All-round South Africa take 1-0 lead in Paarl

South Africa cruised to a comprehensive nine-wicket win in the first T20I against West Indies in Paarl, powered by George Linde's three-wicket haul and a strong batting performance from the top three. Linde's 3 for 25, along with two wickets apiece for Keshav Maharaj and Corbin Bosch, restricted West Indies to 173/7, with Shimron Hetmyer top-scoring for the visitors with 48.

Aiden Markram's 47-ball 86*, which included three sixes and nine fours, powered the chase. The skipper was complemented by Lhuan-dre Pretorius (44 off 28) and Ryan Rickelton (40* off 32) as South Africa reached the target in 17.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The chase was effectively settled in the first half of the innings, with Markram and Pretorius racing away to an opening stand of 83 inside eight overs. The pair plundered 29 runs off the final two overs of the powerplay to take South Africa to 68 without loss after six, wiping out any pressure that might have lingered from the target. Pretorius fell in the eighth over while attempting another big hit, but Markram ensured there was no dip in momentum.

Batting with fluency and authority from the outset, the South African captain went on to register his highest T20I score against West Indies, pacing the chase to perfection. Rickelton, meanwhile, played the ideal supporting role; though timing deserted him at times, he showed discipline and composure, resisted unnecessary risks, and punished the loose deliveries to keep the equation comfortably in South Africa's favour.

West Indies' hopes were further dented by an unusually off day in the field and with the ball, most notably from Akeal Hosein. The left-arm spinner spilled a straightforward chance when Markram was on 27 and then conceded 31 runs from his three overs, failing to apply any control in the middle phase. Markram fittingly finished the chase in style, pulling and lofting Jason Holder for consecutive boundaries as South Africa sealed victory with more than two overs to spare.

Earlier, after being asked to bat, West Indies recovered from a mid-innings wobble to post a competitive total, but were held back by a disciplined South African finish that checked their scoring at the death. After a brisk start, the visitors lost four wickets for 40 runs across a five-over passage, slipping from a position of promise into trouble. While several batters got starts, they failed to show the composure to convert as West Indies found themselves 95 for 5 when Hetmyer and Rovman Powell came together in the 12th over.

The pair steadied the innings with a vital 74-run stand for the sixth wicket, shifting momentum back West Indies' way through calculated aggression. Hetmyer took on the spinners with confidence, repeatedly using his feet to clear the leg-side boundary, while Powell supported him with clean hitting through the middle overs. Their partnership lifted West Indies past 150 and raised hopes of a late surge, particularly after Hetmyer's twin sixes off Maharaj and Powell's pull off Kagiso Rabada.

Those hopes, however, faded as the surface slowed and South Africa's bowlers nailed their execution at the death. Linde returned to decisive effect, removing Hetmyer and Jason Holder in the 19th over, while Bosch chipped in with two wickets and consistent yorkers. West Indies managed only 39 runs in the final five overs, leaving them with a total that promised more than it ultimately delivered.

Brief scores: West Indies 173/7 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 48, Rovman Powell 29*; George Linde 3-25, Corbin Bosch 2-35) lost to South Africa 176/1 in 17.5 overs (Aiden Markram 86*, Lhuan-dre Pretorius 44, Ryan Rickelton 40*) by 9 wickets.