Thank you so much for staying with us till the end. This is Utsav Chandak, signing off on behalf of Saptak Sanyal, Arijit Kundu & the scorer of the fixture Zeeshan Naiyer.
Hayley Kristen Matthews collects the series winning trophy and she goes to join her teammates for a celebration. Now they are posing for a few photographs.
Hayley Kristen Matthews (West Indies Women Captain, Player of the Match & Player of the Series): "I think it was really good to see how we went about that innings. Probably started a bit a slow, the wicket was much better yesterday. Sharmaine Campbelle could come in and ease some pressure off me and that was really helpful, just the options she shows, gets in nice and strong and then accelerates at the end.
I think I just wanted to play my shots early on, hitting through the off side really hard, try to pierce the field and keep rotating the innings. I was a bit slow at the start, getting a bit frustrated, and Shemmy just came and tried to relieve that pressure off me and making it easier for me.
Yeah, we did a really good job, stopping them to 147 after the start they had, I think they were off to a really good start in the powerplay, we managed to stop them in the middle, but then they again got away in the end. So, going through the middle overs, we could stop them to somewhere between 130 - 135. But at the same time, they had a really good start and I think that time I would have definitely taken chasing 147.
Yeah, pretty good series I think for myself, was pretty disappointed after the odi series, so super happy that I was able to bounce back and contribute to the team's success.
We have definitely shown some progress. We have so many young players in the group, and to be able to win the series from the position we were in, after losing the odi series, they had a psychological advantage as well. Just shows the spirit in the team, that even the young players have shown a lot of experience in the last two games. Shows that we have been able to build something special."
Player of the Series: Hayley Kristen Matthews
Player of the Match: Hayley Kristen Matthews
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa Women Captain):"I thought it was enough initially. Miane batted well. Anything above 140 is a good chase here.
Disappointing for us a bit. But Hayley batted really well. We could've bowled better. A few misfields and catch drops cost us.
The good thing for us is that our batters performed really well. They stepped up when their contributions were needed. Miane needs a special mention. She is a bright prospect. The way she played her shots like reverse sweep right from the start was a good thing to watch."
Time for the post-match and post-series presentations.
Highest Individual Score by a Captain in a Successful Run Chase in WT20I against South Africa Women:
73- Chamari Athapaththu (East London, 2024)
65- Hayley Kristen Matthews (Cave Hill, TODAY)
63*- Hayley Kristen Matthews (Cave Hill, Yesterday)
62- Charlotte Edwards (Chelmsford, 2014)
62- Suzie Bates (Bristol, 2018)
Highest Third Wicket Partnership for West Indies Women in Run Chase in WT20I:
82- Deandra Dottin/Stafanie Taylor vs New Zealand Women (Galle, 2012)
82- Hayley Kristen Matthews/Shemaine Campbelle vs South Africa Women (Cave Hill, TODAY)
78*- Deandra Dottin/Stafanie Taylor vs England Women (Bridgetown, 2013)
2:36 AM IST, 5:06 PM Local Time: West Indies W have won the match by 6 wickets and 9 balls to spare.
And this is it from this fixture, the third and final T20I between West Indies W and South Africa W has come to an end. Laura Wolvaardt, captain of South Africa Women, won the toss and decided to bat first. Sune Luus and Tazmin Brits were off to a blazing start in the powerplay, but the first breakthrough was found in the fourth over by Afy Fletcher. This was followed by a partnership between Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, but the scoring rate needed to be worked upon. In the quest to up the scoring rate, wickets fell in quick succession, but 20-year-old Miane Smit held her ground from one end. At the end of the innings, Miane Smit went back with a magnificent 59 off 38 deliveries, taking her team to a competitive total of 147/6. Karishma Ramharack was the pick of the bowlers, who took two wickets for just 18 runs in her four overs.
While chasing 148, the Windies batters lost early wickets as Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka were brilliant with the new ball. With wickets tumbling on the other end, Captain Hayley Matthews held her ground and marched aggressively towards the target. Shemaine Campbelle was the second fiddle as Matthews brought down carnage from one end and brought the game in the hands of the Windies women. A few overs and a passing shower later, South Africa looked to bounce back, a couple of wickets of both the set batters were taken, with Hayley Matthews departing for a well-made 65 off 49, but it was too late by then as the damage was done. Chinelle Henry finished the game in some style with her 20 off just 11 balls.
West Indies Women won the match by 6 wickets and the series 2-1.