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South Africa captain Aiden Markram proved to be the star of the show as they handed a convincing defeat to West Indies in the first T20I of the three-match series. It was a phenomenal batting display from the Proteas as they chased down the tricky target of 174 with nine wickets and 13 deliveries left to spare. This win saw the hosts take a vital 1-0 lead in what will be their final assignment before the 2026 T20 World Cup.
After being invited to bat first, West Indies got off to a decent start thanks to openers Brandon King and Johnson Charles. The two looked to be in good touch and put up 39 runs on the board within the first four overs. However, Keshav Maharaj led South Africa's fightback as he dismissed Charles for 13 runs. Corbin Bosch then went on to dismiss King for 27 runs in the next over as both the openers lost their wickets in a span of just four deliveries.
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The next three West Indies batters would also fall for cheap as both Maharaj and Bosch got their second wickets of the day while spinner George Linde dismissed Roston Chase for 22 runs. This saw the visitors get restricted down to 95/5 in the 12th over. They desperately needed someone to deliver with the bat and Shimron Hetmyer came to their rescue. The left-hand batter played an explosive knock of 48, slamming four boundaries and three sixes as the Windies crossed the 150-run mark without losing any more wickets.
Hetmyer and Powell lead WI to fighting total
He was assisted well by Rovman Powell and the duo formed a valuable 74-run partnership. Linde would bowl a brilliant final over and take the wickets of both Hetmyer and Jason Holder as West Indies finished their 20 overs on 173/7. Powell remained unbeaten on 29 and played a key role in the team posting a respectable total on the board. Linde was South Africa's top performer with the ball, recording figures of 3/25 in his quota of four overs.
In reply, the Proteas began their innings on a strong note thanks to openers Markram and Lhuan-dre Pretorius. The two formed a strong partnership of 83 runs. The two smashedf opposing bowlers all around Boland Park as the runs continued to flow. Pretorius missed out on a well-deserved half-century and got dismissed by Chase for 44 runs, however Markram made sure that the team didn't face any problem due to the fall of the wicket.
Markram and Rickelton help SA claim victory
While the 31-year-old went on to play a superb innings of 86, Ryan Rickelton also supported him well from the other end and remained unbeaten on 40 runs as South Africa reached the target comfortably. They took a vital lead in the assignment and will now be aiming to clinch the series by winning the second T20I that will be held on January 29 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
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