Nicholas Pooran’s 7 sixes, unbeaten 65 off 26 balls secure West Indies’ 1-0 lead in T20 series against South Africa

Nicholas Pooran delivered an impressive unbeaten knock of 65 from 26 balls to ease West Indies to a seven-wicket win in the Twenty20 International series against South Africa at the Brian Lara Stadium. The West Indies took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. At the toss, West Indies won and chose to bowl first.

During SA's innings, many players could make an impressive mark in the game except for Tristan Stubbs 76 off 42 balls. Apart from him, Patrick Kruger also made some good contributions to the score with his 44 off 32 balls. The team scored 174 runs at the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs.

When the West Indies began their innings, their top three batters displayed a determined mindset to dominate South Africa. Openers Alick Athanaze and Shai Hope led the charge, scoring 40 runs from 30 balls and 51 runs from 36 balls, respectively. When Nicholas Pooran stepped in, the star wicketkeeper-batsman unleashed an explosive performance, hitting seven sixes and two fours to finish the innings in style. However, the foundation for the victory was set by an 84-run opening partnership between Athanazeand Hope. Both the openers were eventually dismissed by South African seamer Ottneil Baartman, who finished with figures of 2-30. The Indies scored 176 with the loss of 3 wickets in 17.5 overs.

Seeing Pooran's smashing performance, Netizens were quick to comment. One user said, “Nicholas Pooran is One of the finest middle order batsman in modern day cricket” “Nicholas Pooran madness at Brian Lara Stadium”

Another said, “Nicholas Pooran is batting magnificently for the West Indies: 4 consecutive sixes. He is a wonderful T20 player , a destructive batsman and a good wicketkeeper, and I am certain he would be a fantastic batsman in longer formats.”

Meanwhile, the second match of the West Indies vs South Africa T20I Series 2024 will now be tomorrow i.e. 25 August at the same venue.

(With inputs from Reuters)