West Indies did as West Indies have done and won another T20I series - their third against South Africa in 18 months and fifth out of six matches in that time - and remained what coach Daren Sammy called a "series-winning team." They won't be able to test whether they can repeat that in tournaments until an actual tournament, but there the signs they can cope with changes in personnel.
West Indies' bowling depth shines through
They were without Alzarri Joseph, Jason Holder and Andre Russell but Matthew Forde, Shamar Joseph and Romario Shepherd stepped into their spots seamlessly. While Shepherd was not really required with the bat, he filled the role of the third seamer to perfection and was a threat every time he had the ball in hand. Forde and Joseph had each only played two T20Is before this series but each picked up - and in Forde's case equalled - career-best figures and showed an ability to take wickets at the top and bottom of the innings. Between them, Shepherd, Joseph and Forde were the three highest wicket-takers in the series and collectively ensured West Indies won the series.
Their standout performances, according to captain Rovman Powell, was the way his bowlers responded when defending 179 in the second match. South Africa were 129 for 3 in the 14th over and on course to level the series when Akeal Hosein started a collapse that caused them to lose 7 for 20. Shepherd and Joseph both took wickets in that period as well. "When we put on the pressure in that second game, the way the bowlers replied was fantastic," Powell said.
But South Africa's needs work
In the absence of their entire first-choice attack - Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi were rested for the series while Gerald Coetzee and Lungi Ngidi were ruled out through injury - South Africa's back-ups were found wanting. Nandre Burger was expensive in his only outing, Ottneil Baartman did not have enough firepower around him to be effective and 18-year-old Kwena Maphaka faced a baptism of fire. Still, white-ball coach Rob Walter was pleased to give Maphaka a run at the highest level impressed by his pace (he often bowled above 140kph), his confidence to change it and the movement he got.
"He bowled well in different periods as a young cricketer and this will be a great experience for him," Walter said. "Left-arm always gives a different angle, he is able to swing the ball when there is a bit of shape, we saw some really exciting change-ups, and he bowled some seriously good overs in the death phase of the game, which has shown his ability to deal with the pressure of T20 cricket. It is early days, so we don't want to put too much pressure on a young cricketer and just allow him to make his way into international cricket. But all the attributes are there for him to be a really good cricketer for South Africa."
Maphaka will return home to complete his final school exams and has spent most of the tour studying, but allowed himself to completely soak in the experience of being around some of his heroes. "Aiden Markram and Lungi Ngidi are some of the best players in the world and it's always nice to share a change room with guys like that," he said. "A year ago, I was watching these guys on TV so being in the change room with them and chatting about the plans that I've seen them execute on TV is definitely something quite surreal."
Batting blunders abound
The rest of South Africa's line-up do not have the excuse of inexperience and have shown how much is lacking when Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller are not in the XI. Reeza Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton were unconvincing as an opening pair and both are struggling with form, as is captain Aiden Markram. Hendricks has only scored one half-century in 15 T20I innings this year, and three other scores over 30. Rickelton has played 13 internationals across all formats and is yet to score a half-century, and Markram has not scored fifty in 12 T20I innings this year. That meant the middle order was constantly under pressure and without Klaasen and Miller, South Africa did not have the firepower to step up.
Stubbs was the exception and finished as the leading run-scorer in the series and also had South Africa's highest strike rate. His 76 in the first match meant West Indies had to chase the highest successful total at the venue and his 15-ball 40 in the shortened third match meant South Africa could put a competitive score on the board. Walter singled him out as a "standout in terms of his personal performances with the bat," which also extended to the Test series, where he scored his first fifty in his new role at No.3.
South Africa's problem was that they did not have anyone to support Stubbs as Rassie van der Dussen struggled and the allrounders barely contributed. Patrick Kruger had one good innings - in the first T20I - but on the evidence of this series, it is difficult to see how either he or Donovan Ferreira will displace Jansen.
Overall, Walter described it as a "tough series," which South Africa will have to use as a building block in their journey to 2026. Their next T20Is are against Ireland in September.