In the third and final T20 match played at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 31 January 2026, West Indies saved their honour by defeating South Africa after a thrilling contest, however, the series was 2-1 in South Africa’s name.
The match was limited to 10 overs due to rain and lightning, which made the game more aggressive.
Match Summary: South Africa vs West Indies (3rd T20)
West Indies batting: Rain of runs in 10 overs
Batting first, West Indies scored 114 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in the allotted 10 overs. Due to the limited overs, the Caribbean batsmen adopted an aggressive approach from the very first ball.
Shai Hope: The captain led from the front and played a lightning innings of 48 runs off just 22 balls.
Romain Powell: He also scored 48 runs and gave the South African bowlers, especially the spinners, a tough time.
Keshu Maharaj: South Africa’s experienced spinners proved to be quite expensive and gave away 38 runs in their 2 overs.
South Africa’s response: Failure to chase the target
Chasing a target of 115 runs, the South African team could score 98 runs in the allotted overs.
Quinton de Kock: The century maker from the previous match could not play a big innings this time and was out early.
Aiden Markram: The captain tried to resist but lost his wicket as the required run rate increased.
Aqeel Hussain: The West Indies spinner bowled a measured bowling and did not give the South African batsmen a chance to play openly.
Key results of the series
Match result: West Indies won the third T20 match.
Series winner: South Africa (won the series 2-1).
Player of the series:Quinton de Kock (for his brilliant batting in the series and scoring a century in the second match).
Analysis: Although West Indies managed to win this match, South Africa maintained its supremacy throughout the series. Both teams will now leave for India and Sri Lanka directly for the T20 World Cup in February.
