Power-packed Rovman Powell drives Windies to win in rain-affected first T20

At SuperSport Park, Centurion

Aiden Markram's T20 captaincy started on a soggy and losing note when the Proteas lost the first T20 against the West Indies by three wickets in Centurion on Saturday.

RECAP | Proteas v West Indies - 1st T20

He was out-gunned and out-lucked by his Windies captain Rovman Powell, who won a crucial toss and followed up with a critical 42* off 17 balls to ensure South Africa's 131/8 was matched by 132/7.

Overnight rain that continued through the morning and afternoon saw the toss delayed by two hours and 15 minutes, with the game starting at 16:00 and cut to 11 overs a side. 

This rain-shortened game played into the Windies' hands and good fortune smiled on Powell when he won the toss and chose to field first.

Having kept SA to a manageable score, all that was needed was bursts of scoring from the batters to ensure they got home safely.

The opening stand between Kyle Mayers (6) and Brandon King  (23) lasted five balls, but had 17 runs scored before Mayers was caught by Quinton de Kock off a leading edge from a Bjorn Fortuin delivery (1/42).

King and Johnson Charles (28) also shared a 17-run stand scored off three balls more before the former somehow allowed a Sisanda Magala full toss to flick his bails.

Where SA experienced the most fear was during the 32-run third-wicket stand between Nicholas Pooran (16) and Charles that came off 13 balls.

The Windies had a combination of a proven T20 batter and a bonafide hitter, but their dangerous stand ended with the score on 66 when Pooran edged an Anrich Nortje (1/17) delivery through to De Kock.

Charles, being the chancer that he is, hit out one too many times and was smartly caught at long-on by Nortje off Tabraiz Shamsi (1/27), who had to throw the ball