West Indies Vs South Africa: Markram’s quick feet and Ngidi’s three steer South Africa to nine-wicket win
West Indies Vs South Africa produced a one-sided finish as Aiden Markram’s rapid start and disciplined bowling powered South Africa to a nine-wicket victory with 23 balls to spare in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The result cements South Africa’s strong form in the tournament and continues their unbeaten run.
Aiden Markram
Aiden Markram was named player of the match after an authoritative opening performance that finished with a boundary to seal the chase. Observers noted the quick feet from Aiden Markram as he got into rhythm at the crease; he said his plan had been to find a flow and not be overly rigid, and that approach yielded the desired result. On captaincy he stressed that, as an opener, responsibility falls to the top three to set the tone. He also said the wicket became better in the second innings and that the bowling unit left the batters with less work to do.
Holder and Shepherd recover West Indies to 176-8
West Indies battled back from precarious positions of 43-4 and later 83-7 to post 176-8. A crucial eighth-wicket stand between Holder and Shepherd produced 89 runs off 57 balls, lifting the total to a defendable figure. Despite those lower-order runs, the target proved modest against South Africa’s chase.
Ngidi, Bosch and Rabada
South Africa’s seamers did the heavy lifting early and often. There were three wickets for Ngidi and two wickets each for Bosch and Rabada, a combined haul that undermined the West Indies top and middle order and set up the straightforward chase.
Chakaravarthy hits timber to draw first blood
Early in the contest Chakaravarthy hit timber to draw first blood, removing an initial wicket for one side and shaping the early course of the innings. That breakthrough contributed to the pressure that produced the 43-4 opening hole for West Indies.
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 and tournament context
The match formed part of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 schedule. South Africa’s victory extends their control over this tournament: they have now won five of their six encounters with the West Indies at the T20 World Cup, the lone exception being a three-wicket West Indies win in 2016 that propelled them toward a second title. The timing matters because South Africa’s continued dominance — an unbeaten run in the event so far — strengthens their position in the group stage. After this game, attention turns to the next fixture at 13: 15 GMT when India and Zimbabwe meet on the same day.
What makes this notable is how the match combined early bowling success with a composed opening innings: the bowlers’ dismissals created the platform and Markram’s measured approach closed the game with overs to spare. Coverage of the contest was provided by Millie Sian, Elizabeth Botcherby and Maisie Gallen.
