Windies’ winning streak ends despite Holder, Shepherd heroics

The West Indies suffered their first defeat of the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, falling to South Africa by nine wickets on February 26. 

The two sides entered the fixture at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, as the only undefeated teams in the tournament.

Put in to bat, the Windies found themselves in early trouble, despite maintaining a healthy run rate. Questionable shot selection led to the dismissals of Brandon King, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase during the powerplay, which they ended at 52 for 4.

The collapse continued, with the team reeling at 83/7 in the 11th over. However, Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd produced a record-breaking eighth-wicket stand, adding 89 runs, the highest ever for that wicket in T20 Internationals. Holder fell just short of a half-century with 49, while Shepherd reached his maiden T20I fifty, scoring 52 to lift the Windies to an unlikely 176/8.

In reply, South Africa’s openers got off to a flying start, piling on 69 runs without loss in the powerplay. The Windies finally struck at 95, dismissing Quinton de Kock for a well-played 47 off 24 balls. Captain Aiden Markram, however, continued in commanding fashion, finishing unbeaten on 82 from 46 deliveries to seal the victory and virtually secure South Africa’s place in the semifinals.

The Men in Maroon now face a must-win clash against India at 9:30 on Sunday.

The article Windies’ winning streak ends despite Holder, Shepherd heroics is from St. Lucia Times.