Pooran's fiery 65* leads WI to victory over SA
Nicholas Pooran's explosive batting performance led the West Indies to a seven-wicket triumph over South Africa in the opening T20I at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium on Friday Pooran scored an unbeaten 65 off just 26 balls as WI (176/3) accomplished the 175-run target with 13 balls to spare. He smoked two fours and seven sixes during his stay. Here are further details.
West Indies restricts South Africa's early innings
The West Indies team started strong with their bowling, restricting South Africa to a mere 42-5 in the first eight overs. Seamer Matthew Forde was the pick of the Carribbean bowlers, claiming 3/27. However, Tristan Stubbs led a counterattack with an impressive 76 off 42 balls that included three sixes. He was ably supported by Patrick Kruger who scored 44 from 32 balls, helping South Africa recover to post a total of 174-7 from their allotted overs.
West Indies's aggressive batting secures victory
Despite an hour-long delay due to heavy rain, the West Indies seized the opportunity as conditions improved for batting. The opening pair of Alick Athanaze (40) and Shai Hope (51) aggressively scored 84 for the first wicket before the former was dismissed. Pooran then took center stage with his powerful hitting, smashing four consecutive sixes off Burger in the 12th over. His brilliance meant the hosts crossed the line with 13 balls to spare.
Here are his stats
Pooran made his T20I debut against Pakistan back in September 2016. Having played 96 games, Pooran has raced to 2,141 runs as he averages 27.44. His strike rate is 137.77. Earlier this year, he displaced Chris Gayle (1,899) as WI's highest run-getter in the format. Pooran's tally now includes 13 fifties. Against SA, he has completed 208 runs at 23.11 (50: 1).
