South Africa v/s West Indies Match Updates, ICC World Twenty20: Windies scrape to win in last over, reach semis

West Indies have huffed and puffed their way to a victory which should have come easily. Several Windies batsmen played loose strokes throughout their innings to make the chase difficult. In the end though, Brathwaite and Ramdin held their nerves to win it for the Windies. Kagiso Rabada, supposed to lead the attack in the absence of Dale Steyn, was hit for 38 in 3.4 overs including 9 off 4 balls in the last over. That might have made the difference between victory and defeat for SA.

While Windies are now in the semifinals, South Africa's fate is in Sri Lanka's hands. If Sri Lanka beat England tomorrow, SA have a chance (provided they beat SL in their last game). Otherwise, England will reach the semifinals alongside West Indies.

Over 20

Kagiso Rabada.

Ball 1: Slower, length ball, Brathwaite swings across the line, ball goes over the stumps.

SIX. SIX. Length ball again, was quicker this time meaning normal paced. High backlift, and Brathwaite got it in the meat of his willow. It disappeared over the deep midwicket fence.

WIDE BALL. A marginal leg side wide by Rabada, but that is deadly at this juncture. Windies now need just 2 off 4 balls.

Short and into the hips, slower ball, Brathwaite jumps and flicks it away to deep square leg for one. 1 needed from 3 balls.

FOUR. Short outside off, Ramdin tries to scoop it over backward point, Hashim Amla jumps but cannot hold on to the catch and the ball trickles away Windies are in the semifinals, but they have made heavy weather of a small chase. Windies win by 3 wickets with 2 balls left.

Over 19

FOUR. Samuels slaps hard at a short and slow ball outside off, it flies past short third man for four.

Ball 2: Low full toss, hit into the deep for one. 15 needed off 10.

Ball 3: Slower bouncer, chipped to the leg side for one.

Marlon Samuels is on 40 off 42. He is the one to finish this game for the Windies.

Ball 4: Another edge, this time an underedge to a half volley outside off stump, and Chris Morris' bad luck continues. Lucky runs for Windies at a crucial stage.

OUT! Marlon Samuels has failed to finish it. Good length on middle, Samuels tries to go for glory straight down the ground. It was the slower delivery and Samuels gets a top edge. AB de Villiers calls for it, and makes no mistake with the catch. WI 113/7. 

Ball 6: Brathwaite gets a single to keep strike. 9 needed off the last over.

Over 18

Ball 2: Brathwaite taps the ball into the leg side and sets off lumbering for a run. He is almost run out, the throw did not hit the stumps or he was gone.

Ball 3: Another single. Windies need 20 off 15 balls.

Two more dot balls. 20 needed off 13, pressure building on Brathwaite.

Ducks into the last ball, not called a wide. Just 3 off the over. Crucial over. Windies need 20 off 12 balls. Suddenly SA look like winning.

 

Over 17

DROPPED. Imran Tahir into his last over. Batsman drives early, and the caught and bowled chance is spooned by Tahir. This could have been SA's last chance.

100 up for West Indies.

23 needed off 21 balls. Windies are not flying away with the match.

OUT! Russell has holed out. Red signals flashing everywhere for the Windies. Russell was inching to attack, he didn't wait till Tahir had finished his over. Russell slogs hard, doesn't get elevation or distance, and deep midwicket takes an easy chance. WI 100/5.

Darren Sammy comes out to the middle. Ramdin is still to bat.

OUT! Googly from Imran Tahir, Darren Sammy fails to read it, and is bowled through the gate. The game turns on its head within two deliveries, West Indies 100/6.

Imran Tahir on a hattrick.

Very low full toss, Brathwaite hits straight back to Tahir. He finishes with 2/13 from his 4 overs. WI 100/6 after 17 overs.

Over 17

The ball is being changed, and this is for the second time in 16 overs. The players are taking some refreshments while the fresh ball is being picked.

The rope has been brought out and they are trying to reduce the dew on the wicket. We go to a long break while this happens.

Over 16

Ball 2: Low full toss, Russell hits it straight down the ground, hits the non striker's stumps but there was no bowler's hand in the way to cause trouble.

And he seems to have cracked his bat.

FOUR. Ugly looking boundary from Marlon Samuels, He stayed back to a full ball, gave room and hit it back over the bowler for four. Wasn't perfectly timed but well enough.

Russell's gone almost off the field to get a new bat. Some delay here in the proceedings. Finally he gets a new bat after examining a couple.

8 off the over, WI 99/4 off 16 overs. 24 needed off 24 balls.

Over 15

Tahir into his third over. Good change of bowling. 

Ball 4: Russell goes for a big shot over the off side. The ball was wide of off stump, Russell didn't time it and the ball flew to deep point for one.

4 off the over, 91/4 after 15 overs.

Interestingly, SA were also 91 at this stage, with 5 wickets down.

Over 14

Phangiso to bowl again. Just 39 off 42 needed.

He starts with a wide as well. SA have been quite indisciplined in the bowling department for the last few overs.

OUT! Bravo has thrown away his wicket. Drives loosely at a half volley, doesn't time it and the ball drops simply into the hands of point. Windies 87/4.

Just when you think Windies are on their way to victory, a wicket falls. This has been the pattern the whole innings.

WI 87/4 after 14 overs.

Over 13

FOUR. Ball one from a returning Kagiso Rabada is on the hips and short, flicked away by Dwayne Bravo for four past a diving short fine leg.

Ball 2: Similar line, called a wide as Bravo can't get bat on it.

Ball 2: Bravo cuts the ball to deep point to get 1000 runs in T20 internationals for West Indies.

FOUR. Samuels hits a length ball on off stump over point and past third man for four.

Is he still enjoying this?

Enjoying watching South Africa in the field.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 25, 2016

FOUR. This is a genuine edge. Similar length, Samuels goes for a similar shot, is a little late on it but the edges it past the keeper for four.

14 off the over, WI 84/3 after 14 overs.

 

Over 12

OUT! David Wiese is the new bowler, Johnson Charles tries to take him on, goes for maximum down the ground, gets it high on the bat, ball comes down inside the circle and is taken at mid off. Charles 32 off 35 balls.

Well this has not quite happened yet:

Who would have imagined in their wildest dreams that @BLACKCAPS and @westindies would be the first two teams to qualify for semis#SAvsWI

— urstrulydashing (@urstrulydashing) March 25, 2016

Dwayne Bravo has come in ahead of Denesh Ramdin.

4 runs off 5 balls after the wicket. WI 70/3 after 12 overs. 

Over 11

SIX! Johnson Charles has finally found the mojo he was looking for for 10 overs. Two steps down the track, gets the Phangiso ball in the slot and lifts it way over long on, high, mighty and handsome into the stands. Looked majestic.

10 off the over, WI 66/2 after 11 overs.

Over 10

Imran Tahir is back for his second over.

Ball 2: Charles plays a nice paddle sweep for two, the ball almost went for four. Engrossing period of play. SA need a couple of wickets to put Windies on the backfoot. Windies need to keep their heads cool.

Laser-guided?

Watch this beauty of a direct hit from Rilee Rossouw https://t.co/3SrCP4BpvT #SAvsWI #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/nJsGWYPQ5g

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) March 25, 2016

Windies 57/2 after 10 overs. 

Over 9

Ball 2: Marlon Samuels gets his 1000th run in his T20 career with a single to cover point.

Windies need 76 off 70 balls to win. 

Ball 3: Charles goes for a big slog to a hallf volley on middle, gets an inside edge that flies to the leg side for one.

Ball 4: Single to long on. Windies still motoring along despite the loss of wickets.

Ball 5: Charles tries the same shot again and the ball goes on the bounce to deep midwicket.

Ball 6: Single to sweeper cover. WI 51/2.

Over 7

Aaron Phangiso comes in to bowl.

No run off the first 3 balls. 

Single off the fourth ball, lot of hesitation. Johnson Charles was watching the ball at the non-striker's end for a long time.

WI 38/2 after 7.

Over 6

OUT! The dangerous Andre Fletcher is out against the run of play. A horrendous run out, he was nowhere in the frame at all and it was a direct hit.

Fletcher was 3/4ths the way down the pitch and wouldn't have made it back even if the fielder had missed the stumps, as another fielder was backing up.

Marlon Samuels comes out.

5 off the over and a wicket, WI 37/2.

Over 5

Imran Tahir to bowl.

He concedes 2 off the first 4 balls.

Short, wide, Fletcher goes for the cut, misses and Tahir appeals hard for caught behind. It was the googly.

Ball 6: Carefully played to short mid on, no run. 2 off the over, WI 32/1.

Over 4

FOUR. Morris bowls full on the pads and Charles biffs the ball through wide mid on for four. 

So far in #WT20 2016 - 34 run outs
Most in a WT20 tournament is 41 in 2007#SAvsWI

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 25, 2016

 Ball 3: Charles hits the ball straight back to Morris and he attempts a shy at the stumps. Only out of frustration I think.

Ball 4: Two runs. Again the wrong line, Charles hits it a little squarer this time and for that reason, deep midwicket can come round to restrict it to a couple.

FOUR. Down the track, Charles gets room on the off side as Morris over-corrects, and he hammers it for four over the covers.

WI 30/1 after 4 overs.

Over 3

Ball 1: Great stop by Phangiso. The ball was short and wide, Fletcher cracked it hard, if Phangiso hadn't stopped it at point it was a certain boundary.

Ball 3: Charles opens his shoulders and attempts a big swing at a full ball outside off, misses.

Ball 5: Fletcher misses a flick off his hips, the ball loops up but falls safely.

Ball 6: SIX. In the slot for Fletcher, he has a big swing, connects well, and the ball flies over long on for six.

WI 19/1 after 3 overs.

Over 2

Some searing deliveries from Chris Morris, and the crowd oohs. 1 off 4 balls so far.

Ball 5: Charles drives in the air for two.

Ball 6: Late swing again, and prodigious off the wicket. It was a full ball, Charles went after it and missed. Windies 8/1 after 2 overs.

Over 1

FOUR. Gayle gets the strike third ball, gets a half volley on his legs and plays the perfect leg glance for four.

OUT. HE'S GONE. Just short of a full length, fairly pitched up, nips back in off the seam and Gayle, who played straight, is bowled. Chris Gayle 4 off 2 balls, WI 5/1.

Andre Fletcher is out at No 3. I have no idea why he didn't open instead of Charles. 

WI 5/1 after 1 over.

SA have finished on just 122/8 off their 20 overs. It was a very good bowling performance by the Windies, who exploited the friendly bowling conditions, the spinners Benn and Gayle using turn and rip and the pacers like Bravo and Russell using slower balls. The Proteas were on the backfoot from the first over when Russell effected a run out, and they never fully recovered. Quentin de Kock's 47 and David Wiese's 28 helped them get to 122 at least. But given that New Zealand dismissed India for 79 on this wicket after scoring just 126, we should be hesitant in proclaiming the Windies favourites to win.

Over 20

Bravo and Morris.

Ball 1: Two runs in the deep.

Ball 2: Slower off cutter, Morris swings hard, misses the ball outside off.

Ball 3: Full toss on off stump, Morris tries a reverse sweep. The ball was there for the hit but he failed to beat Gayle at short third man. A single results.

Ball 4: Slower full ball on middle, Phangiso backs away and scoops the ball over the infield for one.

Ball 5: Full and slower outside off, and the most expensive player in IPL 2016, Morris fails to connect.

Ball 6: Run out. Down the track, Morris misses again but runs anyway, and Ramdin has a very easy run out dismissal to effect. Phangiso is run out. SA 122/8 after 20 overs.

 

Over 19

3 off four balls of the penultimate over. Badree has been taken off and replaced by Russell, who is bowling his last over.

Slower ball, short outside off. Morris can't make sense of it, hits straight to cover.

Ball 6: Full, on off stump, flicked away to deep midwicket for one. SA 118/7 after 19 overs.

Over 18

FOUR. Good length and very close to the off stump, but Wiese cuts late and the ball races away for four to fine third man.

OUT. Poor shot after the last one. Slower ball, Wiese didn't read it, went for a big swing down the ground, got a top edge and was caught at mid off. SA 112/7.

Ball 3: Another slower ball, tapped to point, they set off for a run and there is nearly a run out before the batsmen can get back.

Ball 5: Slower, back of the hand low full toss, hit into the deep for a single. Bravo is not offering SA any pace to work with, when they desperately need boundaries.

ball 6: Dot ball. 6 off the over and a wicket. SA 114/7.

Over 17

Samuel Badree to bowl only his third over.

FOUR. Morris sweeps. Huge appeal from the bowler for LBW, not given, and the ball goes downhill for four.

FOUR. Morris shot-puts the ball over midwicket for four. Just. 

Short and wide, cut into the deep only for one.

SA 108/6 after 17 overs.

Over 16

Andre Russell.

FOUR. Short and sits up for de Kock, he hits it over midwicket for four, this time the fielder in the deep is very square.

Low full toss, slugged in the same direction, but Windies have a fielder there now.

Ball 4: Another short delivery that sits up, for Wiese this time, but he pulls it into the deep for one.

50 partnership comes up between the two batsmen. 23 from each batsman, rest extra.

OUT. de Kock goes for a strange sweep, unbalanced, from outside off stump, and he is bowled. 

#SAvsWI: #WI fans react to their team's bowling performance ... pic.twitter.com/lQHZVyyYYT

— Sayan Ghosh (@SayanTales) March 25, 2016

Chris Morris comes out.

SA 98/6 after 16 overs.

Over 15

Ball 2: Andre Fletcher misfields to allow de Kock to come back for two.

Ball 3: Full toss. de Kock slogs it straight to midwicket. No run.

Ball 6: Full on leg, swung to deep midwicket for one, de Kock is disappointed. SA 91/5.

Over 14

Gayle is back for his third spell in three overs.

FOUR. Reverse sweep from Wiese, beats the man at backward point for four.

Ball 2. Slightly short of length, turns in sharply from outside leg and there is an appeal.

7 off the over, SA 85/5 after 14 overs.

Over 13

de Kock has moved up to 35. SA are now focusing on quick singles and two. Wiese has moved to 14 as well but he hasn't been reading the pitch well.

SA 78/5 after 13 overs.

Over 12

Brathwaite into his 2nd over.

Cmon boys , just find a way to post a total 120 could be enough you never know! #SAvsWI

— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) March 25, 2016

After 12 overs, SA are 74/5. 

Over 11

Suliemann Benn in his second over.

Ball 2: Wiese is beaten comprehensively by spin, full and rips away on pitching, hits Keeper Ramdin's pad and runs away. Could have been a stumping.

9 off the over, SA 66/5 after 11 overs.

Over 10

Good start Windies!! Keep the pressure up.#SAvsWI #ICCWT20

— Brian Lara (@BrianLara) March 25, 2016

 Bravo bowls a slower ball outside off, Kock misses, hits his bat on the ground and the ball travels to the keeper. Bravo is already appealing and celebrating the 'catch' but the umpire rightly declines.

Ball 5: Very quick two by David Wiese. 

FOUR. Welcome boundary for SA. 57/5 after 10 overs.

Over 9

David Miller is in. Gayle is bowling again.

OUT. And David Miller is out. SA are collapsing here. Back of a length, Miller plays down the wrong line, the ball turns and clips the top of middle stump. SA 47/5.

That's going to be a long flight from #IND to #SA Just saying.

— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) March 25, 2016

 David Wiese is in. He needs to play a wise innings today. And SA can't hope for more than 140 at best.

Chris Gayle's reaction to the dismissal was priceless. He just stood there looking into the distance as if the job was done and he was thinking of something else now!

Single off the last ball, SA 50/5 after 9 overs.

Over 8

Dwayne Bravo to bowl.

AB hits the ball straight down the pitch, the ball hits Bravo's hand on the way but does not hit the stumps. Bravo is disappointed.

Bravo is bowling a lot of slower deliveries, but he is unable to get the line right at this point. He is bowling a leg stump line enabling the batsmen to take singles.

OUT! HUGE WICKET. Big moment in the match. AB de Villiers is bowled and the crowd is in shock. Bravo goes right through the batsman's defence. That was as easy as it gets. Huge gap between bat and pad, and de Villiers just misread the line it seems.

Ball 5: Slower ball, right under the bat, just outside off, and the batsman is beaten all ends up.

Ball 6: Single off a slower ball yorker. SA 47/4 after 8 overs.

Over 7

AB de Villiers averages just 19 against Windies in Twenty20 cricket. But he's played some memorable innings against them in the larger formats, including a 31-ball century in an ODI.

Ball 2: AB hits the ball inside out over cover to run two.

Two off the last ball as well, SA 44/3 after 7 overs.

Over 6

The ball is stopping on the batsman. AB de Villiers is driving without conviction.

Craig Brathwaite is the new bowler.

#SAvsWI: After this start, #SA fans when de Villiers walks in to bat pic.twitter.com/SzTOHDD9Vl

— Manoj Bhagavatula (@ManojB90) March 25, 2016

Just one off the first four balls of the over.

Ball 5: Wide full toss from Brathwaite, and Fletcher dives out at point hard to stop the second.

SA 39/3 after 6 overs. Powerplay is over and it belongs to the Windies.

 

Over 5

SIX. On ball 5, Q de Kock rushes down the track and hits Samuel Badree down the ground for six. 

The Gayle experiment was meant only for one over, though he got a wicket.

SA 36/3 after 5 overs.

Over 4

Brilliant fielding by Suliemann Benn stops a certain boundary off Ball 4.

South Africa in a crisis. Tough situation for @ABdeVilliers17. But this is when the tough get going

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 25, 2016

AB de Villiers on strike for the first time.

Russell bowls a short ball, a bouncer that sails over AB's head. Wide called.

FOUR. Full and de Villiers just punches it down the ground for four. In fact it was a full toss.

Good length ball, inside edge from de Villiers, trickles to the leg. SA 28/3 after 4 overs.

 

Over 3

Chris Gayle comes on! 

FOUR. Very full on off from Chris Gayle, hammered for four by de Kock.

OUT! Rossouw is gone. He fails to read the turn, gets a leading edge that flies high and Russell takes another, though he almost bumped into the fielder at point.

SA in huge trouble now at 20/3. AB de Villiers time.

Over 2

Andre Russell comes on to bowl.

Ball 1: Beautiful, turns away after pitching full, beats du Plessis' bat.

SIX. du Plessis has had enough, he advances down the pitch and hits a length ball outside off from Russell over extra cover for six. Hit through the line.

Ball 5: Some very good running by the South Africans gets them a couple.

Ball 6: OUT! du Plessis has failed to read the slower ball, he stops his drive too late, the ball loops towards mid off, who takes a good low diving catch.

It was a very tough decision for the third umpire. Suliemann Benn seemed to have two of the fingers just under the ball when he took the catch. At the same time, the middle portion of the ball may have touched the ground. The third umpire says he has no conclusive evidence to overturn the decision of the on field umpire, which was out. So Faf stays out. SA 13/2.

Over 1

Run out in the first over?

OUT. SA run for a suicidal run and Hashim Amla is run out for 1. Andre Russell was the fielder. 

What do #SA fans feel about leaving out Dale Steyn from their XI?

— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) March 25, 2016

 We forgot to mention that SA are also playing without Dale Steyn, who has been.....dropped.

Great first over from Samuel Badree. SA 4/1.