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Aiden Markram's 86* Powers South Africa to Crushing T20I Win Over West Indies

South Africa ended an eight-match winless streak in T20Is outside of World Cups with a commanding nine-wicket victory over the West Indies in Paarl. Captain Aiden Markram starred with a career-best unbeaten 86, guiding the chase of 174 with 13 balls to spare. The West Indies, powered by Shimron Hetmyer's 48, posted 173/7, with George Linde's 3/25 proving crucial for the hosts. The win gives South Africa a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, marking their largest T20I win against the West Indies by wickets.

Key Points: South Africa Crush West Indies in 1st T20I as Markram Stars

  • Markram's career-best 86*
  • SA's first non-World Cup T20I win in 9 games
  • George Linde's 3/25 earns POTM
  • 93-run unbroken stand with Rickelton
2 min read

Aiden Markram shines as South Africa crush West Indies in T20I opener

Aiden Markram's career-best 86* leads South Africa to a dominant 9-wicket victory over West Indies in the T20I series opener in Paarl.

"It was a proper team performance with the ball, and then with the bat... - Aiden Markram"

Paarl, January 28

South Africa crushed the West Indies by nine wickets in the first T20I at Boland Park in Paarl on Tuesday.

South Africa ended their eight-match winless run in T20Is outside of World Cups with a commanding win over the West Indies to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Proteas skipper Aiden Markram, coming off a hundred in the recently concluded SA20, starred with a career-best unbeaten 86 to guide his side over the line.

The West Indies put up a solid fight, scoring 173/7 after being sent in to bat. Shimron Hetmyer (48) and Rovman Powell (29*) formed a crucial 74-run partnership, breathing life into the West Indies' innings. George Linde was the standout performer for South Africa, claiming 3 for 25 and earning the Player of the Match award.

In reply, South Africa cruised to a nine-wicket victory, chasing down the West Indies' total of 173-7 with 13 balls to spare. Markram led the charge with a career-best, unbeaten 86 off 47 balls, including nine boundaries and three sixes.

He was ably supported by Lhuan-dre Pretorius (44) and Ryan Rickelton (40*). Markram, along with Rickelton, formed an unbeaten 93-run partnership for the second wicket. This win gives South Africa a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

This also marked their largest T20I win against West Indies in terms of wickets.

"To be honest, the boys were very good in all departments, and it's nice to start a series on a note like that. It was a proper team performance with the ball, and then with the bat, it didn't need to be too much because the two guys who got in made it count on what turned out to be a very good wicket," Markram said after the match.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
West Indies' batting is still too inconsistent. They had a good partnership but lost wickets in clusters again. They need to find some stability before the T20 World Cup later this year.
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Aman W
As an Indian fan, watching these matches makes me excited for our upcoming series. Different conditions, but the quality of cricket is high. George Linde was brilliant with the ball!
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Sarah B
A dominant win. Chasing 173 with 9 wickets and 13 balls to spare is a statement. The Proteas' batting lineup looks deep with Pretorius and Rickelton contributing well.
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Karthik V
Respectfully, I think the article focuses too much on the batting. The real story was the bowling that restricted a powerful Windies lineup to 173 on what seems a good wicket. Linde's 3/25 was match-winning.
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Nikhil C
Good warm-up for the World Cup! Both teams have explosive players. Hope to see a more competitive match in the next game. West Indies need their big stars to fire.

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