Amla,de Villiers tons help SA thrash WI

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers both struck 102 to help South Africa brush aside West Indies by 66 runs.

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers both struck 102 to help South Africa brush aside West Indies by 66 runs in the first one-day international at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday.

Amla and de Villiers shared a third-wicket stand of 129 that set up a formidable total of 280-7 off 48 overs. Opener Amla anchored the innings with his second one-day ton,lashing eight fours off 109 deliveries. De Villiers plundered five fours and two sixes in compiling his seventh century at this level. He occupied 101 balls.

West Indies struggled in pursuit of their slightly adjusted Duckworth/Lewis target of 282 and were bowled out for 215 off 44.1 overs. Six of the top seven home batsmen got into double figures but captain Chris Gayles 45 from 39 balls was the top score.

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Admitting the teams batting had let him down,Gayle said,Its one of those things that we cant seem to catch a break with our batting,so we will have to go back to the drawing board, said Gayle. We are not going to give-up. We know that we are not playing good cricket now.

Morne Morkel claimed 3 for 40 while fellow seamers Dale Steyn (2-37) and Ryan McLaren (2-37) supported well. Off-spinner Johan Botha claimed 2-47.

Earlier,Amla and captain Graeme Smith gave South Africa a rousing start,adding 53 off 6.5 overs either side of a 36-minute rain delay that forced a reduction in overs. All-rounder Dwayne Bravo removed Smith for 18 and Jacques Kallis on 1 in successive overs as the visitors dipped to 57 for 2. Smith edged behind while Kallis slashed to third man.

Amla,who passed 1,000 one-day runs during his innings,collected his 50 off 54 balls and,with de Villiers,gradually tilted the balance back to South Africa.

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De Villiers reached his half century off 62 deliveries just before Amla passed three figures. Once Amla was bowled by Ravi Rampaul,de Villiers dominated the latter part of the innings.

Steyn rocked West Indies early with the wicket of the struggling Andre Fletcher,who edged to second slip at 4-1. Gayle survived two chances at 8 and 22 to forge a fightback with Dwayne Bravo (15),the pair putting on 40 for the second wicket. Bravo eventually fell to McLaren for 15 while Gayle miscued a pull at Morkel to leave the hosts struggling at 69 for 3.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (38) and Narsingh Deonarine (26) shared an innings-high stand of 61 but could not find the necessary acceleration. Botha dismissed Deonarine to a top-edged sweep and Morkel returned to capture Sarwan. Kieron Pollard offered a flicker of hope in a 37-ball 44 peppered with five fours and a six.

Brief scores: South Africa 280 for 7 in 48 overs (Hashim Amla 102,AB de Villiers 102; Dwayne Bravo 3/40,Jerome Taylor 2/62,Ravi Rampaul 2/46); West Indies 215 all out in 44.1 overs (Chris Gayle 45,Ramnaresh Sarwan 38,Kieron Pollard 44; Morne Morkel 3/40,Dale Steyn 2/37,Ryan McLaren 2/37,Johan Botha 2/47)