2007 Twenty20 World Championship: West Indies vs South Africa

September 11, 2007

In the opening match of the inaugural 2007 Twenty20 World Championship, hosts South Africa defeated the West Indies by eight wickets at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa.

West Indian batsman Chris Gayle scored the first ever century in a Twenty20 international, hitting 117 runs off 57 balls. Gayle and Devon Smith shared an opening partnership of 145 runs, which ended when Smith was caught behind for 35 runs in the fourteenth over off the bowling of Vernon Philander. Soon afterwards Marlon Samuels, having scored just six runs, was caught by Abraham de Villiers. Chris Gayle fell in the seventeenth over, caught behind off Johan van der Wath. West Indies finished their 20 overs on 205-6, with Shiv Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan falling cheaply late on.

South African captain Graeme Smith picked up a hand injury facing the first ball of the innings, but managed to score 28 runs before being caught by Chris Gayle in the sixth over, leaving the hosts on 88-2. Three overs later Abraham de Villiers was caught behind for sixteen runs. The West Indies made errors in the field, dropping catches and bowling 23 wides. Justin Kemp scored 46 runs off 22 balls and Herschelle Gibbs, despite needing a runner, scored 90 not out to win the match for South Africa with fourteen balls remaining.

Toss: South Africa won, and chose to field first.

Fall of wickets: 1-145 (DS Smith, 13.3 ov), 2-152 (Samuels, 14.2 ov), 3-178 (Gayle, 16.2 ov), 4-182 (DR Smith, 17.3 ov), 5-188 (Chanderpaul, 18.2 ov), 6-204 (Sarwan, 19.5 ov)

Did not bat: D B L Powell, R Rampaul, F H Edwards

Fall of wickets: 1-54 (Smith, 5.2 ov), 2-88 (de Villiers, 8.1 ov)

Did not bat: M V Boucher, S M Pollock, J A Morkel, J J van der Wath, V D Philander, M Ntini, M Morkel

South Africa: G C Smith (capt), H H Gibbs, A B de Villiers, M V Boucher (wkt), J M Kemp, S M Pollock, J A Morkel, J J van der Wath, V D Philander, M Ntini, M Morkel

West Indies: C H Gayle, D S Smith, S Chanderpaul, M N Samuels, R R Sarwan (capt), D J Bravo, D Ramdin (wkt), D R Smith, D B L Powell, R Rampaul, F H Edwards

Twenty20 International Debuts: M Morkel, V D Philander (South Africa), F H Edwards and R R Sarwan (West Indies) Man of the Match: C H Gayle (West Indies)

Umpires: M R Benson (England) and D J Harper (Australia) TV Umpire: N J Llong (England) Match Referee: B C Broad (England) Reserve Umpire: K H Hurter (South Africa)