Tabraiz Shamsi was "relieved" as his heroics helped South Africa edge to a one-run victory over Nepal at the T20 World Cup in Kingstown.

Nepal looked on the verge of a shock victory, needing two from the final ball to secure the win. However, Ghulsan Jha was run out at the non-striker's end as South Africa came through unscathed to make it four wins from four at the tournament.

Despite Ottniel Baartman bowling the final over, it was Shamsi's 4-19 that proved crucial in South Africa getting over the line, including two wickets in the 18th over to turn the game back in his team's favour.

The spinner was thankful South Africa avoided an unlikely defeat, telling reporters: "[I am] definitely relieved.

"The team is standing up to the pressure and that's great to see."

Proteas captain Aiden Markram praised the efforts of Nepal, whose narrow defeat means they are eliminated from the competition with one game to spare in Group D.

"You have to give Nepal a lot of credit," Markram said. "Throughout the game they put us under a lot of pressure, and it shows the quality they have."

While Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel was disappointed in the defeat, he also took pride in how his team fared against one of the tournament favourites.

"I'm very proud of the unit, the way we bowled and batted," Paudel stated. "We were very close but a little far."

Nepal came to within two runs of a famous victory over South Africa as the Proteas edged a thrilling encounter in Kingstown to remain unbeaten at the T20 World Cup. 

Sompal Kami knew that two runs from the final ball of the match would secure an unlikely triumph, but batting partner Ghulsan Jha was run out at the non-striker's end to conclude their first meeting in international cricket. 

South Africa were restricted to 115-7 with opener Reeza Hendricks producing 43 runs from 49 balls, ultimately handing the initiative to their opponents to keep their Super 8s hopes alive.

Nepal would last until the eighth over before losing Kushal Bhurtel and Rohit Paudel in three balls, but the Rhinos would steady the ship, leading to a nail-biting finish. 

However, Tabraiz Shamsi (4-19) struck twice in a game-changing 18th over, aided by Ottniel Baartman denying seven runs in the final over to decide the tie. 

South Africa face the United States in Antigua on June 19, while Nepal search for their first win of the tournament as they take on Bangladesh in their final Group D game.

Meanwhile, New Zealand secured their first win of their T20 World Cup campaign with relative ease, beating Uganda by nine wickets at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

The Black Caps exit from the tournament had already been confirmed following Afghanistan's seven-wicket triumph over Papua New Guinea, exiting a World Cup before the last four for the first time since 2014.

Trent Boult dictated the early pace of the encounter, taking two wickets inside the first over as their opponents quickly saw five wickets fall for just 15 runs.

Kenneth Waiswa was the only batter for the Cricket Cranes to reach double figures, as wickets from Tim Southee (3-4) and Mitchell Santer (2-8) in successive balls saw Uganda all out for 40. 

Kane Williamson's side faced just 33 balls on their way to victory, as Devon Conway scored an unbeaten 22 from 15 balls to win the contest ahead of their final Group C fixture against the Barramundis. 

As the group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 comes to a close, the action will move to the next chapter in the event, the Super Eights, which will see eight remaining teams battle it out for four semi-final spots.

India (Group A), Australia (Group B), Afghanistan (Group C), West Indies (Group C), and South Africa (Group D) are the five teams who have qualified for the second round thus far.

India, Australia, and Afghanistan will feature in Group 1 of the next round, whereas West Indies and South Africa will feature in Group 2.

All of these sides have been unbeaten in their respective groups, and are shaping well ahead of the next round.

The second round commences in Antigua on June 19.

The following day will see the unbeaten India and Afghanistan face-off in Barbados in what looms as a crucial fixture prior to the knockout stages of the tournament. This will also be the first occasion on this tournament that India will play a contest in the Caribbean.

The rampant Afghans will look to make amends for their close loss to Australia at last year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup when the two sides meet on June 22 in St Vincent. Back-to-back games against formidable opponents can overwhelm most sides but Rashid Khan’s team have shown an indomitable fighting spirit in the tournament thus far.

More crucial fixtures follow up in coming dates: with co-hosts West Indies taking on South Africa in their final Group 2 clash on June 23 in Antigua.

The Proteas have historically dominated the West Indies, but the tables were turned last month when the Men in Maroon swept the three-game T20I series between the two sides at home.

Another Men’s Cricket World Cup-centric encounter takes place in St Lucia, where finalists India will clash against the eventual winners Australia on June 24.

Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, and St Vincent will host all 12 games in this round.

Fixtures

19 June: A2 v South Africa, North Sound, Antigua

19 June: B1 v West Indies, Gros Islet, St Lucia

20 June: Afghanistan v India, Bridgetown, Barbados

20 June: Australia v D2, North Sound, Antigua

21 June: B1 v South Africa, Gros Islet, St Lucia

21 June: A2 v West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados

22 June: India v D2, North Sound, Antigua

22 June: Afghanistan v Australia, Arnos Vale, St Vincent

23 June: A2 v B1, Bridgetown, Barbados

23 June: West Indies v South Africa, North Sound, Antigua

24 June: Australia v India, Gros Islet, St Lucia

24 June: Afghanistan v D2, Arnos Vale, St Vincent

Aiden Markram admitted South Africa rode their luck as they maintained their perfect record at the T20 World Cup with a tense four-run win over Bangladesh on Monday.

The Proteas looked to be heading for their first loss in Group D when they toiled to 113-6 in Long Island, but some slow scoring from Bangladesh left the match in the balance late on.

Requiring seven runs from the final three balls for victory, Bangladesh saw both Jaker Ali and Mahmudullah caught by Markram, who was in the right place at the right time on the boundary as South Africa's opponents went in search of a maximum.

The result keeps South Africa top of Group D and on course for a Super-8 berth with six points, four clear of Bangladesh, but Markram acknowledged they had been lucky.

"You're always pretty nervous in the final over in a game like that. It was always on a knife's edge, it can make you mentally tired," he said after the match.

"It's always nice to be in them though. Sometimes you get on the right side of it, sometimes not, but it's very entertaining. 

"That 19.5 full toss could've gone anywhere, it could've gone two more metres further and we'd have had a different conversation. 

"A few things went our way today, we were very fortunate to get on the right side.

"Today was one of those days where the seamers were bowling well, we wanted to drag it to the end where anything could happen in the last over."

Heinrich Klaasen hit a vital 46 to drag South Africa to 113 after they had been teetering on 23-4, putting up a 79-run partnership with David Miller, who hit 29.

"We're putting Klaasen and Miller under pressure but they've been exceptional," Markram added.

"They've gone back-to-back with crucial partnerships, got us to a score that was luckily enough to win but still one we could defend. It's fantastic for Klaasy to get back in form."

South Africa held off Bangladesh to maintain their perfect record at the T20 World Cup on Monday, defending a target of 113 in a thrilling finish in Long Island.

The Proteas, who had made a flawless start to their Group D campaign with successful chases against Sri Lanka and the Netherlands, looked to be up against it after a dire start to their third outing. 

Bangladesh's Tanzim Hasan Sakib needed just five overs to clinch a hat-trick as Reeza Hendricks went lbw for a first-ball duck, then Quinton de Kock (18) and Tristan Stubbs (0) followed, the latter chipping straight to Shakib Al Hasan at short cover.

Heinrich Klaasen stopped the rot, but his knock of 46 came off 44 deliveries as Bangladesh bowled efficiently, and another low-scoring affair was guaranteed when he was bamboozled by Taskin Ahmed's seam ball 18 overs in.

Bangladesh's chase got off to an inauspicious start as Kagiso Rabada had Tanzid Hasan (9) caught inside two overs, later joining Anrich Nortje on two wickets when an umpire's review showed he clipped leg stump to end Towhid Hridoy's stand of 37.

That knock had left Bangladesh requiring 18 off 12 balls in front of a fervent crowd, but like Pakistan versus India one day earlier, they were unable to get over the line. 

Proteas captain Aiden Markram was in the right place at the right time on two occasions, catching desperate attempts for a maximum from both Jaker Ali (8) and Mahmudullah (20) right on the boundary to seal South Africa's victory. 

Data Debrief: Proteas do enough... just

South Africa have still never lost a T20I versus Bangladesh in nine meetings, but they put themselves in real bother with some slow scoring in their innings.

However, the efforts of Rabada (2-19), Nortje (2-17) and Keshav Maharaj (3-27) were enough, the latter's bowling handing Markram two catches as Bangladesh were forced to hit big in the dying moments. 

The Proteas remain top of Group D with maximum points from three games, with Bangladesh now having one win and one defeat.

South Africa maintained their unbeaten start to the T20 World Cup with a four-wicket triumph over the Netherlands at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. 

David Miller was the Proteas' star with an unbeaten 59, as South Africa recovered from a dismal start in which they had slumped to 12-3.

The Netherlands had started poorly themselves with the bat, though Sybrand Engelbrecht steadied the ship with a 45-ball 40 before he was caught by Marco Jansen from Ottniel Baartman's delivery.

And with that, the Netherlands' scoring rate soon fizzled out, with the Dutch finishing on 103-9.

That lacklustre conclusion to their innings looked set to be swiftly forgotten as South Africa's top order disintegrated inside the first four overs, and the Netherlands seemed to be on their way to a famous win.

But a strong partnership of Tristan Stubbs (33) and Miller anchored South Africa's innings, and the Proteas emerged victorious with an over to spare.

Miller fittingly confirmed the victory with a six, smashing that shot through the leg side.

Sri Lanka remain bottom of Group D following their two-wicket defeat to Bangladesh earlier in the day. 

Meanwhile, Afghanistan continued their excellent start at this year's tournament, beating New Zealand by 84 runs to move top of Group C. 

Data Debrief: Dutch come unstuck

The defeat for the Netherlands ended their longest unbeaten streak in the competition, with the Dutch having won each of their last three matches at the T20 World Cup.

South Africa gained a measure of revenge, meanwhile, for their 13-run defeat to the Netherlands at the 2022 T20 World Cup.

he International Cricket Council (ICC) has promised ground staff will try to “remedy” ongoing problems with the drop-in pitches at its showcase ground in New York.

Cricket’s world governing body publicly acknowledged for the first time since the T20 World Cup began that there have been teething issues with the surfaces.

While players and coaches have so far refused to criticise the pitches at the venue, BBC Sport understands India has privately voiced their unhappiness with the unpredictable bounce and two-paced nature of the strips in Eisenhower Park amid worries over the safety of their batters.

“The ICC recognise that the pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as we would have all wanted,” the ICC said in a statement.

“The world-class grounds team have been working hard since the conclusion of yesterday’s game to remedy the situation and deliver the best possible surfaces for the remaining matches.”

Concerns have grown over the unpredictable nature of surfaces after the first two fixtures played at the venue.

On Monday, Sri Lanka were bowled out by South Africa for 77 – their lowest score in T20s – while India dismissed Ireland for 96 on Wednesday.

India play Pakistan on Sunday at the venue in Eisenhower Park in one of the most eagerly-anticipated fixtures of the tournament with a capacity crowd of 32,000 expected.

ICC officials have maintained there are no contingency plans in place to switch any of the New York games to venues in Florida or Texas, both of which have natural turf strips.

The US is staging 16 of the 55 matches at the T20 World Cup, which it is co-hosting with the West Indies.

The pop-up stadium in New York cost $32 million to construct and was built inside eight months to much fanfare from the tournament organisers.

Six of the trays which transported the soil for the 10 Tahoma grass surfaces came from Australia before being shipped to Florida where the pitches were cultivated.

The soil variety has a high clay content, similar to the pitches in Adelaide.

They were then transported to New York by road and installed a few weeks before the tournament began.

The outfield is made up of Kentucky bluegrass, grown at a farm in New Jersey, on top of sand.

There was discontent with the pitch after Monday’s opening match in which South Africa were able to stroll to their victory target against Sri Lanka with 22 deliveries remaining, while India had 46 balls left when they hit the winning runs in another low-scoring match against Ireland.

It has meant the toss in New York has become pivotal in determining the outcome of the match, with the team bowling first at an advantage.

Batters have had to fend off short-pitched bowling, with balls climbing off a length while others skid along at ankle height through to the wicketkeeper.

A clear diagnosis for the problems has not yet been identified.

Similarly, the sizes of the boundaries – 75m and 65m on each side, and 71m straight – and slow outfield have inhibited run scoring with the boundary ropes unable to be pulled in because of ICC tournament guidelines.

As a result, the cricket spectacle delivered by both games so far has been largely underwhelming.

India fans were even cheering for Ireland at one point during their eight-wicket win, hoping the length of the game would be extended so they could see more of their team batting in the second innings.

Concerns have also been raised about the six pitches laid at the net training facility in nearby Cantiague Park.

Earlier this week, South Africa’s batters opted for throw downs as opposed to facing their own bowlers, and local net bowlers, because of injury worries.

Anrich Nortje says he is "trying not to look too deep" at his career-best bowling total in South Africa's win over Sri Lanka.

Proteas' dominant bowling limited Sri Lanka to their lowest-ever T20I run total in their World Cup opener on Monday as they recorded a six-wicket victory.

Nortje was the standout amongst the bowlers and earned player of the match after finishing with a career-best 4-7, helping to stop Sri Lanka at 77 in the 20th over.

While Nortje was pleased with his performance, he was quick to turn the focus back to the team post-match.

"I've been feeling good, it just hasn't paid off in the last few games," he said. "It's great to finally get a result, some balls went my way, but I try not to look too deep into it.

"It's been a while since I've had those figures. Just happy to have pulled it off for the team. It's a great win for the team, everyone bowled really well. Kudos to the rest of the guys as well.

"Just to get some momentum going [is what matters], we've worked really hard and it's great to get a result."

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka were left lamenting their World Cup schedule as they will play at four different venues during the group stage, meaning awkward travel arrangements could disrupt their tournament.

"So unfair for us, we have to leave every day [after the match] because we are playing [at] four different venues," Maheesh Theekshana said.

"It's unfair. The flight we took from Florida, from Miami, we had to wait like eight hours in the airport to get the flight. And we came around.

"We were supposed to leave at 8pm, but we got the flight at 5am. It's really unfair for us, but it doesn't matter when you play [on the field]."

However, captain Wanindu Hasaranga was quick to explain the team were not using that as an excuse for their performance, and understood that nothing could be changed at this stage even after complaints to the ICC.

Next up for South Africa in the group is Netherlands on June 8 in New York, while Sri Lanka play Bangladesh on June 7 in Texas. 

South Africa's World Cup campaign got off to a winning start as they cruised to a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Monday thanks to an impeccable bowling performance.

All the hard work was done in the first innings when Sri Lanka chose to bat but were unable to come up with any answers to South Africa's stubborn bowlers.

They limped to 40-5 in the first 10 overs, as Keshav Maharaj took two wickets in two balls in a successful second over, with both Wanindu Hasaranga and Sadeera Samarawickrama being dismissed for ducks.

Anrich Nortje entered the mix to ensure Sri Lanka were bowled out for their lowest-ever T20I total, as he took 4-7 in his four overs to ensure a target of just 78.

It was by no means a high-scoring game, as Quinton de Kock finished with the highest run tally (20 off 27 balls) as one of South Africa’s openers.

Sri Lanka were strong bowlers themselves, with Hasaranga the stand-out with 2-17, but it was not enough as South Africa ambled to 80-4 inside the 17th over.

Elsewhere, Namibia survived a huge scare to beat Oman in a super over in their Group B opener on Sunday, with David Wiese making the difference with both bat and ball.

Wiese had finished with figures of 3-28 as Oman were bowled out for just 109, then Namibia stumbled to 109-6 themselves, scrambling two off their final ball after Mehran Khan's bowling had put Oman on the brink of an upset.

In the first T20 World Cup super over since 2012, Wiese slammed a four off the first ball and a maximum from the second, finishing with 13 off four deliveries faced.

Taking up the ball, he then dismissed Naseem Khushi as Namibia clinched an 11-run success. 

Data Debrief: South Africa's bowlers take away hope

All of South Africa's bowlers were on top form in their opener, but no more than Nortje, who broke his own record for the best bowling figures for the Proteas in a men's T20 World Cup match, with his 4-7 in this match beating his 4-10 versus Bangladesh in 2022.

Meanwhile, Baartman became the first South African to take a World Cup wicket with his first tournament delivery. 

South Africa stand-in Captain Rassie van der Dussen gave his West Indian counterparts all the praise in the world after his side suffered a dominant 0-3 defeat in their three T20Is from May 23-26 at Sabina Park in Kingston.

The hosts won last Thursday’s first encounter by 28 runs, their biggest win over South Africa in T20Is, and followed it up with a 16-run win in the second game on Saturday and a dominant eight-wicket triumph in the third match on Sunday.

The skipper put the South African performance down to an inability to quickly adapt to the conditions of the Sabina Park pitch.

“We just couldn’t adapt early enough. Yes, we had a long week in terms of layovers in Miami and so forth. I think we saw that in the first match but you can’t keep making the same mistakes,” van der Dussen said after Sunday’s game.

“I think we just got taught a lesson on how to play in Caribbean conditions, especially from a bowling front. It was a difficult wicket to bat on. I think they just out-skilled us, especially with the ball,” he added.

When asked about positives he could take from the three games, he singled out openers Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks as well as young leg-spinner Nqaba Peter who played the last two games, the first two T20Is of his career.

The 35-year-old, who was left out of South Africa’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, says an adjustment he hopes the team makes with the bat is to take a few more chances up front.

“Maybe just be a bit braver. We saw the way the West Indies play, especially in the power play. They really take it on and when the ball’s newer, it’s easier to score than in the back end when the ball gets soft,” he said.

West Indies white-ball coach Daren Sammy hailed his team’s performance after they passed their South Africa test with flying colours, culminating in a dominant eight-wicket victory at Sabina Park on Sunday. This win sealed a clean sweep of the three-match T20 International series, setting a positive tone for their final preparations ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, which begins on June 1.

The West Indies secured their series victory with a comprehensive performance on Sunday, chasing down South Africa's target of 164 with 6.1 overs to spare. This win followed earlier victories on Thursday, May 23, by 28 runs and on Saturday, May 25, by 16 runs. The series was characterized by consistent team efforts, despite the absence of key players such as Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Andre Russell, and Alzarri Joseph.

In the series finale, South Africa posted 163-8 from their 20 overs, with captain Rassie van der Dussen top-scoring with 51 off 36 balls. Debutant Wiann Mulder contributed a solid 36. The West Indies’ bowling attack was led by Player of the Series Gudakesh Motie, who took 2-21, supported by Shamar Joseph’s 2-26 and Obed McCoy’s 3-39.

The West Indies’ chase was spearheaded by an explosive opening partnership of 92 runs in just 6.4 overs between Johnson Charles and interim captain Brandon King. Charles, who was named Player of the Match for his blistering 69 off 26 balls, batted at a strike rate of 265, while King added 44 from 28 balls. Kyle Mayers (36 not out) and Alick Athanaze (6 not out) comfortably saw the hosts over the finish line.

Coach Darren Sammy, who led the West Indies to T20 World Cup victories in 2012 and 2016, praised his team’s all-around performance. "With the players that we had, we executed quite well,” he told Sportsmax.TV. “We were put under pressure in the Power Play in the second game but the way the guys responded and won convincingly; we got tested in the three departments – in the field, with the bat, and the ball – and the way the guys responded was just really good, so I would give them a nine (out of 10).”

Charles expressed satisfaction with his performance after struggling in the first two matches. “It was great. We have been working hard during the camp and in the series. Worked hard on our skills leading up to the World Cup, just enforcing the basics. Tried in the first two games, didn’t work out but came today (Sunday). It’s all about building confidence,” he said.

Stand-in captain Brandon King also shared his delight at leading the team to a commanding series win. “(I was) happy with my own performance,” he remarked. “Would’ve liked to carry my bat through to the end though. We understand each other’s games, playing a few years together. (This was) an important 3-0 win.”

West Indies completed a perfect 3-0 T20I series with an eight-wicket victory over South Africa on Sunday to boost morale ahead of the approaching World Cup.

Brandon King’s side had already secured an unassailable lead after a 16-run victory in Kingston on Saturday but ensured they finished on a high in their final game.

South Africa were limited to just 163 runs, with Rassie van der Dussen contributing 51 off 31 balls, as they struggled against an inspired bowling performance led by Obed McCoy (3-39) and Gudakesh Motie (2-21).

With the ball, South Africa could not limit West Indies’ threat as Johnson Charles plundered a quick 69 off 26, while captain Brandon King added 44.

Kyle Mayers’ 36 not out saw West Indies over the line with a little help from Alick Athanaze to reach 165-2 with 37 balls remaining.

Data Debrief: Clean sweep

Charles hit West Indies' third-fastest T20 fifty, reaching his half-century after just 20 balls - in total, he hit nine fours and three boundaries before being caught.

Having won only one of their previous four men's T20Is against South Africa at home (L3) prior to this series, West Indies have now won each of the last three. 

A disappointed Rassie van der Dussen warned South Africa only have "one more chance" to prepare for the T20 World Cup after suffering series defeat to West Indies on Saturday.

Brandon King's side secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series after West Indies managed a 16-run victory in Kingston.

Quinton de Kock smashed a 17-ball 41 as South Africa blasted 81 from their first five overs, yet ultimately fell short when chasing a target of 208.

With the upcoming World Cup in the Windies and United States, South Africa captain Van der Dussen acknowledged his frustrations.

"We let them get too much again," he said after the convincing defeat. "The spinners bowled really well; [Nqabayomzi] Peter, on debut, [was] brilliant.

"Looking at the way [Romario] Shepherd bowled today, he was disciplined... It was really disappointing.

"We have one more chance, and looking to bounce back [on Sunday]."

Roston Chase crashed a remarkable 67 not out off just 38 deliveries to guide the Windies to an imposing total of 207-7 in the first innings.

"Waited for the opportunity... Accustomed playing this role in the Caribbean Premier League," Chase said of his performance.

"[Daren] Sammy spoke to me. The plan was to take it to 14 overs. Then we realised that the wicket was better than yesterday."

Gudakesh Motie then did the damage with the ball, removing Van der Dussen on 30, as well as Andile Phehlukwayo (three) and Wiaan Mulder (nine) for his impressive 3-22.

"It's an amazing feeling [to win the series]," captain King added. "Chase is very valuable. Very happy with his performance.

"They had a good start. Finished well for us. Play really good cricket – that's what we are focusing [on]."

Roston Chase and Gudakesh Motie played starring roles to lead the West Indies to a 16-run win over South Africa and an unassailable 2-0 series lead at Sabina Park in Kingston on Saturday.

The hosts, after winning the toss and batting first, made an imposing 207-7 from their 20 overs on a much-improved Sabina Park pitch.

Stand-in Captain Brandon King, who stood out with a top score of 79 in the first T20I, got the ball rolling quickly on Saturday with a 13-run third over off the bowling of Anrich Nortje, who South Africa brought in for this game in place of Gerald Coetzee.

Johnson Charles, playing his 50^th T20I, once again failed to make any inroads with the bat as he was first to fall, caught in the deep off the bowling of Bjorn Fortuin for seven.

Kyle Mayers joined the skipper and the pair brought the score up to 51-1 at the end of the first powerplay with King 35* off 20 balls and looking set for another big one and Mayers on nine from seven balls.

Unfortunately for the hosts and the Sabina Park crowd, King’s knock didn’t last much longer as he became the first T20I wicket for debutant Nqaba Peter when he was caught at long on for 36 in the seventh over.

Peter got his second wicket not long after when Mayers, after hitting a six the ball before, became the third West Indies batsman to get out caught in the deep. He made a 16-ball 32 including two fours and three sixes. The score at the time of his wicket was 83-3 with one ball left in the ninth over.

At the halfway point, the hosts were 88-3 with Roston Chase and Andre Fletcher at the crease on 10 and three, respectively.

The pair then batted beautifully to put on a further 56 in short time before Fletcher fell for 29 to leave the West Indies 139-4 with five overs left.

Not long after, Chase brought up an excellent maiden T20I fifty with a flat six over mid-wicket off Lungi Ngidi in the 17^th over. His milestone came off 30 balls.

The 19^th over proved to be the most crucial for the West Indies as a trio of sixes from Romario Shepherd brought the score past the 200 mark before he fell off the last ball of that over for 26 off just 13 balls.

In the end, Chase finished 67* off just 38 balls including seven fours and two sixes.

Peter was the pick of the South African bowlers with 2-32 from his four overs while Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo took 2-41 and 2-51 from their respective four over spells.

The start from South Africa then had Sabina Park silent as openers Reeza Hendricks and Quinton De Kock absolutely hammered the West Indian bowling around the park on the way to an opening partnership of 81 in the first five overs.

The last ball of that fifth over proved to be the start of the West Indian fightback as De Kock took one risk too many and was bowled by Akeal Hosein for 41 off just 17 balls including four fours and as many sixes.

Three balls later, one became two for the Windies as Reeza Hendricks, who made 87 in the first game on Thursday, was dismissed by Chase for 34 to leave the tourists 83-2 at the halfway point of the sixth over.

Ryan Rickelton and Matthew Breetzke then added a further 30 before the latter went for an ill-advised second run and was run out thanks to a brilliant throw from the deep mid-wicket boundary by Shamar Joseph for 12 off the penultimate ball of the 10^th over.

Rickelton was next to go, caught off the bowling of Romario Shepherd for 19 to leave the score at 124-4 off 12 overs.

Not long after, Andile Phehlukwayo fell to another brilliant piece of fielding from Joseph, this time a catch in the deep off the bowling of Gudakesh Motie for three to leave the South Africans reeling at 138-5 in the 15^th over.

Any chance South Africa had of pulling off the chase was dashed when Gudakesh Motie dismissed both Rassie Van Der Dussen (30) and Wiaan Mulder (9) in the 17^th over.

In the end, South Africa reached 191-7 from their 20 overs, 16 runs short of their target.

Motie ended with 3-22 from his four overs while Shepherd bowled a crucial spell with 1-21 from his four.

Chase, who was named man of the match, completed a fine all-round performance with 1-26 from his four overs.

Chase says the team has eyes on a series sweep.

“Obviously we’ve started the series well being 2-0 up but three is better than two. I just think it’s for us to look at some of the areas where we were weak today and plan to execute them better tomorrow and improve on the areas we did well in as well,” he said.

“The guys have been playing some good cricket, we just had a camp in Antigua and we’ve put in a lot of hard work so it’s just for us to come out and execute and mostly, enjoy the cricket. I think once you go out there to enjoy the cricket, it becomes a lot easier and takes a bit of pressure off of you so it’s just to go out there and have fun,” he added.

The third T20I is set for Sunday.

It is no secret that many across the region believe Roston Chase is not quality enough to have been selected in West Indies’ 15-man squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. But Chase could care less about those critics, as he is more focused on delivering the goods leading up to, and during the June 1-29 global showpiece.

Despite lacking the power of his big-hitting counterparts, Chase has proven that he can be effective in the game’s shortest format. Since his debut at the 2021 World Cup, he has so far played 12 T20Is for West Indies and has tallied 143 runs with a strike rate of 110.0, with 10 wickets for 212 runs to his name.

The 32-year-old, who recently captained Windies 'A' team to a 3-2 series victory away to Nepal, and is currently serving as vice-captain to stand-in captain Brandon King for the regional side’s three-match warm-up series against South Africa, is confident in his abilities, regardless of what others think.

“People may not necessarily know the intricate details that go into playing a cricket match. I'm not one of the big superstars that may hit the ball 100 metres or bowl at 90 miles per hour or take a five-wicket haul or anything like that, but I think I still play a key and vital role in the team,” Chase said in a Cricket West Indies (CWI) interview.

“So people just tend to see me chipping in here and they say, 'Chase ain't no good.' But I know what I can do, my teammates know what I can do, and the coaches know what I can do. But at the end of the day everyone has their own opinion,” he added.

With 49 Test matches to his name, Chase’s credentials in that format speaks for themselves, as he been a steady middle-order batsman since his 2016 debut. He is one of only four West Indian, after Denis Atkinson, Collie Smith and Garry Sobers, to take a five-wicket haul and score a hundred in a Test –a feat he achieved in his second Test, at Sabina Park.

The Barbadian rose to prominence in T20s during the 2021 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season, when he finished as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) after a tally of 446 runs and 10 wickets. He also assisted St Lucia Kings to the final –their second in CPL history –in that 2021 season.

That performance resulted in his inclusion for the 2021 T20 World Cup, where he played the last three matches in West Indies' failed campaign as they were eliminated at the group stage. He next featured for the Windies in a 3-0 series loss away to India in February 2022, before being discarded from the T20 setup for just over a year.

Now back in the team, Chase is determined to prove his worth, with both bat and ball, and his performance in Thursday’s opening warm-up contest against South Africa, underscored that much.

The right-hander, who bowls off spin, played an anchor role in West Indies innings and scored an unbeaten 30-ball 32, before returning to take one wicket for 12 runs from two overs, in the 28-run win at Sabina Park.

"I know that I don't have a lot of variations, so I just try to think as quickly as I can on my feet and I try to be as smart as I can, especially with the ball. I know my role is kind of the power-play bowler, so I think that's probably one of the hardest jobs outside of death bowling," Chase shared.

"You have to want to bowl in the power play. It's a tough job, but I always try to go into it with a clear mind and strong belief,” he noted.

With the World Cup now exactly one week away, Chase pointed out that West Indies –who will co-host with the United States –need to fine tune their all-around approach against the Proteas.

The second and third encounters are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, also in Kingston. West Indies, who won T20 titles in 2012 and 2016, will open their World Cup account against Papua New Guinea, on June 2, in Guyana.

“I think this is a time for us to just get our tactics and strategies right and get the guys gelling," Chase declared.

“Obviously, the areas we have been weak in over the past couple of series, in terms of controlling the power play in the bowling aspect – I think that's one area, once we tend to do well in the game, we usually come out on top,” he ended.