T20 World Cup
\nAiden Markam scored his half-century off only 25 deliveries
\n DUBAI
\nSouth Africa hammered holders West Indies by eight wickets in a game overshadowed by Proteas star Quinton de Kock\u2019s refusal to take the knee prior to the Twenty20 World Cup clash on Tuesday
\nAiden Markram smashed 51 to lead South Africa\u2019s chase of 144 in an unbeaten 83-run third-wicket stand with Rassie van der Dussen (43) to achieve their target with 10 balls to spare in the Super 12 contest.
\nSouth Africa bounced back from their opening loss to Australia, while two-time champions West Indies have lost both their matches.
\nCricket South Africa ordered its players to kneel in Dubai and lend their support to the anti-racism movement but De Kock pulled out of the game due to \u201cpersonal reasons\u201d.
\nTemba Bavuma\u2019s team took the knee after their decision to field first.
\nOpener Evin Lewis hit 56 in West Indies\u2019 143-8 as they suffered another heavy loss, having made just 55 in a crushing defeat by England three days ago.
\nFast bowler Dwaine Pretorius took three wickets as West Indies again failed to fire after a painstaking 16 off 35 balls from Lendl Simmons at the top of the order.
\nSkipper Kieron Pollard hit a useful 20-ball 26 before falling to Pretorius, who was on a hat-trick only for Dwayne Bravo to hit a boundary.
\nAfter a sedate start, Lewis took the attack to South Africa by smashing boundaries off pace bowler Kagiso Rabada and spinner Markram, who opened the bowling.
\nThe left-handed Lewis reached his 10th T20 fifty with a six before getting out to Keshav Maharaj.
\nMaharaj struck again with his left-arm spin to send back Nicholas Pooran for 12 and Rabada ended Simmons\u2019 struggle the following over.
\nWest Indies dropped Chris Gayle from three to four in the batting order but the change in position barely helped as the big-hitter fell for 12.
\nAnrich Nortje bowled the powerful Andre Russell for five and returned economical figures of 1-14 from his four overs of pace.
\nIn reply, South Africa lost Bavuma, run out for two, but Reeza Hendricks and Van der Dussen put the chase back on track with their partnership of 57.
\nHendricks fell to Akeal Hosein for 39.
\nVan der Dussen was joined by Markram and the two helped South Africa cruise across the line in a game that began with the shocking news of De Kock\u2019s pull out.
\nThe South African board later said they \u201cawait a further report from team management before deciding on the next steps.\u201d
\nMarkram raised his fifty in 25 balls with a six off Russell and then hit the winning runs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
T20 World Cup Aiden Markam scored his half-century off only 25 deliveries DUBAI South Africa hammered holders West Indies by eight wickets in a game overshadowed by Proteas star Quinton de Kock\u2019s refusal to take the knee prior to the Twenty20 World Cup clash on Tuesday Aiden Markram smashed 51 to lead South Africa\u2019s chase […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":223667,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-223662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n