Sawt Falasteen - Stand-in skipper King leads West Indies to 175-8 against South Africa

Opener King, deputising for skipper Rovman Powell who has been away on IPL duty, made his runs off 45 balls with six sixes and six boundaries.

Playing on his home Sabina Park ground, 29-year-old King registered his 10th international half-century.

He shared a 79-run partnership for the second wicket with Kyle Mayers who hit 34 from 25 balls with three sixes and one four.

Together, they took the West Indies, two-time world champions in the game's shortest format, to 109-1 after 10 overs.

However, South African all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo then applied the brakes with his medium pace, dismissing King before sending back Andre Fletcher and Fabian Allen in the space of four balls in the 15th over.

Phehlukwayo finished with impressive figures of 3-28 from his four overs.

Fast bowler Ottniel Baartman also shone on his debut with 3-26, dismissing opener Johnson Charles (one), Akeal Hosein (two) and Matthew Forde (five).

Roston Chase was the only other batsman to reach double figures with his undefeated 32 occupying 30 deliveries.

The second and third games are also being played in Kingston on Saturday and Sunday ahead of the T20 World Cup hosted by the West Indies and the United States which starts on June 1.

M.AbuKhalil--SF-PST