West Indies claimed a consolation win in a match reduced to 10 overs a side at the Wanderers, to hand South Africa defeat in their first T20I in pink. With no ODIs scheduled in South Africa this summer, the annual fixture to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer treatment took place in the shortest format, and was made even shorter after prolonged delays for lightning.

Still, the sell-out crowd got their money’s worth in an entertaining encounter as both teams left everything on the field in their final competitive fixture before next month’s T20 World Cup.

With the series already won, South Africa may not be too unhappy with the outcome, especially as their middle order, untested in game one and two, had a hit out while West Indies’ ability to hold their nerve under pressure will stand them in good stead ahead of a major tournament. They secured a narrow win after two heavy defeats to leave South Africa with something to smile about.

West Indies’ innings started 75 minutes later than the scheduled 6pm start time after lightning strikes were spotted by the pilot in the flyover just before play. The match was reduced to 16 overs a side at that stage and West Indies came out swinging.Shai  Hope carved the first ball through the covers for four and Johnson Charles also tried to take it on but Aiden Markram put a short over in place and Charles hit Ngidi straight to him for a three-ball duck.

Hope kept driving but it was Shimron Hetmyer, who arrived at the crease with neither a helmet nor a cap, who turned it on. He sent Ngidi into the stands and onto a spectator’s forehead for six (sidenote: the fan received a medical check-up) and then cleared deep backward square for six more. Hope hit Keshav Maharaj’s opening over for 18 but Markram kept faith in spin and brought himself on in the firth over. Hetmyer cut his first ball for four, then sent him over deep square leg for six and then Hope, off the last ball of the over, pulled Markram into the stands.

Linde delivered a tight second over but West Indies were in a strong position on 66 for 1 after six before the players were forced off again, as more lightning was spotted. Another hour’s delay reduced the match to 10 overs a side, which meant West Indies had just four overs left to bat when play resumed.

Corbin Bosch’s death-bowling was on display early with an over of good length deliveries before Hetmyer and Hope took on Maharaj again. His second over cost 20 but had some success when Hope hit him to Bosch at long-off. Rovman Powell sent Kwena Maphaka’s first and fifth ball for six and then gave Brevis a catch at deep cover before Hetmyer finished off. He ended the innings with his sixth six to finish on 48* off 22 balls. West Indies scored 114 for 3 in 10 overs and South Africa’s target was adjusted up to 125.

Quinton de Kock, fresh off of century at SuperSport Park, got South Africa to a perfect start with 19 runs off the opening over but Markram couldn’t get going in the same way. He top-edged Akeal Hosein straight up and Hosein did well to take the catch as Hetmyer ran in from extra cover and the pair were fortunate to avoid a collision. South Africa sent in Dewald Brevis ahead of Ryan Rickelton at No.3, and it was almost an early mistake. Brevis was dropped on 2 by Romario Shepherd at midwicket – making it West Indies’ third big-name drop in as many games (Markram in match one, Rickelton in match two) – and they would have wondered how costly it would be.

At first, they got rewarded at the other end. De Kock could not clear long-off and was caught on the rope by Powell to give Gudakesh Motie his first wicket of the series. Then, Rickelton and Brevis then combined for a 28-run stand off 11 balls, with two sixes each, but neither could sustain the momentum. Rickelton picked out Holder at long-on to become Motie’s second and Brevis, on 17, got a taste of his own medicine when he fell to a relay catch between Powell and Holder in the same over. South Africa were 63 for 4 after six overs, and needed 62 runs to win off the next four.

Jason Smith, picked as a finisher for the T20 World Cup, made his case with 20 off the first seven balls but did not get any strike in the penultimate over. South Africa needed 27 off 12 balls and Tristan Stubbs reduced that to 15 off the last five balls before he gave Smith strike to try and finish off. Shamar Joseph, in his first appearance in this series, was tasked with the final over. He went yorker length and took out Smith’s middle stump with his third ball, to leave South Africa needing nine runs off two balls. Bosch was dropped off the second last ball of the match when he skied Joseph to Powell at long-on and broke his bat in the process. He also didn’t ground the bat as he ran so South Africa were one-short, had to score eight off one and lost by six runs.

Brief scores:
West Indies 114 for 3 in 10 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 48*, Shai Hope 48, Rovman Powell 13; Lungi Ngindi 1-19, Keshav Maharaj 1-38, Kwena Maphaka 1-12) beat South Africa 118 for 6 in 10 overs (Quinton de Kock 28,Dewald Brevis 17, Ryan Rickelton 15, George Linde 17, Jason Smith 26, Tristan Stubbs 10*; Jason Holder 1-30, Akeal Hosein 1-25, Gudakesh  Motie 3-17, Shamar Joseph 1-23) by 6 runs – DLS

[Cricinfo]

A clinical five-for from Iqbal Hossain Emon set up a consolation win for Bangladesh in their final match of the Super Six and this edition of the Under-19 World Cup. Chasing 254, Simbarashe Mudzengerere’s 70 was the only meaningful contribution in a chase that fizzled out with Zimbabwe reduced to 54 for 5, then 104 for 7.

Emon took out both the openers in his opening spell en route to scalping four of the first five wickets to fall in the Zimbabwe chase. Al Fahad complemented him with the new ball and thereafter, taking three wickets for 39 runs in his own spell – this included the final wicket of the chase as well, when he knocked over Webster Madhidhi.

The most significant resistance in Zimbabwe’s innings was the 64-run partnership between Mudzengerere and Shelton Marzvitorera – the highest for the ninth wicket for them in Youth ODIs. However, by then, the required rate had long climbed out of reach, and Al Fahad’s slow bouncer dismissed Mudzengerere to snuff out any hopes of a miracle.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings had been set up by captain Azizul Hakim’s 59 off 87. His steady knock, from No. 3, came to an abrupt end when Tatenda Chimugoro had him nicking behind to the keeper. Rizan Hossan came close to a half-century himself, but was prised out on 47 by Michael Blignaut. Bangladesh were reduced to 153 for 4, then 211 for 8 with less than four overs to go.

The Zimbabwe bowlers, who had kept control of the economy rate throughout a disciplined bowling effort, gave away 22 runs off Webster Madhidhi in the final over of the innings. Emon and Fahad were at the forefront of this attack too: they hit him for 4, 4, 2 wides, 4 and 6 to close out their innings, with the momentum swinging back to Bangladesh in their most productive over of the day.

The duo’s burst with the new ball ensured Bangladesh remained on top for the rest of the contest. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are both knocked out of contention for the semi-finals at this World Cup, but by the time Fahad took the final wicket of the defense, the latter had something to celebrate.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh Under 19s  253 for 9 in 50 overs (Azizul Hakim 59, Rizan Hossan 47; Tatenda Chimugoro 2-49, Shelton Mazvitoerera 2-44,   Michael  Blignaut 2-41) beat Zimbabwe Under 19s  179 in 48.4 overs (Simbarashe Mudzengerere 70, Shelton Mazvitorera 42*; Iqbal Hossain Emon 5-24, Al Fahad 3-39) by 74 runs

[Cricinfo]