De Kock delights with second T20I century as Proteas claim series

Quinton de Kock’s decision to reverse his international retirement continues to benefit the Proteas, with his second T20 International century making mincemeat of what looked a substantial West Indies target on Thursday night.

In his 100th T20 innings, on a perfect SuperSport Park pitch, De Kock produced a free-flowing display that demonstrated again what a crucial part he will be of SA’s T20 World Cup campaign that starts in a fortnight.

De Kock scored 115 off 49 balls, hitting 10 sixes and half a dozen fours in a performance that maintains a love affair with SuperSport Park that goes back to his early days as a teenager opening the batting for his country.

He has scored four ODI centuries at the ground and Thursday’s was the second hundred in the shortest format, exceeding his previous best at the same venue against the same opponents in 2023, when SA chased down 259.

A target of 222 was reached in the 18th over. And yes, the batting from the South Africans, led by De Kock, was sublime — but the West Indies, who took just one wicket in Tuesday’s defeat in Paarl, will have to take a very serious look at their bowling, after picking up just three wickets on Thursday.

They haven’t presented a wicket-taking threat and besides dropping catches, they also offered up to many easy, hittable deliveries.

But for the Proteas, having wrapped up the series ahead of Saturday’s final T20 at the Wanderers, they will head to India high on confidence. Besides De Kock, Ryan Rickelton provided another reason why he should be considered in the starting line-up in India, scoring his unbeaten 77 with a strike-rate of 213.88.

It was another Highveld boundary bonanza, with the teams sharing 37 fours and 25 sixes on what was generally a difficult afternoon and evening for bowlers. But whereas the West Indies found no-one who could exert any pressure against the Proteas batters, in Keshav Maharaj the home team had the one bowler who could assert control.

The wily left-arm spinner conceded just 22 runs in his four overs, picking up two wickets along the way and played a significant role in halting the momentum of the West Indies innings.

The West Indies struck early and hard, thanks to Brandon King and Hetmyer, promoted to No 3, who shared a partnership of 126 for the second wicket. King took Anrich Nortje apart in his first over, hammering 24 runs, which included three fours and two deliciously struck sixes over extra cover.

Nortje won’t want to remember Thursday night. He conceded 59 runs in three overs, with 11 of the balls he bowled travelling to the boundary.

Hetmyer played with the same kind of swagger he showed in Paarl, top-scoring with 75, his innings also packed with plenty of stylish shots and providing the axis around which his team’s batting effort was built.

Maharaj, combined with Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, put a break on the West Indies’ scoring after the halfway mark in their innings. SA didn’t concede a boundary for five overs and in that period Maharaj dismissed Rovman Powell and more importantly Hetmyer.

But Sherfane Rutherford, a hero in Centurion after his exploits earlier this month in the SA20, ripped the initiative back with a head-smart 57 not out that came at a strike rate of 237.50 as West Indies scored 76 runs in the last five overs.

It proved to be in vain, however, with their limp bowling and De Kock’s majestic striking ensuring the series was won by the Proteas.