South Africa vs West Indies 1st T20I, Highlights: South Africa Thrash West Indies By 9 Wickets

That’s a Wrap from Paarl - That brings us to the end of an entertaining contest, where South Africa take a 1–0 lead and will now look to seal the series in the next game. West Indies, on the other hand, will be desperate to bounce back, level the series, and force a decider. For the second T20I, the action moves to SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday, 29th January, with the match set to begin at 4 pm GMT. As always, you can join us early for all the build-up and coverage. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

The victorious skipper of South Africa -  Aiden Markram expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating that the side was strong in all departments and that he was pleased to start the series with a win. He praised the wicket for playing well and commended the bowling unit for their excellent effort, noting that the ball was coming nicely under the lights. Markram highlighted Rickelton’s performance, mentioning that he adapted to a different role outside the Powerplay, controlled the innings effectively, and made the most of the options he is known for. He concluded by emphasizing the squad’s depth, adding that it’s encouraging to see players stepping up and putting their hands up for national selection.

The captain of West Indies - Roston Chase starts by giving credit to the Proteas for playing well. Adds that they restricted them to a below-par score and chased it down well. Tells that they thought it was a defendable total, but they wanted to get 190-195. Mentions that they did not have big partnerships, whenever they got in, they got out, which was the downfall, and with the ball, they did not start well and allowed the hosts to dictate terms. Further adds that it is upto the batters to take the game deep, you need to take risks in T20 cricket, but they have to be calculated. Reckons they had some soft dismissals in the middle, batters getting out on 20s and 30s, and could not get to the big score that they wanted. He hopes that the wicket in Centurion will be good, also admits that this wicket did not play badly, yes, two-paced and kept low, but not too bad. Ends by saying that he does not think the wicket played a big role, but says that it would be good if they can get something that is a bit quicker and comes onto the bat nicely.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH is George Linde (4-0-25-3) - He says he is happy to play alongside a group of talented cricketers and described it as an awesome team to be part of. He added that he is looking forward to the World Cup. Reflecting on his recent games, Linde mentioned that his team got knocked out early in SA20, which gave him six days off, allowing his body to feel good again. He also shared that he wants to challenge himself while fulfilling the team's needs. Although he enjoys batting more, he is currently contributing primarily as a bowler for the team.

Presentation Time...

Windies Fall Short with the Ball - There is not much to say about West Indies' bowling effort, as they never really looked like defending this total and will need to improve in several areas if they want to challenge stronger sides. Injuries have played a part, but that cannot be used as an excuse, as the players on the field are more than capable of putting up a better fight. Roston Chase was the only wicket-taker, but that was never going to be enough.

Middle-Order Muscle for Windies - Earlier in the game, after a steady start from the openers, West Indies found themselves in trouble at 95/5, but some clean and powerful hitting from Hetmyer and Powell turned the innings around, with the pair adding a crucial 74-run stand to push the total past 170. It was a mixed bowling effort from South Africa, but timely wickets helped them stay in control, with George Linde leading the way with a three-wicket haul, while Maharaj and Bosch chipped in with two each, and Rabada and Maphaka remained wicketless but kept things economical.

A captain's knock - The opening pair of Pretorius and Markram broke the back of the chase, racing to 50 inside five overs and adding 83 for the first wicket, which reduced the target by more than half. Pretorius was dismissed after a brisk 44 off 28, but Markram held one end and never looked in trouble, mixing control with some eye-catching and outrageous strokes. He then added another 81 with Rickelton, who played his part, but the star of the show was the skipper himself, finishing unbeaten on 86 off 47, his career-best in T20Is.

A Chasing Masterclass - South Africa made light work of the chase to draw first blood in the series, producing an emphatic batting display to get over the line with 13 balls to spare. Skipper Aiden Markram led from the front, making the run chase look effortless with a classy and controlled knock. West Indies, meanwhile, will have plenty to reflect on and will need to regroup quickly ahead of the next game.

FOUR! Aiden Markram hits the winning runs! Jason Holder goes short again and on middle, Markram picks up the length early and pulls it between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket for a boundary. SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 9 WICKETS!

SIX! Shot of the match so far! Jason Holder bangs this into the pitch and around off. Aiden Markram backs away to give himself some room, extends his arms and plays it like a tennis player to flat-bat it over the long off fence for a biggie. Just 2 to win now.

Short of a length and on off, Rickelton pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a run.

Fuller and on middle and leg, Markram flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

On a length and on middle, Markram tucks it with soft hands through mid-wicket and comes back for the second run. Just 10 runs needed now.

Another yorker, on middle, Markram jams it out to long on for a single.

Good fielding! Short of a length and outside off, Markram cuts it wide of point. Joseph dives to his right and gets a hand on it to make a half-stop. He gets up and goes after it to keep it down to two runs. This is now Markram's highest T20I score.

Back of a length and around off, Ryan punches it through covers for another run.

Full and on leg, Markram flicks it away to deep square leg for a run.

Nails the yorker, on middle, tailing in, Markram gets his bat down in time to dig it out.

Fuller and on off, Rickelton drives it to long off for a single.