King, bowlers help WI off to winning start against SA

T20 World Cup co-hosts West Indies got on the front foot in their final preparations for the tournament with a commanding 28-run win over South Africa, their biggest margin of victory over them batting first. Neither side had their first-choice XI available, with some players rested or still at the IPL, but West Indies will be pleased with their dominance at home, especially as this was the first international at Sabina Park in almost two years. Home kid Brandon Lord, captaining instead of Rovman Powell, set the vibe with a forceful 45-ball 79. He likewise partook in a 79-run second-wicket organization with Kyle Mayers, who isn't in the T20 World Cup crew. Lord was the pillar as West Indies fabricated a solid stage with scores of 64 for 1 in the Powerplay and 109 for 1 at the midway stage, however they lost 6 for 40 between the fourteenth and last over to complete on 175 for 8. South Africa will have been supported with their bowling rebound, particularly the early signs from Ottneil Baartman. On T20I debut, Baartman excused Johnson Charles from the get-go however at that point pulled up in his conveyance step after 10 balls, with what resembled a left knee niggle. In any case, he finished the over and proceeded to take 3 for 26. Allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo likewise wrapped up with three wickets in his portion of four overs. South Africa's abundantly discussed top request was diminished to 35 for 3 in the fifth over and neither Quinton de Kock nor Ryan Rickelton made it into twofold figures with the last option battling to track down the limit. While West Indies hit seven fours and eight sixes in the initial 10 overs, South Africa scored eight fours and one six. South Africa required 99 runs off the last 10 overs and however Reeza Hendricks went on a profession best 87 off 51 balls, his flood came past the point of no return. Gudakesh Motie's 3 for 25 and Obed McCoy's 2 for 15 implied South Africa were excessively far behind and in the end excused for 147 in the last finished. Lord Brandon On his home ground, and in his most memorable match as a worldwide commander, Ruler overwhelmed South Africa forthright and set the vibe for West Indies rebound to Sabina Park. He partook in the majority of the strike in the initial three overs and benefited from that. He confronted 16 out of 18 balls and scored 28, including three fours and two sixes. Conversely, Charles, just saw two balls and had not scored a run. Charles turned into Baartman's most memorable global wicket yet Ruler proceeded to record his quickest T20I fifty off 26 balls and was surrounding his most noteworthy score in a showcase featured by imaginative development at the wrinkle which included uncovering his stumps. Phehlukwayo in the end profited from Lord making room, when he sent down a full, wide ball that Ruler needed to go after, and toe-finished it to van der Dussen, who rushed to one side from the covers. Lord was excused toward the finish of the eleventh over for 79, six less than his T20I vocation best. In the wake of Lord's beginning, West Indies ought to have been looking at a complete over 200 however their center request couldn't move up their substitute commander's beginning. Nobody from Andre Fletcher down had the option to get into twofold figures and Matthew Forde's 5 was the most elevated score outside the best four. Fletcher and Fabian Allen were at fault for attempting to play Phehlukwayo across the line and were bowled and caught lbw individually, while Akeal Hosein and Forde were beguiled by Baartman's varieties. Hosein was bowled by a wobble crease conveyance and Forde pulled a knuckle ball square of the wicket. Motie's run-out in the last over implied West Indies lost 6 for 40 in the last third of their innings. After figures of 0 for 54 in his most memorable T20I, against Britain last December, Forde might have contemplated whether he was because of pursue calfskin again when de Kock hit his most memorable ball for four. It was a strikingly coordinated shot, with no footwork by any stretch of the imagination, as de Kock struck Forde straight down the ground. Be that as it may, the youthful West Indian had the ideal riposte. His next conveyance was wide of off stump, de Kock forgot to move his feet once more and scratched behind. De Kock's excusal for 4 implied that he has just crossed multiple times in 30 innings, all in T20s, since his ODI retirement last November and has a top score of 12 from his last five excursions to the wrinkle. Another Hendricks 50 years Hendricks dubiously passed up a spot in South Africa's beginning XI at the 2022 T20 World Cup in spite of scoring four fifties in progression leading the pack up on the grounds that he was unable to dislodge skipper Temba Bavuma. However, there ought to be no great explanation for him not to begin the competition this time. His 87 was his tenth T20 50 years of 2024 and 49th in his vocation and was the champion thump in a frustrating South African batting execution. He was the main player to score more than 20. The features of his exhibition were the manner in which he coordinated the ball from the get-go and afterward flaunted his power hitting towards the end, though past the point where it is possible to take South Africa over the line.