De Kock’s Century South Africa to series-clinching T20I win over West Indies

Quinton de Kock produced a breathtaking century to lead South Africa to a dominant seven-wicket victory over West Indies in the second T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion, sealing the series 2–0 and marking a successful start for head coach Shukri Conrad in T20I cricket.

Chasing a challenging target of 222, South Africa reached 225 for 3 with 15 balls to spare, underlining the batting-friendly nature of the surface. De Kock, playing his first home T20I in nearly three years, smashed 115 off just 49 balls, including 10 sixes and six fours. He brought up his century in only 43 balls, his second T20I hundred and second at Centurion.

De Kock shared a decisive 162-run partnership for the second wicket with Ryan Rickelton, who impressed in a new role at No. 3. Rickelton scored an unbeaten 77 off 41 balls, registering his third T20I half-century and his highest score in the format. Their partnership effectively ended West Indies’ hopes midway through the chase.

The innings also saw de Kock achieve several milestones. He crossed 12,000 career T20 runs and became South Africa’s leading T20 run-scorer, surpassing Faf du Plessis. Despite the scale of his achievement, de Kock kept celebrations modest, though the home crowd responded with a standing ovation.

Earlier, West Indies posted a competitive 221 for 4. Brandon King (49) and Shimron Hetmyer (75) gave the visitors a flying start, reaching 115 for 1 at the halfway mark. Sherfane Rutherford’s explosive 57 not out off 24 balls lifted the total beyond 220. However, a crucial middle-overs slowdown proved costly, as Keshav Maharaj removed Rovman Powell and Hetmyer in quick succession, finishing with 2 for 22.

South Africa’s chase highlighted the ease of scoring at SuperSport Park, where a 200-plus target has now been successfully chased five times in T20Is. The win not only confirmed South Africa’s series triumph but also reinforced de Kock’s enduring impact in the shortest format.