Nicholas Pooran of West Indies hits 6 during the 1st T20i match between West Indies and South Africa at Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium in Tarouba, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Nicholas Pooran smashed an unbeaten 65 from 26 balls to ease West Indies to a seven-wicket Twenty20 International win over South Africa in Trinidad on Friday as the home side took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

After being sent in to bat, South Africa, without several of their regular players who have been rested, posted 174-7 in their 20 overs.

But it never looked enough as the West Indies’ top three batters crashed the ball to all parts of the ground at the Brian Lara Stadium and reached their target with 13 balls to spare.

The destructive Pooran launched seven sixes to go with two fours as he finished off the innings in style.

But the platform was laid by a 84-run opening stand between Alick Athanaze (40 from 30 balls) and Shai Hope (51 from 36 balls) before both were dismissed by South African seamer Ottneil Baartman (2-30).

South Africa handed a debut to fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, who at the age of 18 years and 137 days is the youngest to play in a T20 International for his country.

He grabbed his first wicket when he dismissed West Indies captain Rovman Powell (7), caught at cover.

The tourists slumped to 42-5 in their innings before a 71-run sixth wicket partnership between Tristan Stubbs (76 from 42 balls) and Patrick Kruger (44 from 32 balls) took them to a respectable total.

Seamer Matthew Forde was the pick of the home bowlers with 3-27, while Shamar Joseph returned figures of 2-40.

The second match in the series will be at the same venue on Sunday.

South Africa team pose with the trophy after winning on Day 3 of the 2nd Test match between West Indies and South Africa at Guyana National Stadium in Providence, Guyana.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Keshav Maharaj took three wickets to lead South Africa to a 40-run win over West Indies in the second test in Georgetown on Saturday and become his country’s most successful spin bowler.

South Africa completed victory inside three days after bowling West Indies out for 222, having set them a target of 263 to win the match.

The rain-affected first game in Trinidad was drawn but the second test victory means South Africa have won 10 successive series against the Windies.

Maharaj, named man of the series, finished with 3-37, going past Hugh Tayfield’s tally of 170 test wickets to set a new standard for South African spin bowling.

Fast bowler Kagiso Rababa, who also took three wickets, is now on 299 test victims.

It was a close call for the touring side in a low scoring match as the Windies fell agonisingly short.

They begun their chase with more than two days to play, but lost opener Mikyle Louis cheaply for four as he nicked a catch to Wiaan Mulder at slip off Rabada.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was the next man out but not before adding 42 runs with Keacy Carty for the second wicket.

When the experienced Jason Holder fell without scoring to leave west Indies on 104-6, it looked an uphill task for the home team.

Joshua da Silva and Gudakesh Motie, however, shared the best Windies partnership of the series, adding 77 runs to reduce the target to 82, before Motie was lbw to Maharaj for a test-best 45.

Maharaj trapped Da Silva lbw for 27 and a brilliant one- handed diving catch from skipper Temba Bavuma sent back Shamar Joseph before Maharaj had Jayden Seales was caught by close-in fielder David Bedingham.

South Africa had resumed in the moring on 223-5 with a 239-run lead but the 22-year-old Seales ran through the tail to return test best figures of 6-61 as the last five wickets fell for 22 runs.