Morne van Wyk ton, David Wiese deny West Indies clean sweep

Morne van Wyk

Durban (South Africa), Jan 15 (IANS) The West Indies failed in their bid for a clean sweep, conjuring up a familiar ragged all-round performance to slump to a 69-run defeat to South Africa in the third and final Twenty20 International here.

Lacking the sharpness exhibited in the two previous games and opting to rest several frontline players including Chris Gayle, the Caribbean side found the target of 196 a burden too heavy to carry and slumped to 126 all out off 19 overs at Kingsmead on Wednesday, reports CMC.

Opener Lendl Simmons gave them a lightning start with 49 off 31 balls, in a 48-run first wicket stand with the out-of-sorts Dwayne Smith (5), which lifted hopes of a successful run chase.

However, once Smith missed a heave at a straight one from left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso and was bowled in the sixth over, the innings imploded and the last nine wickets tumbled for 78 runs. Kieron Pollard was the only other batsman to reach the 20s but even then, he needed 23 balls for his unbeaten 20 and failed to find the boundary even once.

Medium pacer David Wiese ran through the Windies innings to finish with five for 23 while pacers Marchant de Lange (2-26) and Wayne Parnell (2-33) supported with two wickets apiece.

However, it was opener Morne van Wyk's maiden T20 International hundred that put South Africa on their way to a daunting 195 for three from their 20 overs. The 35-year-old right-hander pummeled an unbeaten 114 off 70 balls as South Africa, sent in to bat by Darren Sammy, capitalised on wayward bowling and loose fielding to take command of the contest.

Van Wyk, who hit nine fours and seven sixes, put on 111 for the first wicket with Reeza Hendricks who struck 42 from 32 balls, and added then a further 47 with Wiese who stroked 21 off 16 deliveries, after being pushed up the order.

Surviving a chance to Smith at point off seamer Carlos Brathwaite when he had made just one in the second over, van Wyk dominated the Windies bowling, reaching his half-century off 35 balls off the final delivery of the tenth over.