A masterful 162-run partnership for the second wicket between opener Quinton de Kock (115 off 49 balls) and Ryan Rickelton (77 not out off 36) powered South Africa to a seven-wicket victory over the West Indies in Centurion on January 29. The hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 series, with the third and final match scheduled for January 31 in Johannesburg. 

Already trailing the series 1-0, West Indies came out firing at SuperSport Park Stadium, rattling off a formidable score of 221 for four on the back of powerful knocks from a pair of Guyanese left-handers. Shimron Hetmyer top-scored with 75 off 42 before being dismissed by wily left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (two for 22) in the 15th over. 

Meanwhile, Sherfane Rutherford was in a no-nonsense mood as he struck five fours and four sixes on his way to an unbeaten 57 off 24 balls. Rutherford’s 76-run stand with countryman Romario Shepherd (17 not out off ten) gave the Windies a grandstand finish after Maharaj and the Proteas pulled things back in the middle overs. 

The efforts from the Windies batsmen proved to be no match for the wrath of de Kock and Rickelton, with both batsmen blazing to their highest scores in T20 Internationals. After skipper Aiden Markram found the boundary twice in his cameo of 15, de Kock took over as he helped the Proteas race to 70 for one after the power play - 46 of those runs came off the latter’s bat. 

With South Africa’s score on 95 for one in the ninth over, West Indies had a chance to stop the bleeding, but Jayden Seales spilled a catch at short third man off Jason Holder with Rickelton on 17. By the halfway stage, South Africa raced to 122 for one, leaving them needing 100 to get off the last ten overs. 

Making the most of the reprieve, Rickelton got to fifty in the 13th over, with the stylish de Kock whipping Holder off his legs for six in the subsequent over to bring up his century off 43 balls. De Kock was dismissed when going for a third consecutive six off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein (two for 41) in the 15th over, with the hosts needing 33 off the last 33 balls to seal the win. 

Hosein got the scalp of Dewald Brevis (four) in his subsequent over, but Rickelton saw the Proteas to a winning score of 225 for three with 15 balls to spare when he swatted pacer Matthew Forde (one for 34) into the on-side for four. 

With crushing defeats in back-to-back matches in this brief series, coach Daren Sammy and his charges will need to find the necessary answers quickly before their International Cricket Council T20 World Cup campaign begins against Scotland on February 7. 

Summarised Scores: 
WEST INDIES: 221/4 from 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 75, Sherfane Rutherford 57 not out, Brandon King 49; Keshav Maharaj 2/22, Kagiso Rabada 1/35) vs SOUTH AFRICA: 225/3 from 17.3 overs (Quinton de Kock 115, Ryan Rickelton 77 not out, Aiden Markram 15; Akeal Hosein 2/41, Matthew Forde 1/34). South Africa won by seven wickets; lead series 2-0.