South Africa vs. West Indies, 1st T20I: Highlights, Scorecard and Report

West Indies powered to a four-wicket victory against South Africa in the opening game of their three-match Twenty20 series.

South Africa sent out an inexperienced team, with only one regular member of the Test side in the XI, and they were comprehensively outpointed by West Indies.

The Proteas elected to bat first and posted 165 from their 20 overs. It was a score many observers felt was about par, but it proved wholly inadequate as Chris Gayle brutally took apart the home side’s bowling.

"

WIN for @WindiesIntl! Gayle's sensational 77 off 31 balls inspires a 4-wicket victory in Cape Town #SAvWI #GayleForce pic.twitter.com/GTWWNlkKJg

— CPL T20 (@CPL) January 9, 2015"

His savage assault set the game up for Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy to cruise home with four balls remaining.

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	Strike Rate
DR Smith	lbw b Imran Tahir	20	20	100.00
CH Gayle	c †van Wyk b Imran Tahir	77	31	248.38
MN Samuels	c Rossouw b Imran Tahir	41	32	128.12
DJ Bravo	c Hendricks b Parnell	8	13	61.53
KA Pollard	not out	8	9	88.88
AD Russell	c Abbott b Parnell	6	6	100.00
D Ramdin	c Abbott b Wiese	2	5	40.00
DJG Sammy	not out	0	0
Extras	(b 4, lb 1, w 1)	6
Total	(for 6, off 19.2 overs)	168
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
KJ Abbott	4	0	30	0
K Rabada	4	0	38	0
D Wiese	2.2	0	20	1
WD Parnell	4	0	39	2
Imran Tahir	4	0	28	3
F Behardien	1	0	8	0

The series may mean little with regard to next month's World Cup, but it will provide West Indies with some confidence.

Morne van Wyk announced himself on the game in the third ball of the innings, as he clubbed a short ball from Sheldon Cottrell over midwicket for a huge six.

Van Wyk is often severe on anything short of a length, and he proved the point with a couple of glorious shots off Andre Russell, who was punished for missing his length.

Russell and Cottrell missed their lengths early on, but skipper Sammy kept the faith, and he was rewarded with the first wicket of the match.

A full, swinging ball from Cottrell was too good for Reeza Hendricks, who was trapped plumb lbw.

Jason Holder kept niggling away on the stumps and was rewarded with a second wicket in the sixth over. Van Wyk attempted to run the ball to third man, but he did not get enough bat on the ball and offered up a simple catch at slip for Chris Gayle.

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The South Africa innings needed an injection of pace, and skipper Faf du Plessis provided it. He took three fours off Holder’s final over and, in the following over, crashed spinner Ashley Nurse for a six and a four.

Du Plessis continued the assault on Russell with a six and a four, but he departed for 38 when miscuing a full toss and holing out to Sammy.

It was a bonus wicket for the tourists, as it was a ball Du Plessis would often smash out of the park.

David Miller, Rilee Rossouw and Farhaan Behardien were unable to score at the rate of Du Plessis, but they still took South Africa to 165 from their 20 overs.

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	Strike Rate
RR Hendricks	lbw b Cottrell	12	12	100.00
MN van Wyk†	c Gayle b Holder	17	15	113.33
F du Plessis*	c Sammy b Russell	38	20	190.00
RR Rossouw	not out	51	40	127.50
DA Miller	c Bravo b Cottrell	24	21	114.28
F Behardien	not out	18	12	150.00
Extras	(lb 2, w 3)	5
Total	(for 4, 20 overs)	165
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
SS Cottrell	4	0	33	2
JO Holder	4	0	20	1
AD Russell	4	0	43	1
AR Nurse	3	0	24	0
DJ Bravo	3	0	26	0
DJG Sammy	2	0	17	0

West Indies came into the game without star bowlers Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine, the top two bowlers in the world, but they had all their batting big guns on display.

Gayle is the biggest gun of all, and he took a liking to Kagiso Rabada. After taking a look at a couple of balls, and being beaten for pace by a rapid bouncer, Gayle climbed into two length balls and dispatched both high over wide long-on for six.

"

The noise that emanates from Chris Gayle's bat when he hits a 6, is the sound the Big Bang would have made, were it not in a vacuum #SAvWI

— Daniel (@statsdan) January 9, 2015"

Kyle Abbott was not immune to severe treatment from Gayle, who waltzed down the wicket and smashed him over long-off for six.

When Gayle is in the mood, he makes batting look remarkably easy. Aware of the need to make hay with the field up during the Powerplay, he took 16 off the second Rabada over to put his side in firm control.

It took Gayle a mere 17 balls to register his 50, which set a record as the fastest half century by a West Indian in T20I cricket.

"

Chris Gayle's spikes #SAvWI: pic.twitter.com/u9T9ES1mpi

— Ben Taylor (@benjtayy) January 9, 2015"

South Africa turned to spin in the first over after the Powerplay and Imran Tahir struck with his first delivery.

Dwayne Smith went for an audacious reverse sweep and was adjudged lbw, although replays suggested the ball struck his glove.

There is no Decision Review System in T20s, meaning a disgruntled Smith had to depart the scene.

While Smith had to depart, Gayle continued on his merry way and at one stage he hit a ball flat over midwicket for six—with one hand.

But with victory in sight, and the target below six an over, Gayle attempted a reverse sweep off Tahir and feathered a catch behind to Van Wyk.

"

Gayle must have gone like, "Hmmm, which shot have I NOT attempted? Let's do THAT!" #SAvWI

— Pitch Invasion (@pitchinv) January 9, 2015"

It was an innings worthy of a standing ovation—77 off 31 balls—and that it was what it got, as Newlands rose to acclaim one of the world’s most destructive batsmen.

Tahir—who was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 28—celebrated like a player who felt the game was firmly in the balance, but that was not the case, as the West Indies middle order worked the ball around with calm authority to seal victory.