An unbeaten 89-run partnership between Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd became the highest eighth-wicket stand in T20Is and T20 World Cups, rescuing West Indies against South Africa.
The two-time champions recovered from 83 for 7 in the 11th over to post 176 for 8 against South Africa in their Group 1 Super Eight match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Jason Holder scored 49 runs, while Romario Shepherd struck an unbeaten 52, his maiden T20I half-century, as the pair added their runs across 57 deliveries with aggressive, boundary-focused batting.
The 89-run stand set a new record for the eighth wicket in T20 internationals and T20 World Cups, surpassing Scotland’s 80-run partnership by Mommsen and Sharif against the Netherlands in 2015.
| Batters | Country | Runs | Opposition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JO Holder, R Shepherd | West Indies | 89 | South Africa | Ahmedabad |
| PL Mommsen, SM Sharif | Scotland | 80 | Netherlands | Edinburgh |
| Amjad Mahboob, R Sharma | Singapore | 75 | Cambodia | Phnom Penh |
| C Madande, WP Masakadza | Zimbabwe | 75 | Bangladesh | Chattogram |
| GH Dockrell, F Hand | Ireland | 74 | Afghanistan | Belfast |
West Indies had slumped from 29 without loss to 83 for 7 after experienced fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada triggered a dramatic collapse, with Corbin Bosch also claiming two wickets.
Shepherd and Holder shifted momentum with 23 runs off Marco Jansen’s 18th over, while South Africa missed four fielding chances, as Shepherd became the highest scorer at number nine or lower.
It is pertinent to mention that West Indies are currently at the top of the points table ahead of South Africa, with both teams strongly in contention for the semi-finals.