The West Indies won the first ODI on the DLS method by 4 wickets after a powerful display with the ball to hold South Africa down.
The West Indians went in to field first and kept the Proteas to 232/9 in 50 overs. Qiana Joseph stole the show for the Islanders with her player of the match performance, putting 60[58] in a superb opening partnership with Hayley Matthew’s to keep the Proteas on the back foot.
The start of the Proteas innings, however, the Three Ws Oval in Barbados looked positive until they started losing a flurry of wickets.
Captain Lura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Britz put up 50 run partnership in the 11th over, with Brits the attacker of the two. Wolvaardt played a captains innings, holding down the fort at the other end.
The Windies struggled to find a lethal line capable of cutting through the top order. Wolvaardt got run out in the 16th for 27 runs.
The Windies put the Proteas on the back foot with three quick wickets after that. Clamping them down to 106/4 at the midway point.Britz fell for 57 runs.
Annerie Dercksen, who usually plays a tail-ender role was brought up the order and was unlucky, getting out for 4 runs.
Sinalo Jaftha and Sunè Luus were in at the middle, carrying the team through to the tail end and put runs back on board.
Jafta lost her wicket for 20 runs with Hayley Matthew’s delivery, putting the Proteas in a tight spot, reaching 145/5.
Big hitting tail ender Chloe Tryon could not withstand the windies onslaught and fell for 9 runs.
Proteas were 198/7 after 45 overs and barely looked like they were holding on by the end of their innings.De klerk and Khaka put up a last stand and clubber the WI bowlers to bring up a 50 run partnership in the 48th over.
The pair pushed the Proteas over the 200 mark and gave them a decent fighting chance. Finished on 232/9.
West indies batting Windies openers got off to good start, reaching 70 for no loss after 10 overs, as Matthews and Jospeh went steady with the new ball.
A flow of boundaries in the first ten brought up the 50 run partnership in the 8th over. Matthews lost her wicket for 40 runs by Ayanda Hlubi.
Hlubi stopped partnership and gave the Proteas the breakthrough they’ve been looking for.
Hlubi made the final breakthrough for her team, removing the big wicket of Qiana Joseph for 60 runs but it was a little too late.
The West Indian innings had been reduced to 34 overs but the ladies only managed to complete 32. By then, they had put themselves ahead of the Proteas and win the first match of a 3-match ODI series.
