West Indies Head Coach Daren Sammy says playing in front of the Jamaican fans was a key factor in the team’s 3-0 sweep over South Africa in their Twenty20 (T20) international series at Sabina Park ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The Windies put on a dominant showing in Sunday’s final match as they recorded an eight wicket win.

For the first time in the series, South Africa started the innings but they found the going tough with the Windies opening bowlers of Obed McCoy, Shamar Joseph, and Gudakesh Motie as they were struggling at 50/4 after eight overs and a ball. However, stand-in Captain Rassie van der Dussen’s 51 and Wiaan Mulder 36 provided some competitiveness as the Proteas posted 163/7. McCoy proved why he was added to the World Cup squad as he starred with 3/39. Joseph and Motie took two wickets apiece.

Chasing 164 to win, Johnson Charles wasted no time as he struck a quick-fire half-century to put the Windies in control.

Charles took 26 balls to make 69, including nine fours and five sixes as he led them to 92 inside seven overs before his dismissal.

His opening partner and Captain Brandon King continued to move the score to 130 inside 11 overs before he was caught for 44.

Needing 34 to win, the Windies got to their target with 37 balls to spare with Kyle Mayers closing the match with an unbeaten 36.

Sammy hailed the home support for its performances over the three matches.

West Indies fielders Johnson Charles (left) and Alick Athanaze prepare themselves to take a catch to dismiss South Africa batter Rassie van der Dussen during their third and final Twenty20 International match at Sabina Park on Sunday. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

“It’s good to be back in Jamaica,” he said. “We missed cricket in Jamaica, just hearing the horns, the shells, the trumpets blowing and seeing the fans coming out. It’s a vibe here in Jamaica and I’m glad we got to experience that and continue the legacy Sabina Park carries. I told the guys it’s our duty to entertain the fans that come out to watch cricket and they want cricket here so we achieved that.

“We executed quite well. We were out under pressure in the second game but the way the guys responded and won convincingly, we got tested on all three departments — in the field, the bat, and ball, and the way the guys responded was really good so I give them a nine [out of 10].”

Man of the match Charles struggled in the first two matches after not getting into double figures but said he was confident he would make things right in the final match.

“The plan was to implement the basics,” he said. “The first two games, I didn’t get off, was trying to implement what we had done in the camp leading up to the series and it didn’t come off but it’s about sticking to the basics and I did that.

“Seeing that we were missing a couple of guys from the squad, it’s a promising sign to see that we beat South Africa 3-0. By the time the other guys join us, we’ll have the full squad and continue from here.”

South Africa interim captain van der Dussen says the local conditions were a struggle for his side.

“We just couldn’t adapt early enough,” he said. “Yes, we had a long week in terms of layovers in Miami and so forth, and we saw that in the first match. But we can’t keep making the same mistakes. That’s no excuse for Saturday and Sunday, for what happened. We just got taught a lesson in terms of playing in Caribbean conditions, especially from a bowling front.”

The West Indies will travel to Trinidad this week as they prepare to begin their World Cup campaign. They play Australia in a warm-up match on Thursday before their first World Cup game against Papua New Guinea in Guyana on Sunday.