South Africa will aim to seal it Three-match T20I series When they take on West Indies in the second game at the SuperSport Park, Centurion on Thursday. After an impressive performance in the opening match, the hosts will be full of confidence and keen to finish things off quickly, while the visitors will face a must-win situation to stay alive in the series.
In the first T20I in Paarl, South Africa were in control almost throughout. Aiden Markram’s decision to elect to bowl first after winning the toss paid off immediately as the West Indies batting line-up struggled for pace. By the 12th over, the visiting team’s score was 95 for five, after which Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell and stand-in captain Roston Chase added some valuable runs in the lower order to take the total to 173 for seven.
However, that score proved too low on the night. South Africa’s top order performed strongly and made the chase easy by scoring almost half of the target in the powerplay overs. After a quickfire 44 from Luan-Dre Pretorius, Markram and Ryan Rickelton calmly led the team to victory, with the captain remaining unbeaten on 86.
West Indies will hope for the return of their regular captain shy hope can lift the team, but they will need a far more explosive all-round performance to upset a confident South African unit.
South Africa vs West Indies, 2nd T20I: Match Details
- date and time: 29 January (Thursday); 9:30 PM IST / 4:00 PM GMT / 6:00 PM local
- venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion
South Africa vs West Indies head-to-head record in T20Is
Matches played: 27 | West Indies won: 14 | South Africa won: 13 | No results: 0
supersport park pitch report
SuperSport Park has long had a reputation for being a batsman-friendly venue, where the timing of the ball seems advantageous and the runs come quickly. The pitch usually offers genuine bounce and good pace, allowing batsmen to play their shots with confidence once they are set. Relatively small boundaries add to the scoring potential, often turning well-timed strokes into boundaries and making high totals a common sight. Fast bowlers can still make their point early on, especially with the new ball, as there is often some movement in the early overs.
As the match progresses, the surface becomes slightly slower, allowing spinners to come into play and batsmen are forced to adjust their approach. The dew factor can also become a significant element in night games, especially during the second innings, making life difficult for bowlers trying to catch the ball. While a score of 180 or more in the first innings is considered competitive, chasing the target under lights at SuperSport Park is a realistic and attractive option for teams.
squads
West Indies: Brandon King, Johnson Charles (wk), Matthew Forde, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, Quentin Sampson, Shai Hope (c), Gudakesh Moti
South Africa: Luan-Dre Pretorius, Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Dewald Brewis, Rubin Harman, Jason Smith, George Linde, Corbin Bosh, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Mafaka, Quinton de Kock, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Ethan Bosh, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs
South Africa vs West Indies, 1st T20I: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- South Africa won the toss and bowled first
- West Indies Powerplay Score: 45-50 (6 overs)
- West Indies’ total score: 160-170
Case 2:
- West Indies won the toss and bowled first
- South Africa Powerplay Score: 50-55 (6 overs)
- South Africa’s total score: 170-180
Match Result: Trams won the competition, batting second.
Also read: West Indies announces squad for T20 World Cup 2026, no place for Evin Lewis
