1ST ODI: WI vs SA Statistical Highlights

West Indies won the toss and inserted the opposition in this game providing the 186th occasion of West Indies doing so in ODIs. West Indies lost this game after inserting the opposition providing the 78th occasion of West Indies losing a game after it has inserted the opposition. West Indies has lost nine games after inserting South Africa which includes this game.

HM Amla and AB de Villiers scored 102 runs each in this game providing the 1062 and 1063rd occasion of a batsman scoring a century in one day games. Their hundreds provide the 92nd and 93rd occasion of South African batsman scoring hundreds in one day games.

With HM Amla and AB de Villiers scoring hundreds in this game the number of hundreds scored by South African batsmen against West Indies stood at 14.

HM Amla's 102 and AB de Villiers's 102 in this game provides the 84th occasion of two batsmen scoring hundreds in the same innings in one day games. Their feat in this game represents the sixth occasion of South African batsmen performing such a feat in one day games. The six occasions are - DJ Cullinan (124) and JN Rhodes (121) vs Pakistan at Nairobi (Gym) on 29.09.96, G Kirsten (115) and HH. Gibbs (111) vs India at Kochi on 09.03.00, G Kirsten (124) and ND McKenzie (131*) vs Kenya at Cape Town on 22.10.01, HH Gibbs (102) and AB de Villiers (103*) vs Pakistan at Lahore on 18.10.07, JH Kallis (104*) and AB de Villiers (102*) vs India at Ahmedabad on 27.02.10 and HM Amla (102) and AB de Villiers (102) vs West Indies at North Sound on 22.05.10.

It is interesting to note that there are only two occasions of two batsmen scoring hundreds in an innings against West Indies in one day games. Apart from the South African batsmen's feat in this game, England batsman - AJ Strauss (100) and A Flintoff (123) had made hundreds at Lord's on 06.07.04.

HM Amla's 102 represents his second one day hundred and AB de Villiers's 102 represents his eighth one day hundred.

South Africa thrash Windies by 66 runs in ODI

ORTH SOUND, Antigua (Reuters) - South Africa eased to a 66-run victory over West Indies thanks to centuries by Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers and some aggressive bowling in the first one-day international on Saturday.

West Indies' batsmen wilted to 215 all out from 44.1 overs as they chased the tourists' total of 280-7 from 48 overs which was powered by Amla and de Villiers who both scored 102.

Amla registered his second career ODI century while de Villiers struck his third ODI ton on the trot as they put on 129 for the third wicket to lay the foundation for a big total.

Amla struck eight fours at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds from 109 deliveries while de Villiers hit five fours and two sixes off 101 balls.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo bowled with control to finish with figures of three for 40 from 10 overs.

In the run chase Chris Gayle top scored for the hosts with 45 from 39 balls including eight powerful fours while Kieron Pollard blasted 44 from 37 deliveries with five fours and a six.

Their efforts were not nearly adequate enough to threaten South Africa's total as lanky pacer Morne Morkel captured three for 40 from eight overs. He was supported by Dale Steyn and Ryan McLaren (both two for 37) and Johan Botha (two for 47).

The second game in the five-match series will take place on Monday at the same venue before the teams move to Dominica for a double header and Jamaica for the final game.

Pollard, South Africa fined

Antigua: Explosive West Indies batsman Kieron Pollard was today fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching ICC Code of Conduct during his team's second Twenty20 International match against South Africa here.

South Africa were also fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during their 13-run victory yesterday.

Pollard was charged with a Level 1 offence under article 2.1.8 of the code which relates to conduct contrary to the spirit of cricket.

The incident took place in the 18th over of the West Indies innings when Pollard ran towards the non-striker's end in such a way that he impeded the bowler's path to the ball. The charge was laid by on-field umpires Norman Malcolm and Clyde Duncan as well as third umpire Goaland Greeves.

The player pleaded guilty to the charge and accepted the proposed sanction offered to him by Match Referee Roshan Mahanama.

"A competitive attitude is to be promoted and cherished on the cricket field but players must also remember at all times to play within the spirit of the game," Mahanama said in an ICC statement.

"On this occasion Kieron has overstepped the mark and I have fined him 25 per cent of his match fee, a penalty that he has accepted," the statement added. Graeme Smith's side was ruled to be one over short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration.

In accordance with ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount. As such, Smith has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee while his players receive 10-per-cent fines.

"Smith was guilty of a similar offence in T20Is during the ICC World Twenty20 2010 and, under the terms of the ICC Code of Conduct, if he is guilty of three in total in this format of the game over a 12-month period, he will automatically receive a one-match suspension," the ICC statement said.

Proteas aim high again against embattled hosts

NORTH SOUND: South Africa will hope the one-way traffic continues when they face a beleaguered West Indies on Saturday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in the first of their five One-day Internationals.
The Proteas' confidence had taken a beating during the recent ICC World Twenty20 staged in the Caribbean, where they exited with a whimper at the Super Eight stage, but this has been restored thanks to a pair of T20 victories over West Indies on Wednesday and Thursday.
Graeme Smith's side swept the two T20s with a 13-run victory in the first match, and a tense one-run win in the second, and they are anxious for more success.
"This ODI series is very important for us, and as we showed during the two T20s, we wanted to win, and play with our usual intensity," said Smith.
"We want to get back on the road to success again, and we have a lot of work to do, following a poor campaign in the T20 World Cup, so this is an important tour for us.
"We have a long break following this tour, and so we want to leave everything out on the field here in the Caribbean."
For West Indies, the problems have reached terminal decline, and their captain Chris Gayle felt powerless in trying to halt the slide. He has taken aim at his fellow batsmen, and questioned their mindset.
"I do not know if they are too worried about the position of the match, or their place in the team too much, or something else, but they have to free-up," he said.
"They have to go out there with a free mind, and play some good cricket."
He dismissed experience as a problem, and indicated that his teammates had to start taking responsibility for their performances.
"It's up to the individual," he said. "They have to look into themselves, and try to redeem themselves as much as possible. I cannot do it for them. I have a lot to think about as well, so it's up to them."
South Africa will be a little hamstrung with injuries to Jacques Kallis and Charl Langeveldt, but the two T20s have shown they have more than capable reserves.
Left-hander David Miller made his international debut in the second T20I, and his top score of 33 from 26 balls helped them to reach a respectable total.
"It was great for us to see a guy come into the side, and play so well under pressure," said Smith about the 20-year-old Dolphins batsman.
"It was a breath of fresh air to see him walk to the crease, and hit his sixth ball for six, and play his natural game. It's a credit to him, and he's still got a long way to go."
It's unlikely West Indies will change their squad for the first ODI because of time constraints, but the selection panel of chairman Clyde Butts, Robert Haynes and Raphick Jumadeen now face a difficult task to find a winning combination.
"It's something the selectors will have to discuss seriously, and all I can do is to wait and see what happens," said Gayle.
"These are the best guys we have in the West Indies, so if they cannot do it, we will have to take the alternative route, but we will have to wait and see what the selectors come up with and what happens later."
South Africa have won the last six ODIs between the two sides, including a 67-run triumph at the Queen's Park Stadium in Grenada during the 2007 World Cup, which was staged in the Caribbean.
West Indies' previous ODI victory over the Proteas was their six-wicket win in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy four years ago at Jaipur in India.
Scattered showers are again forecast, but this time the pitch at the VRCG will hold the centre of attraction.
During the two T20Is, it played unevenly, and so the two sides will hope that head curator Tony Merrick, the former Leeward Islands, Kent, and Warwickshire fast bowler, can roll out a far more accommodating surface.
Squads: West Indies (Still to be officially confirmed): Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice capt), Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor
South Africa (from): Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis (vice capt), Hashim Amla, Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, Abraham de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Alviro Pietersen, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe.

McLaren's five star performance downs West Indies

NORTH SOUND: A career-best spell from Ryan McLaren bowled South Africa to a 13-run victory in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals against West Indies on Wednesday.

McLaren captured five wickets for 19 runs from 3.5 overs to earn the Man-of-the-Match award, as West Indies, chasing 137 for victory from their 20 overs, were dismissed for 123 with one ball to spare at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

The 27-year-old McLaren finished with the second-best figures in a Twenty20 international behind Pakistan's Umar Gul, who collected five for six from three overs against New Zealand at The Oval in London in last year's ICC World Twenty20.

Both the West Indies and South Africa came into Wednesday's match having failed to make it through to the knockout stages of this year's ICC World Twenty20, which England won in Barbados on Sunday.

"It's a good way to start off the tour having practised indoors and not outdoors for the last few weeks," said McLaren.

"But it's only the first day, and there's plenty more cricket to come, so hopefully, I can better this performance.

"We all know the nature of T20 cricket - the bowler is always up against it. You can take five wickets one day, and the next day, take a thumping, but I enjoyed it."

South Africa captain Graeme Smith added: "It was not an easy day for the batters, and you had to graft pretty hard.

"Playing shots was not easy, and there was a strong wind, so there were a lot of things you had to take into consideration.

"It was obviously nice to start with a win. This was the most important thing for us.

"We have worked really hard over the last few days here in Antigua, had a few discussions, the energy has been good around the team, and a lot of new faces have come in.

"We want to have a good tour of the Caribbean, so success in this match was very important to getting us off on the right foot."

Earlier, veteran South African batsman Jacques Kallis had struck one four and three sixes in 53 from 45 balls, as South Africa laboured to 136 for seven from their 20 overs, after deciding to bat on an uneven pitch.

He added 73 for the second wicket with Smith, whose 37 from 31 balls included three fours and one six.

Once they were separated, South Africa's batting collapsed, and they lost their last five wickets for 16 runs from 26 balls.

McLaren then became only the fourth bowler to collect five wickets in a T20 match, when he ripped out Andre Fletcher caught behind by stand-in keeper AB de Villiers for a duck, and had the dangerous West Indies captain Chris Gayle caught at long-on for 14 to leave the hosts on 28 for two in the sixth over.

Johan Botha snuffed out a West Indies revivial, when he had Dwayne Bravo caught at long-on for 20 in the 10th over, and Narsingh Deonarine stumped by de Villiers for a duck two balls later.

When Roelof van der Merwe had Ramnaresh Sarwan caught at cover off the leading edge in the 11th over, West Indies still needed 85 from 56 balls, and there was little or no substance nor stability from the rest of the batting.

"It was a disappointing start for us," said Gayle. "We wanted to put our dismal performance in the T20 World Cup behind us, but this was not the best way to do it, and was not the best start to the series.

"We still have a match on Thursday, so we have to pick ourselves up. This is no time for pointing fingers.

"We have a lot of corrections to make out there, and we have to return to the drawing board to try and get the best out of the players."