Lendl Simmons explosive 108 off 59 balls led the West Indies to a formidable total of 200 against South Africa at Raipur Stadium.
South Africa Masters won the toss and opted to bowl first. The West Indies Masters missed Chris Gayle’s presence, and in his place, William Perkins partnered with in-form Dwayne Smith to open the batting. Garnett Kruger was handed the new ball by Jacques Kallis to initiate the attack.
Kruger provided an early breakthrough for South Africa by dismissing both openers for single digits, reducing the West Indies to 29/2 within the first four overs. However, Lendl Simmons and captain Brian Lara formed a steady partnership, finishing the powerplay with the score at 43/2.
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Simmons quickly shifted gears, finding the boundaries with ease, while Lara played the role of the anchor, cautiously supporting Simmons. The duo built a brilliant partnership as the South African bowlers began to lose their momentum.
Simmons consistently troubled all the bowlers, scoring more than 10 runs per over as the ball came onto the bat beautifully. He maintained his momentum, striking the ball hard and reaching his century in style. Ryan McLaren eventually dismissed him, clean bowled, breaking the impressive 125-run stand between Simmons and Lara.
With three overs remaining, the West Indies were at 154/4 when Chadwick Walton arrived at the crease. He immediately announced his presence by hitting a six and went on to score 38 runs off just 12 balls, hitting a total of six sixes. His contributions helped the West Indies finish at 200/5.
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Simmons laid the foundation with his century, while Walton capped off the innings in style, setting South Africa a high target of 201. The standout bowler for South Africa Masters was Ryan McLaren, who took 4 wickets for 43 runs. Despite being expensive, he managed to take vital wickets to prevent the West Indies from scoring even more.
Stay tuned for the high-scoring chase at Raipur, as we find out which teams will qualify for the playoffs alongside India Masters and Sri Lanka Masters.
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