Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
20 | 18 Runs | SA: 213/6 (8 runs required, RR: 10.65)

  • Aiden Markram35 (18b)
  • Bjorn Fortuin0 (1b)
  • Raymon Reifer1-0-18-0
  • Alzarri Joseph4-0-40-5

10:14pm Right. That will be that from us for tonight. Hope you enjoyed our coverage as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. Until next time, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Venkat Raghav and everyone else at ESPNcricinfo! Goodbye, goodnight and take care!

Rovman Powell, West Indies captain: After the last game, the guys were disappointed. We took all the positives from that game and tried to implement it today. The way Shepherd and Alzarri batted at the end was brilliant and then for Alzarri to pick up five wickets was special. As a new international captain, it is my responsibility to push them to a level I want them to go. I want my players to be aggressive and to play their natural game. But it is also important to understand when not to be aggressive. We knew that if we got 200-220, we had a chance. To get 200, you have to get a very good start. King, Mayers and Charles have been doing that for us this series. Very happy for him (Alzarri). South Africa is a nice place to bowl and we knew he would like bowling here. Lots of credit must be given to him. The natural thing was to go back to Cottrell but within our team, we know who can nail four out of six yorkers. It was a toss-up between myself, Cottrell and Reifer and in the end, we went with Reifer because he is also a left-handed bowler.

Johnson Charles, Player of the Series: (On the award) Definitely very happy. To come back after six years and get Player of the Series is very good. Enjoying the fact that we won a T20 series in South Africa after eight years - it is a very nice feeling. You always keep playing and you always keep learning. You never know when you get called up. I have been playing all around the world and have just keeping myself in good shape. For me personally, I have just managed to work on my basics, keeping my shoulders close as long as possible and not losing my shape. At the end of the way, it has worked for me. I am definitely going to take that (Centurion wicket) back to the Caribbean (smiles).

Alzarri Joseph, Player of the Match: We made a good total so it was up to the bowlers to defend it. It is always good when the captain gives you that confidence. I enjoy a challenge. The back room staff, the captain give me responsibility to lead the pack and lead by example. That is something I enjoy doing.

Aiden Markram, South Africa captain: It was a good game in the end for the neutral watcher. We let ourselves down with the bat a little. We fell a few runs short at the end of it. Have to give the bowlers credit for the way they responded after Sunday. (On the score) There was a stage where we would have wanted to wrap it up for 160-170. Barring the last three overs, we were really good. Anything under 200 was the goal. 220 was perhaps par. To lose is not great but we are on the right path and good to see the boys respond in each game. In the short form of the game, when a partnership gets going, it is hard to stop them, hence, it is important to keep picking wickets. We always try to set fields that bring us wickets. (On his first series as captain) Thoroughly enjoyable. Challenging at times but the team is on a journey and it is a good sign to see the boys responding game after game.

Rahul: "WI you beauty !! As a diehard fan, you've given a lot of heartbreaks but also wonderful moments of glory like this. All the love from India !!"

9:50pm Wow, what a way to end a truly memorable series. Each innings in the series was played out at more than 10 runs per over but in the end, the West Indies' sustained hitting was the difference. South Africa were in this chase for large swathes tonight, especially when Hendricks was batting like a dream. Support, though, was not very forthcoming, apart from Rossouw's knock. Markram struggled and Miller did not quite get into his groove. de Kock, too, scratched around at the start of his innings and South Africa, despite the power-packed batting unit at their disposal, never got ahead of the run-chase.

Shepherd's role earlier in the evening must not be forgotten either. He ransacked 26 runs off Rabada's final over and that perhaps propelled the visitors to an above-par total. That came especially handy as dew became a factor and bowling became tougher in the second innings. Despite the dew, Joseph picked up a sensational five-wicket haul, and that West Indian trait of defying the odds and winning the crucial moments is what has catapulted them to this magnificent series victory.

19.6
4
Reifer to Markram, FOUR, WI win by seven runs! Another slot ball at the stumps but it does not matter one bit. Markram swings it away to the deep mid wicket fence but it is the West Indians who are celebrating. They have won this three-match series 2-1 and they have been full value for it!
19.5
4
Reifer to Markram, FOUR, in the slot on middle and off stump. Markram clears his front leg and bludgeons it back past the bowler for four!

Reifer has been brilliant under pressure in this last over so far. Two more legitimate deliveries, and WI are home

19.4
2
Reifer to Markram, 2 runs, excellent yorker on leg stump. Markram can't get under it again and can only clip it towards deep mid wicket for a couple of runs

Vaibhav: "Getting Carlos Brathwaite remember the name vibes.."

18 off 3 now. Markram needs three sixes, else, WI will win this series

19.3
2
Reifer to Markram, 2 runs, full toss on middle and off stump. Markram looks to hit it too hard and ends up dragging it towards deep mid wicket for another brace

20 needed off 4 now. Markram needs to clear the fence a couple of times, at least

19.2
4
Reifer to Markram, FOUR, shot! Low full toss outside off stump. Markram gives it the lot and absolutely razes it past extra cover for four

24 needed off 5 now

South Africa 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st32RR HendricksQ de Kock
2nd80RR HendricksRR Rossouw
3rd37RR HendricksDA Miller
4th37RR HendricksAK Markram
5th6H KlaasenAK Markram
6th2WD ParnellAK Markram
7th19BC FortuinAK Markram