In-form Proteas batsman Heinrich Klaasen led the national team to victory with a spectacular performance on Tuesday, completing a career-best century in the third and final one-day international (ODI) against West Indies in Potchefstroom.
Chasing 261 runs to win, the hosts reached 264/6 with more than 20 overs to spare as they secured a crucial win to ensure the three-match series ended in a 1-1 draw after the first match was rained out by the Windies. have won the second game.
After losing four wickets for 87 runs in the first 13 overs of that innings, with the top order failing to fire, the Proteas batting line-up appeared to be under real pressure.
Klaasen and Jansen
Klaasen then stepped up, however, and turned the match on its head with a brave effort that took the game away from the tourists.
The experienced 31-year-old reached his sixth career ODI half-century off 30 balls and maintained his intensity as he raced to his second international century off just 54 deliveries.
All-rounder Marco Jansen should also be credited for settling into the crease and taking some pressure off Klaasen, making a valuable 43-run contribution to keep the middle order intact and prevent the Windies attack from getting bogged down in the lower order.
Klaasen finished unbeaten on 119 from 61 balls, smashing 15 fours and five sixes in an innings that combined for a strike rate of 195.08.
“I’m very happy,” Klaasen said in a television interview.
“It’s a very good situation. Today is my day, and I’m lucky it’s out. It’s good to get the team over the line.”
Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph (3/50) and spinner Akeal Hosein (2/49) were the best of the West Indies bowlers, with the attack struggling to contain a punishing performance led by Klaasen.
West Indies limited
Earlier, opening batsman Brandon King had kept the West Indies top order together, making 72 runs off as many balls after the visitors were sent into bat by stand-in Proteas captain Aiden Markram.
However, King did not receive much support, and eventually fell for 22 when he was bowled by Proteas paceman Lungi Ngidi.
Nicholas Pooran (39) and Jason Holder (36) then carried on through the middle and lower order before the Windies were bowled out for 260 in 49 overs.
Left-arm seamer Jansen (2/46), spinner Bjorn Fortuin (2/46) and paceman Gerald Coetzee (2/53) took two wickets each to lead the Proteas attack, ultimately restricting the opponent enough to lay the foundation for victory.
The Proteas will now face the West Indies in a three-match T20 International series to be played in Gauteng, starting with the first match in Centurion on Saturday.
The second leg will also be played at Centurion on Sunday, with the final match scheduled for Wanderers on Tuesday.