaad Williams, Kwena Maphaka

Magnificent batting from the West Indies top three batsmen led the home side to a resounding seven-wicket victory against South Africa in the first of three T20 Internationals to be played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, on Friday.

South Africa’s 174-7 was comfortably outdone by the West Indies 176-3 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Openers Alick Athinaze (40) and Shai Hope (51) crunched a first wicket stand of 84 in just eight overs before Nicholas Pooran displayed his extraordinary T20 skills with an unbeaten 65 from only 26 balls with two fours and seven sixes.

The West Indies get the job done in the first T20 International against South Africa 🌴

Next up is the second match on Sunday with coverage starting at 20:30 (CAT) 📺 #WIvSA | #WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/iuXcECxS1i

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 23, 2024

Left arm fast bowler Nandre Burger (3-0-47-0) bore the heaviest brunt of the assault although captain Aiden Markram’s gamble to bowl an early over (1-0-21-0) did not earn dividends.

Ottneil Baartman (4-0-30-2) claimed a couple of early wickets while debutant Kwena Maphaka (3.5-0-25-1) had good reason to be proud of his tenacity but it was, in old terminology, a ‘hiding’ for the Proteas.

Kwena Maphaka ⭐

Remember the name 😏#WIvSA | #WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/aS8EN5JzSV

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 23, 2024

Tristan Stubbs and Patrick Kruger fashioned a remarkable sixth wicket partnership of 71 to help South Africa post a competitive total of 174-7 but it proved wholly inadequate as the home side cantered to 176-3 in just 17.5 overs for a comfortable victory with 13 balls to spare.

Stubbs blasted a sensational 76 off just 42 balls while Kruger’s 44 from 32 balls (4x4, 2x6) played a critical role in rescuing the tourists from a perilous 42-5 on a pitch offering troublesome seam movement after a heavy rain shower delayed the start of play by an hour.

Stubbs scored just 24 from his first 22 balls but displayed his very best T20 skills in the final third of his innings which delivered eight fours and three sixes, split equally between classic cricket drives and inventive reverse sweeps and scoops.

 

Tristan Stubbs gets a well-deserved half-century 👏👏

📺 Stream #WIvSA live: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw pic.twitter.com/E1zE4ZiKvT

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 23, 2024

Kruger was a little more orthodox but hit the ball with ferocious power even happy to tackle the longer boundary, into the wind, to hit spinner Gudakesh Motie for six.

Earlier Ryan Rickelton (4) thin-edged a slash at a wide ball from seamer Matthew Forde (3-27) and Markram (14) miscued a drive to mid on against the same bowler. A leading edge from Reeza Hendricks (4) against Shamar Joseph (2-40) ended in the hands of third man and Rassie van der Dussen (5) edged a legside glance into the gloves of Nicholas Pooran.

When Donovan Ferreira (8) attempted to hit ‘inside out’ over cover against left arm spinner Akeal Hosein (1-22) but instead found the hands of cover fielder Motie, the tourists were in desperate trouble at 42-5 after just eight overs.

But Stubbs and Kruger rescued the situation and appeared to have given the Proteas a realistic chance of victory. Until Pooran evaporated those hopes.

The second and third matches take place at the same venue on Sunday and Tuesday.

---

WEST INDIES: Shai Hope, Alick Athanaze, Nicholas Pooran, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell (capt), Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph

SOUTH AFRICA: Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Donovan Ferreira, Patrick Kruger, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottneil Baartman, Nandré Burger, Kwena Maphaka

South Africa’s three-match T20 International series against the West Indies, which begins on Friday and concludes on Tuesday at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, may not count towards qualification for a World Cup or even as a warm-up for an imminent World Cup, but that does not mean they aren’t important.

“That would be a fairly narrow view of these fixtures, we’re only 18 months away from the 2026 World Cup in India in 2026 and we’ve got nine series between now and then,” said head coach, Rob Walter, from Trinidad on Wednesday.

“That leaves us with between 32 and 36 fixtures before that World Cup comes around so giving guys international opportunities against quality sides is important. Not every one of our players is a ‘marquee’ name playing in the domestic leagues so we have to use these games against quality opposition to grow the base of our squad,” Walter said.

“So, for me, these games are massive – does it create ‘freedom’ for the guys to play? I don’t know but when you pull on the green and gold you have a responsibility to represent your country and I know there is a very strong desire to perform and do well. I don’t think the players see a series like this as any less important than any other,” Walter said.

“The franchise leagues around the world and fixture congestion can be a challenge but it can also be a positive for us in that we have a broader base of players who are playing competitive cricket,” Walter said.

'WONDERFULLY CALM' MAPHAKA

For spectators accustomed to cricket where results ‘matter’, the prospect of new faces in the Proteas squad may provide extra interest, especially 18-year-old left-arm fast bowler Kwena Maphaka who was the leading wicket-taker in the recent under-19 World Cup and who has already made his IPL debut.

“He’s a wonderfully calm guy, we’ve seen him perform domestically for the Lions and at the under-19 World Cup, and to run out and perform for the Mumbai Indians in an IPL as a schoolboy, he’s done some incredible things for a very young guy and he’s got a wonderful perspective on it all.

“We were talking about the IPL just yesterday and, although the performance wasn’t there that day, there are very few players his age who can say they’ve played in front of a full Wankhede Stadium. It’s quite a reference point in terms of experience. I love his mindset and calmness and we see him as strong potential for the Proteas moving forward,” Walter said before admitting that ‘managing expectations’ from the young superstar was as important as his bowling returns.

“It’s a challenge that I’m very aware of, giving the players the best chance of success. This is just one part of doing that, as a young guy we’re just one part of his support group. In terms of media, and social media, the guys do read it and we just want to keep him grounded and aware that he’s under no time pressure, we don’t need to speed this journey up, we want to take care of him as an individual,” Walter said.

 

The @ProteasMenCSA T20 squad is in action against the West Indies for a three-match series 🌴🆚🇿🇦

Here are some of the standout performers in the shortest format over the last 12 months 👇#WozaNawe | #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/LcXZhIEMVH

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 21, 2024

 

There are four allrounders in the squad, including debutant Jason Smith. It is another concentrated point of focus for the coach.

“There’s no secret that we need to increase our allrounder stocks, it makes such a difference in balancing teams. We’ve made selections based on domestic performances and now it’s a case of seeing whether that translates into international cricket.

“It’s exciting to see Jason come into the Proteas fold and Wiaan (Mulder), too, who is actually still a very young cricketer who has followed a familiar path where they start strong, the opposition figure them out, their game is challenged and then, if they are able to make that improvement, they become much better cricketers. I believe Wiaan is on that trajectory now, which is great to see, and we have Pat Kruger and Donovan Ferreira on this tour, too,” Walter said.

SA T20I SQUAD: Aiden Markram (captain), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Jason Smith, Patrick Kruger, Wiaan Mulder, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottneil Baartman, Kwena Maphaka, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.

FIXTURES: 23, 25, 27 August – Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad.

West Indies allrounders Andre Russell and Jason Holder have been rested for this month's three-match Twenty20 home series against South Africa, governing body Cricket West Indies (CWI) said on Sunday.

Medium pacer Matthew Forde and allrounder Fabian Allen, who missed the T20 World Cup co-hosted by West Indies in June, have returned to the squad.

"Andre Russell requested a period of rest and recovery as well as Jason Holder who played five back-to-back tests against England and South Africa," CWI's director of cricket Miles Bascombe said in a statement.

"During this period, they will work closely with the CWI science and medicine team."

Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who was rested for the test series against South Africa this month, is absent from the 15-man squad along with injured opening batter Brandon King.

"I’m confident in the squad we’ve selected, and with eyes already on the next T20 World Cup in 2026, I know the guys will be keen to show their hunger for success," head coach Daren Sammy said.

The series will be played on August 23, August 25 and August 27 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago.

WEST INDIES SQUAD:

Rovman Powell (captain), Roston Chase, Alick Athanaze, Johnson Charles, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Fabian Allen, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.

Predicting cricket results and how a league table might look once all nine teams have played other opponents over series of varying lengths is anything but a precise science. More like guesswork, albeit of the educated sort.

But South Africa’s test coach Shukri Conrad did his sums before the two-test series against the West Indies and concluded that his team probably needed to win seven of their remaining eight tests to have a decent chance of qualifying for the World Test Championship to be staged in London in June next year.

 

The Proteas seal a series victory over the West Indies 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1cWujZZDTu

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 17, 2024

 

Having (probably) been denied victory by the rain in the first test in Trinidad and prevailing by 40 runs in a cracking game in Guyana, it leaves Conrad and his charges with six tests to play before the WTC final. And they need to win all of them. Two In Bangladesh in October and two each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home in November and December.

Asked whether the Test Championship was weighing heavily on him, Conrad was cheerful: “No, it’s not an unwanted thing in our lives, it’s always nice if there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s not the only reason we play test cricket but it’s a good thing that there is something for test teams to aim for at the end of each cycle,” he said from Guyana on Sunday.

“There are World Cups in the other formats and there is no reason why test cricket shouldn’t have something like this,” Conrad said. “We’re thrilled that there might be something for us at the end, if we win all of our tests.”

PRAISE FOR RABADA AND MAHARAJ

Conrad heaped praise on the brilliant Kagiso Rabada and also Keshav Maharaj who claimed 13 wickets in the two tests for leading the attack which kept the Proteas in the game despite some indifferent batting at times. He also commended allrounder Wiaan Mulder for claiming the man-of-the-match award in Guyana with six wickets and a vital 34 in the second innings.

“He has been in and around the side for a while now without getting an extended run, and his performances didn’t always merit an extended run. But he was outstanding in this series and I’m sure he can become an important part of the unit going forward,” Conrad said.

“They’ve indicated clearly what they need from me and I’ve tried to get better, consistently. They want me to score more runs and hopefully that’s in the pipeline for me, but I’m just trying to do my best and keep it as simple as I can,” Mulder said after the test.

“I tried to bowl as many wobble-seam balls as I could, I felt there was enough in the pitch to trouble the batsmen, fortunately I didn’t need to swing the ball, when I try and swing it I miss my lengths quite often. Actually, it still swung even when I was trying to bowl wobble seam balls! But I was happy with what I tried to do which was basically hit the top of off stump,” Mulder said having claimed career-best figures of 4-32 in the West Indies first innings.

Maharaj spoke about his remarkable ability to keep playing all three formats and to remain ‘test ready’ despite not playing the longest format for over six months:

“I’ve always prided myself on my test cricket so I’m always making sure my workloads are up and working on the right lengths and plans, and I’ve always got a red ball in my back so I’m often fidgeting with that and making sure I stay loyal to the game,” Maharaj said.

NEGOTIATING TRICKY SITUATIONS

Captain Temba Bavuma was understandably delighted with the outcome but also realistic.

“That was a proper game of test cricket and I’m happy the weather played its part, too,” Bavuma joked. “Both teams were in the game for a long time, at no point did I think we had won it until we took the last wicket and fortunately things went our way.

“There were a couple of ‘soft’ periods in the game which is down to a bit of inexperience in the team but, having said that, there is also a lot of quality in the team and a couple of guys have been around the block before, especially with the ball, and we really leaned on them in difficult times.

“Rabada leading the pace attack and Keshav in the spin department, that really gets a team through some tricky situations and, even with the bat, nobody managed to go through to a big score but plenty of guys contributed runs at critical times,” Bavuma said.

“We are still quite inexperienced and we’re still trying to find the way we want to play the game but, the more we play and the more experience we get I have no doubt we can become a formidable tea. We definitely need to sharpen up on various facets of the game but at this point about continuing to build and grow as a unit,” Bavuma said.

Kagiso Rabada led the way for South Africa as they beat the West Indies by 40 runs in a tense finish in the second test as the home side were dismissed for 222 chasing 263 for victory on the third afternoon at the Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana, on Saturday.

Rabada claimed 3-50 in 16 overs to finish on 299 test wickets while Keshav Maharaj (3-37) took three of the final four wickets to conclude a tense but well-deserved win.

Our Proud Test Captain! 🫡

Temba Bavuma posing with the Sir Vivian Richard’s Trophy after we beat West Indies by 40 runs in the 2nd test to win the series 1-0.🇿🇦🏆#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/y201KLOJdR

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 19, 2024

Earlier, South Africa lost their last remaining five wickets inside the first 11 overs of the day as they slipped from a strong overnight position of 223 for five to 246 all out in their second innings, an overall lead of 262.

South Africa’s excellent sixth-wicket partnership of 85 ended with the sixth ball of the morning when Wiaan Mulder was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican’s skiddy arm ball without adding to his overnight 34 which included a pair of fours and sixes on the second evening.

KG Rabada is easily the greatest pace bowler of our generation 🔥#WIvSA #tapmad #HojaoADFree pic.twitter.com/JSEktb2cbV

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) August 17, 2024

Maharaj completed a hat-trick of ducks in the series with a tame chip to short midwicket against Jayden Seales but there was nothing soft about Seales’ fifth wicket, a magnificent late inswinger to Kyle Verreynne which swerved between bat and pad to hit the top of leg stump. Verreynne’s 59 spanned 78 balls and included eight boundaries and was instrumental to the victory.

22-year-old Seales finished the innings with career-best figures of 6-61 from 18.4 overs when he held a brilliant, reflex catch off his own bowling to dismiss last man Nandre Burger for the third duck of the innings leaving first innings top scorer, Dane Piedt, unbeaten on seven.

The Proteas seal a series victory over the West Indies 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1cWujZZDTu

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 17, 2024

The West Indies reached 43 for one at lunch having lost opener Mikyle Louis (4) to a sharp catch at third slip by Mulder off the excellent Rabada, who beat the bat on a dozen occasions and could easily have enjoyed far greater reward than his final analysis.

The West Indies seemed well placed to challenge for victory at 54 for one shortly after lunch but lurched to 127 for six at tea. Mulder trapped captain Kraigg Brathwaite lbw for 25 to begin the collapse and bowled Keacy Carty (17) to tighten the pressure at 62 for three. Kavem Hodge (29) was bowled off an inside edge by Rabada and Alick Athanaze (15) was well caught at slip by Aiden Markram off Dane Piedt.

Jason Holder departed for a 12-ball duck when attempting to launch Piedt for a six but fell short, into the hands of Mulder at long off. Joshua da Silva (27) and Gudakeshie Motie (45) fought valiantly at the end before both were foiled lbw by Maharaj.

Undisputed🏆

Still on a high from our test series win in the West Indies this past weekend! 🇿🇦v🏝️#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/cEEm1ZrSKu

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 19, 2024

Shamar Joseph (11) briefly kept hopes alive before heaving Rabada to mid-off and last man, Jayden Seales (4), nudged Maharaj to David Bedingham at short leg to end the game.

"For a team that is in a transition phase we really did well to come away with this success," said a delighted Maharaj, whose three wickets lifted him one above Hugh Tayfield's 170 as the most successful spinner in South Africa's Test history.

"Getting ready for Test cricket is always part of my plan, no matter what other formats I play. I always have a red ball in my bag."

Maharaj was full of praise for his captain, Temba Bavuma, and his refreshing confidence in slow bowlers.

"He trusts spin and backs spin," he explained.

"He allows me to read the game and brings his input as well. It's a privilege to be in a side led by him."

Wiaan Mulder took the man of the match award, the seam bowling all-rounder making the most of a rare opportunity to play Test cricket by claiming six wickets in the match and also contributing an important 34 runs in the second innings.

"I just wanted the chance to play because I haven't played much Test cricket of late," he said.

"I just tried to bowl as many wobble seam balls as I could because I felt there was enough in the conditions for the ball to swing naturally as well."

For West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, one of Mulder's two wickets in the innings, the fate of the match hinged on the failure of the batting line-up in the first innings.

"We did well to dismiss them for 160 but then didn't put up enough runs in reply. That was crucial," he emphasised.

"Our mindset today was to have intent at the crease and even though myself and the other top-order batters didn't deliver, it was good to see the fight from Motie and others lower down the order."

The first test in Trinidad, robbed of almost 150 overs by rain, finished in a draw. South Africa win the ‘series’ 1-0.

---

WEST INDIES: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wkt), Gudakesh Motie, Jomel Warrican, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

SOUTH AFRICA" Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger.

 

A fine opening stand of 79 between Tony de Zorzi (39) and Aiden Markram (51) laid platform for South Africa to reach a total of 223-5 in their second innings for an overall lead of 239 on the second day of the second test against the West Indies at the Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana, on Friday.

Their advantage appeared to have diminished when they slumped to 139-5 before an unbroken, sixth wicket partnership of 84 between Kyle Verreynne (50*) and Wiaan Mulder (34*) saw the tourists to a dominant position in the contest.

Vicious Verreynne! 🔥

Kyle shows great nerve and notches up his fifty before the end of day 2.

Can he capitalise on it on day 3 tomorrow?😃#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/1vrHmhJr2R

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 16, 2024

South Africa claimed a narrow first innings lead of 16-runs when they dismissed the home side for 144 after resuming on their parlous overnight score of 97-7 having been dismissed for 160 in their first innings on day one.

Markram and de Zorzi rode their luck with over 20 play-and-miss shots between them on a pitch still offering assistance to the quicker bowlers but also batted with great positivity and intent before de Zorzi finally edged an away-swinger from fast bowler Jayden Seales to ‘keeper Joshua de Silva having faced 72 balls and struck five fours.

Markram you beauty! 😃

A very well-played half-century.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/4QsSirLQsa

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 16, 2024

Markram’s defence was in prime working order but so, too, was his attacking game as he collected five boundaries in his 51 from 108 balls while Tristan Stubbs reached 24 from 75 balls with a single boundary, a reverse sweep against spinner Gudakesh Motie, before edging Seales to da Silva.

Markram was trapped lbw by Motie, Stubbs edged the excellent Seales (3-52) to the ‘keeper and David Bedingham’s 10-ball duck was concluded when Seales removed his off-stump. Temba Bavuma was lbw on the back foot to Motie for four.

🟢🟡Day 2 | STUMPS

Great test match cricket once again on day 2!

🇿🇦South Africa 160/10 (1st Innings)
🏝️West Indies 144/10 (1st Innings)
🇿🇦South Africa 223/5 (2nd Innings)

South Africa lead by 239 runs#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/rGHrsdAa59

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 16, 2024

Earlier the home side quickly lost Jomel Warrican and Jayden Seales at the start of play, both without scoring, before a 10th wicket stand of 40 between Jason Holder (54*) and fast bowler Shamar Joseph who was the first day hero with 5-33 as South Africa were dismissed for just 160.

It wasn’t quite on the scale of South Africa’s own 10th partnership of 63 between Dane Piedt and Nandre Burger which saw them recover from 97-9 to 160 all out on day one, but it kept the home side within touching distance of the tourists.

Joseph, dropped twice in the slips by Markram and Mulder, slammed 25 from 27 balls with four fours and a six before Keshav Maharaj (2-8) trapped him lbw leaving Holder with a potentially crucial unbeaten half century which spanned 88 balls with a six and four fours.

Warrican chipped Kagiso Rabada (1-40) to Maharaj and mid on before Seales fell lbw to Burger who finished with 3-49. Mulder finished with 4-32 having started the morning with 4-18.

The first test in Trinidad, robbed of almost 150 overs by rain, finished in a draw.

---

WEST INDIES: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wkt), Gudakesh Motie, Jomel Warrican, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

SOUTH AFRICA" Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger.

White-ball head coach Rob Walter on Wednesday named the 15-player squad for the upcoming three-match T20 International (T20I) series against the West Indies, which gets under way later this month in Trinidad and Tobago.

Hollywoodbets Dolphins allrounder Jason Smith and DP World Lions fast bowler Kwena Maphaka have received their maiden call-ups to the national side.

The hard-hitting middle-order batter Smith, who scored 51 in the 2023/24 CSA T20 Challenge final against the Lions, amassed 291 runs at an average of 41.57 and a strike rate of 134.10 in the competition.

His medium pace also adds an extra option in the bowling attack.

The 18-year-old Maphaka, meanwhile, was part of the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup 2024 squad and played a pivotal role in the junior Proteas’ semifinal finish with his Player of the Tournament haul of 21 wickets at an average of 9.71.

He also made his domestic T20 debut for the Lions and Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League earlier this year.

Lions spinner Nqaba Peter, who made his T20I debut against the West Indies in May, has been ruled out of the series as he is in the final phase of his recovery from a shoulder injury.

White-ball head coach Rob Walter has today named the 15-player squad for the upcoming three-match T20 International (T20I) series against the West Indies, which gets underway later this month in Trinidad and Tobago.

Commenting on the squad, Walter said: “Several players were not… pic.twitter.com/hx8PJ4d6tX

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 14, 2024

Commenting on the squad, Walter said: “Several players were not considered for this series due to either injury, being in a conditioning block that is related to workload management, or their participation in ongoing T20 leagues.

“This tour allows us to continue developing our player pool while maintaining the core of experienced players. It will also expose our emerging talent to quality international opposition, similar to the last time we played against the West Indies in May.

“We’re excited to have Jason [Smith] and Kwena [Maphaka] join the squad for this series. Jason’s recent performances have been impressive, and his ability to contribute with both bat and ball adds valuable depth to our line-up.

"Kwena has been identified as a player with significant potential, and this tour presents a great opportunity to include him in the Proteas environment and gain valuable international experience.”

SOUTH AFRICA T20I SQUAD AGAINST WEST INDIES

Aiden Markram (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Ottneil Baartman (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Nandre Burger (World Sports Betting Western Province), Donovan Ferreira (Momentum Multiply Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (DP World Lions), Reeza Hendricks (DP World Lions), Patrick Kruger (Dafabet Warriors), Kwena Maphaka (DP World Lions), Wiaan Mulder (DP World Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Ryan Rickelton (DP World Lions), Jason Smith (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tristan Stubbs (Dafabet Warriors), Rassie van der Dussen (DP World Lions) and Lizaad Williams (Momentum Multiply Titans).

T20I SERIES (all times local)

Friday, 23 August at 15:00 (21:00 SAST)

West Indies v South Africa - Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago

Sunday, 25 August at 15:00 (21:00 SAST)

West Indies v South Africa - Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago

Tuesday, 27 August at 15:00 (21:00 SAST)

West Indies v South Africa - Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago

Guyanese fast bowler Shamar Joseph claimed an emotional five-wicket haul on home soil to help dismiss South Africa for just 160 before Wiaan Mulder’s 4-18 from six overs saw the home side collapse to 97-7 on the first day of the second test match against the West Indies at the Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana, on Thursday.

Seventeen wickets fell on the first day at a venue accustomed to producing turgid, attritional batting displays and the home side, still trailing by 63 runs, have much catching up to do.

🟢🟡Day 1 | STUMPS

What an electrifying first day of cricket!⚡️

🇿🇦South Africa 160/10 (1st Innings)
🏝️West Indies 97/7 (1st Innings)

West Indies trail by 63 runs going into day 2.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvWI pic.twitter.com/zMujvtbqKI

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 15, 2024

A remarkable 10th-wicket partnership of 63 between Dane Piedt (38*) and Nandre Burger (23) saw South Africa’s first-innings total recover from an embarrassing 97-9 to a semi-respectable score on a slow but surprisingly seamer friendly pitch on which Temba Bavuma chose to bat first.

The local man from Guyana, Joseph, claimed 5-33 from just 14 overs which began by bowling Aidan Markram (14) with a perfect ‘nip-backer’ with the opener playing no shot before trapping Bavuma for a duck two balls later.

Tony de Zorzi (1) was the first to depart when the excellent fast bowler Jayden Seales (14-3-45-3) bowled the left hander with an in-swinger and Tristan Stubbs became the fourth wicket of the first session when he perished for 26 from 65 deliveries.

Stubbs made an understandably cautious start with just three runs coming from his first 29 balls but finally allowed himself to hit the ball with purpose and collected three boundaries before a full, deliberately wide delivery from Jason Holder tempted him into a drive with the edge flying to a diving Kavem Hodge in the gully.

Lunch was taken on 64-4 but South Africa’s hopes of a meaningful recovery quickly ended when David Bedingham (28), having survived a chance with just a single to his name when a sliced drive against left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican landed safely between three fielders, edged an away-swinger from Joseph to ‘keeper Joshua de Silva.

Mulder (0) departed second ball to another away-swinger from the same bowler, to the same fielder, and Keshav Maharaj (0) became the third batsman to depart to his second ball when Joseph shattered his defences to hit off-stump.

Kagiso Rabada posted the fourth duck of the innings when Seales bowled him and Kyle Verreyne became Joseph’s fifth victim when he was bowled behind his legs for 21 from 33 balls.

A 5️⃣fer on home soil! Absolute bliss for Shamar!🏏🔥#WIvSA #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/dONCWEQyKa

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) August 15, 2024

Piedt’s unbeaten 38 spanned 60 balls and contained four fours and a straight six against spinner Gudakesh Motie while Burger displayed immaculate defence and game management with 23 from 56 balls before Motie trapped him lbw.

The 63 runs may not shape the course of the match but it certainly changed the emotional course of the contest in its early stages.

FROM BAD TO WORSE FOR WINDIES

The West Indies’ reply began badly and got worse, quickly.

Opener Mikyle Louis (0) was clean bowled by Nandre Burger, fellow opener and captain Kraigg Brathwaite (3) was bowled by Mulder before the same bowler held a spectacular return catch to dismiss Alick Athinaze for a single.

Worse was to come for the home side when Kavem Hodge (4) thick-edged a drive against Mulder to Stubbs at third slip, Keacy Carty (26) whipped a full length ball from Burger to Maharav at mid wicket and Joshua da Silva (4) edged a tentative drive against Mulder to Markram at second slip.

Jason Holder (33*) will resume on the second morning with Gudakesh Motie (11) having been trapped lbw by Keshav Maharaj with the final ball of the day.

The West Indies still trail by 63 runs.

The home team made one change before the start of play with Joseph replacing veteran Kemar Roach while the tourists made two changes by including left-arm fast bowler, Burger, in place of Lungi Ngidi and adding offspinner Piedt in place of the extra batsman, Ryan Rickelton.

The first test in Trinidad finished in a draw after almost 150 overs were lost to rain.

More showers are forecast for all five days in Guyana but not as heavy or as regular as they were in Trinidad.

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WEST INDIES: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wkt), Gudakesh Motie, Jomel Warrican, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

SOUTH AFRICA" Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger.

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma is looking for his frontline batsmen to score quicker when they take on the West Indies in the second match of their two-test series, starting in Georgetown, Guyana, on Thursday.

The first test in Port of Spain was drawn after rain curtailed play on three of the five days.

"The batters need to be a lot more ruthless. The guys who get the opportunity to settle in, must really go on and get a base score for the team that will give us a lot more time from a bowling point of view," Bavuma told a press conference on Wednesday.

Temba Bavuma's progression though 🔥🔥

He has become integral to the @ProteasMenCSA Test batting order 💪🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/qlfHb2OmGy

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 14, 2024

"There was obviously a little bit of frustration at the fact that with a little bit more time, a result could have been possible."

It is expected to be a docile pitch in Guyana, as it was in Trinidad and Tobago where South Africa attempted to bowl out the West Indians in the last two sessions of the final day but fell five wickets short.

"I think the bowlers did as best as they could, considering what was in front of them. There was a miraculous effort from Keshav (Maharaj), basically bowling of half the overs of the innings."

Bavuma was among three South Africans along with Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs who scored half-centuries in the first test.

"The confidence is growing within the team, it's a young, inexperienced side. I think it's just a case of us working on that, putting it all together, which I believe will really make us a formidable team," Bavuma added.

Hollywoodbets Dolphins allrounder Jason Smith received his maiden call-up to the Proteas squad for their T20 International Series against the West Indies starting later this month in the Caribbean.

Smith will join Dolphins seamer Ottniel Baartman as the two Hollywoodbets Dolphins players in the squad for the series.

The batting allrounder has continued to evolve his game since he joined the Dolphins before the 2021/22 season and his consistent performances in Dolphins colours has led to this selection.

The 29 year-old was a crucial part of the Dolphins squad that made it to the CSA T20 Challenge final last season and made a half century in the final. Smith has also been retained by Durban's Super Giants for the third edition of the SA20 which gets underway in the new year.

Hollywoodbets Dolphins assistant coach Quinton Friend believes that it was only a matter of time before the call came for higher honours.

"This selection is so well deserved and since his move from Cape Town his game has been on an upward curve," Friend said. " .

"It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get into a position where you can consistently put in match-winning performances.

“We are extremely proud of Jason that he has got this call-up. He’s a fantastic human being and he will definitely be an asset to that Proteas T20 squad.”

CEO of KZN Cricket Heinrich Strydom was extremely excited when Smith joined the Dolphins a few seasons ago and is thrilled the allrounder's achievements had been recognised by the national team.

"Jason has been a core member of our squad across all formats and has continued to elevate his game since arriving in Durban," Strydom said.

"His performances in white ball cricket and especially the T20 Challenge have been impressive and it's fantastic that he is now in the Proteas mix.

"We wish him, fellow Hollywoodbets Dolphins star Ottniel Baartman, and the Proteas squad all the best for the upcoming series against the West Indies."

The Proteas begin their T20 series against the West Indies on Friday, 23 August .

Alick Athinaze scored 92 from 116 balls to help deny South Africa victory on the final day of the first test between the West Indies and South Africa at the Queens Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Sunday.

Set a fourth-innings victory target of 298 in a little over two sessions, the home side slumped to 64-3 before debutant Keacy Carty (31) and Kavem Hodge (29) provided match-saving support to Athinaze.

Keshav Maharaj (4-88) claimed two wickets and Kagiso Rabada (1-38) added another to reduce the West Indies to 119-3 at tea but the worries were gradually and patiently eradicated in the fading evening light.

🟢🟡 Match Result

A rain hampered 1st test match concludes.

Match Drawn🤝

See you on 15 August for the 2nd test match in Guyana!
🇿🇦vs🏝️#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/79zodAJf7W

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 11, 2024

A brilliant 68 from just 50 balls from Tristan Stubbs and quick runs from openers Tony de Zorzi and Aiden Markram allowed South Africa to declare their second innings on 173-3 half an hour before lunch setting the West Indies a fourth innings target of 298.

The home side had 20 minutes to survive before the break but captain Kraigg Brathwaite perished to the third ball of the innings with a remarkably uncharacteristic shot, charging down the wicket to Keshav Maharaj and slicing a drive high into the covers where Stubbs held the catch.

West Indies were 11-1 at lunch but when Rabada bounced out Mikyle Louis (9), caught by Stubbs at midwicket, and Carty (31) was smartly caught at short mid-off by Wiaan Mulder off Maharaj, the home side were in significant trouble at 64-3.

BRILLIANT STUBBS

Earlier, Stubbs was in glorious form striking six fours and two sixes transferring some of his renown T20 skills into the test format with some booming drives and even a reverse sweep against seamer Kemar Roach for four at the end of his innings which ended when Roach bowled him prompting the declaration with skipper Temba Bavuma unbeaten on 15.

De Zorzi added 45 from 60 balls (4x4) to his fine 78 in the first innings before a leg glance against spinner Jomel Warrican (2-57) finished in the gloves of ‘keeper Joshua de Silva while Markram’s positive innings of 38 from 48 balls (4x4, 1x6) ended with a lofted drive to long off against Warrican which Jason Holder caught inside the boundary.

It was a remarkable change of tempo in the match which saw the tourists amble to a first innings total of 357 at three runs per over and the home side crawl to 233 at under 2.5 runs per over.

The second and final test begins at the Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana, on Thursday 15 August.

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WEST INDIES: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wkt), Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican

SOUTH AFRICA: Aidan Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.