Little-known McLaren undermines West Indies with fiver

ST JOHN'S, Antigua (AP):

All-rounder Ryan McLaren took 5-19 yesterday to spur South Africa to a 13-run victory over West Indies in the opening Twenty20 international at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

West Indies, chasing South Africa's modest 136-7 off 20 overs, were undone by the 27-year-old McLaren and slumped to 123 all out of 19.5 overs.

Jacques Kallis' 53 off 45 deliveries was the backbone of the Proteas' challenging total on a two-paced pitch.

Captain Graeme Smith contributed a crucial 37 off 31 balls and shared a fine second-wicket stand of 73.

The home team's chase was quickly undermined by McLaren, who removed both openers Chris Gayle and Andre Fletcher.

Another slump

Fletcher edged to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers while Gayle, after hitting two fours, swatted a pull to long on at 28-2.

Dwayne Bravo (20) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (13) added 20 for the third wicket before another slump.

Off-spinner Johan Botha (2-19) dismissed Bravo to a catch in the deep and added the scalp of Narsingh Deonarine, stumped off a leg-side wide.

It was 52-5 when Sarwan chipped Roelof van der Merwe off the leading edge to extra cover.

Kieron Pollard (27 off 17 balls) threatened briefly to take the game away from the South Africans, but once McLaren returned to rock his leg stump with a yorker, the victory was assured.

McLaren added the wickets of Darren Sammy and Sulieman Benn to become only the fourth bowler to take five wickets in a Twenty20 international.

Earlier, the 34-year-old Kallis struck three sixes and one four in his innings-moulding knock.

The West Indies struck early after Chris Gayle won the toss and inserted the Proteas.

Loots Bosman was caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Andre Fletcher off Jerome Taylor, although umpire Clyde Duncan was in the process of signalling wide when the batsman walked.

Smith and Kallis anchored the innings after that before a late collapse.

Pollard took 2-22, while pace ace Kemar Roach grabbed 2-25 for the West Indies.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa Innings

Graeme Smith st Fletcher b Miller 37Loots Bosman c wk Fletcher b Taylor 7Jacques Kallis c Sarwan b Pollard 53A.B. de Villiers c Taylor b Pollard 11J.P. Duminy b Roach 0Johan Botha c wk Fletcher b Roach 0Alviro Petersen run out (Fletcher) 6Ryan McLaren not out 6Roelof van der Merwe not out 4Extras: (3lb, 4w, 5nb) 12TOTAL: (for 7 wickets) 136

Overs: 20.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-88, 3-111, 4-115, 5-115, 6-122, 7-127.

Did not bat: Dale Steyn, Charl Langeveldt.

Bowling: Kemar Roach 4-0-25-2 (1w, 5nb), Jerome Taylor 3-0-16-1, Sulieman Benn 3-0-20-0, Darren Sammy 2-0-11-0, Dwayne Bravo 1-0-14-0 (1w), Chris Gayle 1-0-12-0, Nikita Miller 2-0-13-1, Kieron Pollard 4-0-22-2 (2w).

West Indies

Chris Gayle c Smith b McLaren 14Andre Fletcher c wk de Villiers b McLaren 0Dwayne Bravo c sub (Amla) b Botha 20

Ramnaresh Sarwan c Petersen b van der Merwe 13Narsingh Deonarine st de Villiers bBotha 0

Kieron Pollard b McLaren 27Darren Sammy st de Villiers b McLaren 17Nikita Miller c wk de Villiers b Langeveldt 5Jerome Taylor run out (de Villiers/Steyn) 7Sulieman Benn c sub (Amla) b McLaren 4Kemar Roach not out 3Extras: (1lb, 11w, 1nb) 13TOTAL: (all out) 123

Overs: 19.5.

Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-28, 3-48, 4-50, 5-52, 6-88, 7-99, 8-111, 9-120, 10-123.

Bowling: Roelof van der Merwe 3-0-17-1 (1w), Dale Steyn 4-0-23-0 (7w), Ryan McLaren 3.5-0-19-5 (1w), Charl Langeveldt 3-0-31-1, Jacques Kallis 2-0-13-0, Johan Botha 4-0-19-2 (1w).

Result: South Africa won by 13 runs.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: Clyde Duncan, Guyana, and Norman Malcolm, Jamaica.

Third umpire: Clancy Mack, Antigua. Match referee: Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lanka.