Watch: Rovman Powell saves 5-year-old boy from injury, hurts himself in the process
West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell suffered an injury in the process of protecting a five-year-old boy at the edge of the boundary during the second game against South Africa at Centurion on Sunday (March 26). The hard-hitting middle-order batter avoided a potentially dangerous collision with the kid, injuring himself in the process.
The incident occurred in the third over of South Africa's chase when Quinton de Kock struck the ball off Akeal Hosein towards the long-off boundary. Powell gave the ball a good chase and was inside the diving length to pull it back into the field before it touched the fence.
However, the visiting captain saw a five-year-old boy trying to get to the edge of the line and catch the ball and decided to abort the chase. Instead, he jumped over the kid and crashed into the LED boards.
Here's the video:
SPIRIT OF CRICKET - Rovman Powell puts his body on the line and nearly injures himself instead of crashing into two little ball boys. Top humanitarian effort by the WI Captain!
https://t.co/KNNWcR5Jpg
The 29-year-old had to receive treatment for his injury on the sidelines and took some time to return to the field.
Rovman Powell's death-over heroics not enough for West Indies
Despite registering their highest T20I total, the Caribbeans could not stop the Proteas from levelling the three-match series.
Johnson Charles and Kyle Mayers took South Africa's bowling attack to the cleaners, adding a quickfire 135. Charles' 39-ball century was the fastest for West Indies in T20Is. Along with Romario Shepherd, Powell added 57 off 26 for the fifth wicket, as West Indies racked up a massive total of 258-4.
In response, the hosts forged a 152-run opening stand between De Kock and Reeza Hendricks, with the former slamming a 43-ball 100, his first in T20Is. The keeper-batter was the first to go, with Odean Smith nipping him out in the 12th over.
Hendricks departed for 68 in the 13th over, followed by David Miller in the 16th. However, Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen then finished the chase off in a canter with a whopping seven deliveries to spare on a day that produced a mind-boggling 517 runs. The third and final T20I takes place on Tuesday (March 28) in Johannesburg.