Motie's three-for seals consolation win for West Indies

Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer's 40s, followed by Gudakesh Motie's three-wicket haul, gave West Indies a consolation win against South Africa in a curtailed third T20I in Johannesburg.

After a delayed start due to lightning, the match began as a 16-overs-per-side contest before another lightning interruption six overs into the West Indies innings forced a further reduction to 10 overs per side. West Indies finished on 114 for 3, with South Africa set a revised target of 125 under the DLS method.

After an early blow when Johnson Charles was caught off Lungi Ngidi without scoring, Hope and Hetmyer set the tone with fearless strokeplay. Hetmyer began the attack with a couple of sixes off Ngidi in the third over, after which Hope hit a four and two sixes off Keshav Maharaj. A six apiece for Hetmyer and Hope off Aiden Markram took West Indies to 62/1 after five overs.

An interruption for lightning caused nearly an hour's delay and forced the overs to be reduced. West Indies had a couple of quiet overs before Hetmyer and Hope struck three sixes between them in the eighth over off Maharaj, which yielded 20, although Hope fell for a 25-ball 48 in the same over. Rovman Powell then hit two sixes off Kwena Maphaka and was also dismissed in the ninth over. Only 10 came in the final over bowled by Corbin Bosch despite a six from Hetmyer, who finished unbeaten on 48 off 22.

South Africa's chase began at a frantic pace, Quinton de Kock tearing into Jason Holder for 19 in the opening over, but West Indies clawed their way back through timely strikes from the spinners. Akeal Hosein removed Aiden Markram early and Gudakesh Motie turned the middle overs decisively, dismissing De Kock, Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis in quick succession to derail the pursuit.

Jason Smith's late onslaught briefly reignited hopes, his 26 off 10 dragging the equation down sharply, before Shamar Joseph delivered a decisive blow with a searing yorker to have him bowled in the final over. With nine needed off the last two balls, a bizarre moment followed as Bosch's bat snapped mid-shot, resulting in a one-short single, before Joseph held his nerve to close out a six-run win.

Brief scores: West Indies 114/3 in 10 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 48*, Shai Hope 48; Lungi Ngidi 1-19) beat South Africa 118/6 (target: 125) in 10 overs (Quinton de Kock 28, Jason Smith 26; Gudakesh Motie 3-17) by 6 runs (DLS method).