SA-A coach Wandile Gwavu happy with Caribbean tour start

They achieved the victory having batted first and posting a healthy 283, with both Sinethemba Qeshile and Jason Smith getting their half tons - they managed to restrict their hosts to 241 with more than five overs still to go. 

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Speaking to SABC Sport, Gwavu says it was important for his side to draw first blood in the series to settle the nerves in foreign conditions, and to learn the lay of the land in order to continue winning going into the second match tomorrow. 

"I think it was a really good game overall, we batted well to reach a good total, and our bowlers managed to defend that total. I also think we fielded quite well.

"If there were any nerves heading into this first game, this victory has squashed those nerves. Gaining experience of conditions in the West Indies was also really important for us," said the satisfied coach. 

He also reserved special praise for player of the match Mihlali Mpongwana, who returned figures of 3/37 at an economy rate of 3.70 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, and says he was the key to winning the match. Gwavu did, however, implore his batters to score more runs and sustain partnerships a bit longer.

At the same time, Gwavu says the other bowlers did exactly what he had asked of them when they came in. Tshepo Moreki and Bjorn Fortuin both claimed two scalps on the day, while Okuhle Cele and Tristan Luus also pitched in with a wicket apiece.

He says the main goal in their tour is to gather international experience for the players, and work towards readying them for Proteas selection. 

Cricket South Africa director of national teams and high performance Enoch Nkwe recently spoke of the importance of the SA-A teams in the success of the senior national team. 

"Most of these players have never played cricket in the Caribbean before, but this is proving to be great exposure and international experience for our players. Secondly, I don't think there's a better level to fine-tune your skills and still play competitive cricket."