West Indies Triumph Over South Africa in Rain-Interrupted T20 Match
The West Indies secured a victory over South Africa in a rain-interrupted T20 match at the Wanderers, Johannesburg. This match, held on January 31, 2026, concluded with the West Indies winning by six runs using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
Match Overview
The match was initially delayed by rain for nearly two hours, reducing the overs for each team to 16. Further rain interruptions meant the West Indies ended up playing a 10-over match.
Scoring Highlights
The West Indies scored 114 runs for 3 wickets. Notably, captain Shai Hope contributed 48 runs off 25 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer remained unbeaten with 48 runs from just 22 deliveries. Together, they managed an impressive tally of 10 sixes, thrilling the crowd.
During the game, Hetmyer’s powerful shot unexpectedly struck a spectator, who, after a brief surprise, stood up and applauded. South Africa, needing 125 runs to win, ended up with 118 runs for 6 wickets.
South Africa’s Innings
- Quinton de Kock started aggressively, scoring 28 runs off 14 balls.
- Aiden Markram was dismissed early, caught off a top edge in the second over.
- Spinner Gudakesh Motie took three crucial wickets in eight balls.
- Jason Smith made 20 runs in a significant eighth over.
- South Africa needed 16 runs in the final over, which dwindled to nine before losing Smith to a yorker bowled by Shamar Joseph.
Upcoming Competitions
Before the match, South Africa received good news regarding David Miller’s health. He was cleared to participate in his sixth T20 World Cup, which begins next week. Miller had missed the West Indies series due to a groin injury.
The West Indies will face Scotland in their World Cup opener next Saturday in Kolkata, while South Africa starts against Canada two days later in Ahmedabad.
