South Africa bat against WIndies in tri-series opener

South Africa captain AB de Villiers won the toss and chose to bat against the West Indies in the first match of the day/night Tri-Nation One-Day International series at the Guyana National Stadium here Friday.

Jason Holder is leading a home side that has been inactive in ODI's since the three-match series last November, in which they were swept 3-0.

Hard-hitting all-rounder Kieron Pollard plays his first one-day for the regional side in 20 months, having been ignored by the selectors since the abandonment of the tour of India in October 2014.

Spinner Sunil Narine also returns to the team after another period of rehabilitation after his bowling action was deemed illegal during the Sri Lankan series.

South Africa are without experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Faf du Plessis, who is nursing a broken finger.

Quintock de Kock will assume duties behind the stumps apart from opening the batting alongside the prolific Hashim Amla, who scored 92 in the tourists lone warm-up fixture in Port of Spain five days earlier.

On a surface expected to assist the slow bowlers, South Africa have matched the West Indies tactics in opting for two specialist spinners as well, left-armer Aaron Phangiso and wrist-spinner Imran Tahir given the responsibility to exploit the surface.

Teams:

West Indies – Jason Holder (captain), Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite, Denesh Ramdin (wicketkeeper), Sulieman Benn, Sunil Narine, Jerome Taylor.

South Africa – AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Rilee Roussouw, JP Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada, Aaron Phangiso, Imran Tahir.

Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG), Joel Wilson (TRI)

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL).

Source :AFP