Aiden Markram shines with bat as South Africa outclass West Indies in T20I series opener

South Africa thrashed West Indies by 9 wickets. [Source - AFP]

South Africa thrashed West Indies by 9 wickets in the opening match of the three-match T20I series on Tuesday, January 27, taking an early 1–0 lead in the series. A dominant display with the bat, on the back of a disciplined bowling effort, saw the hosts register a comprehensive victory at Boland Park in Paarl.

Here, we take a look at the complete highlights of the first T20I between South Africa and West Indies, as it unfolded on Tuesday, January 27, at Paarl.

West Indies fly early as Brandon King attacks the new ball

Asked to bat first, West Indies started aggressively with Brandon King leading the charge against the new ball. There was no swing for Kagiso Rabada, while George Linde began tightly from the other end. Johnson Charles also tried to go big but fell to Keshav Maharaj after a couple of big hits.

Corbin Bosch was introduced into the attack and struck immediately, removing the dangerous Brandon King. Maharaj returned soon after and dismissed Sherfane Rutherford. Those quick wickets slowed the momentum as West Indies slipped to 57 for 3 by the end of the powerplay phase.

Matthew Forde and Roston Chase then tried to rebuild with a steady partnership. The pitch looked slow, with the ball gripping and making big shots difficult. Just as the pair looked set to attack, Bosch returned and removed Forde, leaving West Indies 88 for 4 at halfway.

Disciplined South Africa bowling restricts West Indies to below-par 173

Desperate for a partnership, West Indies lost another key wicket as George Linde continued his economical spell by removing Roston Chase. With the innings moving into the later stages, acceleration was needed, but the tricky surface made timing difficult and kept the batters under constant pressure.

Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer came together to provide stability. Hetmyer did find some boundaries early in his innings but Powell struggled to get going. They added 74 runs for the sixth wicket, yet the soft ball and slow pitch prevented the power hitters from fully exploding in the slog overs.

West Indies eventually finished with 173 runs, a total shaped by smart bowling as the South African bowlers adapted well to the surface with George Linde leading the pack with an outstanding 3 for 25, while Corbin Bosch impressed again, picking two wickets to his name.

Aiden Markram’s batting brilliance powers South Africa to easy win

Chasing 174, South Africa’s openers gave the hosts a flying start with 68 without loss in the first six overs. Aiden Markram and young Lhuan-dre Pretorius attacked the new ball confidently, as West Indies struggled to control the scoring inside the powerplay.

As the ball softened and hitting became harder, South Africa already had the advantage. Roston Chase and Akeal Hosein slowed things briefly by removing Pretorius after the powerplay. However, Markram then shifted gears after the halfway mark, taking on Hosein and bringing up a fluent fifty from just 28 balls.

Ryan Rickelton had a watchful start at number three before joining the charge as South Africa kept things simple, rotating strike and finding regular boundaries. Markram and Rickelton added an unbeaten 93-run stand, finishing the chase with 13 balls left as Markram stayed unbeaten on 86, sealing a comfortable first T20I win in Paarl.