PROTEAS KLAP CANADA IN T20 WORLD CUP OPENER

THE Proteas got their T20 World Cup campaign in India and Sri Lanka off to a good start, by klapping minnows Canada by 58 runs in their Group D opener on Monday.

Asked to bat first in Ahmedabad, South Africa captain Aiden Markram led from the front with bat in hand, top-scoring for his team to help them to a groot 213/4.

Canada were always going to sukkel to get that score against a strong Proteas bowling lineup and could only get 156/8 as they found Lungi Ngidi (4/31) in a gevaarlike bui.

After being put in to bat, Markam and Quinton de Kock put on 70 runs for the first wicket in just 6.5 overs, before the latter was bowled by Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa for 25.

Ryan Rickelton then joined his skipper in the middle as they took the score to 126 before Markram was superbly caught by Dillon Heyliger off the bowling of Ansh Patel (3/31) as he finished on 59.

Markram needed just 32 balls to get to that total and klapped 10 fours and a six in his innings.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Patel was the successful bowler and he enjoyed a lekker spell, also removing Rickelton for a brisk 33 off 21 balls and Dewald Brevis for six.

David Miller hit an unbeaten 39 off 23 balls and Tristan Stubbs was not out on 34 off 19 as they finished the innings in the Group D encounter with an unbroken stand of 75 in 6.1 overs.

Only a few thousand locals had come out on Monday to watch Miller, and the Proteas take on Canada, but that would not have mattered to the veteran southpaw and his teammates.

With their batters in full swing, it was up to the Proteas bowlers to land the killer blow.

Ngidi answered the call and took a wicket with the first ball of Canada’s innings, with Bajwa caught behind by Quinton de Kock.

Navneet Dhaliwal (64) fought a lone battle for Canada, but they simply had no answers to the Proteas’ bowling attack.

SA next face Afghanistan on Wednesday.