Zaahier Adams
THE West Indies and South Africa have faced each other in 22 T20 International matches prior to their clash in Antigua on Monday morning.
Out of these 22 games, the score was deadlocked at 11 each after the Windies’ 3-0 clean sweep in the Caribbean last month. They have also met four times previously at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, starting with the very first game of the competition 17 years ago.
We take a look back at these T20 World Cup previous encounters.
@ The Wanderers, September 11, 2007
WI: 205/6 (Gayle 117) | SA: 208/2 (Gibbs 90*, Kemp 46*) – South Africa won by eight wickets (with 14 balls remaining)
The opening match of the inaugural ICC Men’s World T20 – as it was known back then – was an absolute cracker at the Wanderers. Fans at the Bullring were treated to a run-fest that provided the perfect launchpad for this new and funky version of the game.
None other than T20 legend Chris “The Universe Boss” Gayle provided the early fireworks with the first century of the competition – 117 off 57 balls (7x4, 10x6). But not to be undone, South Africa’s very own favourite son, Herschelle Gibbs, added another chapter to his Wanderers love affair with an equally brutal 90 not out (55 balls, 14x4, 2x6).
His 120-run partnership with Justin Kemp (46 not out) had the boisterous Bullring crowd on their feet throughout as the Proteas got the World T20 off to a banging start.
@ The Oval, June 13, 2009
SA: 183/7 (Gibbs 55, Kallis 45, Taylor 3/30) | WI: 163/9 (Simmons 77, Parnell 4/13) South Africa won by 20 runs
Two years on, it was a teenage Wayne Parnell who introduced himself to the world stage with a spectacular performance against the West Indies at the Oval in London.
The 19-year-old left-arm seamer swung the new-ball prodigiously as he ripped through the Windies top-order, which included the big wicket of Chris Gayle. Earlier, there were once again runs for Herschelle Gibbs against the Windies as his half-century held the Proteas innings together.
@ Nagpur, March 25, 2016
SA: 122/8 (De Kock 47, Gayle 2/17, Bravo 2/20) | WI: 123/7 (Samuels 43, Tahir 2/13); West Indies won by three wickets (with two balls remaining)
On a difficult surface for the batters, the Proteas limped to a meagre total with only Quinton de Kock battling away for 47 off 46 balls.
The Windies’ reply was an equally stuttering affair as Iman Tahir tightened the noose to take the game down to the wire. However, Marlon Samuels (43) kept his nerve before Carlos Braithwaite, who would go on to hit four sixes in the final over to win the tournament for the Windies, struck the vital match-winning blow off Kagiso Rabada.
@ Dubai (DICS), October 26, 2021
WI: 143/8 (Lewis 56, Pretorius 3/17, Maharaj 2/24, Nortje 1/14) | SA: 144/2 (Markram 51*, Van der Dussen 43*, Hendricks 39); South Africa won by eight wickets (with 10 balls remaining)
A match that was clouded by Quinton de Kock’s highly-controversial pre-game decision to withdraw due to not wanting to take the knee as an anti-racism gesture eventually went ahead without much drama.
The Proteas bowled very well, particularly the miserly Anrich Nortje, as the Windies’ big hitters were restricted to just 143. De Kock’s replacement, Reeza Hendricks, began the reply in confident fashion before Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen took the Proteas home with room to spare.