Easy win for Proteas

Dale Steyn ended a short but brutal rampage by Chris Gayle to open the way for South Africa to beat the West Indies in a rain-affected first one-day international at Kingsmead on Friday.

The hosts won by 61

runs according to the Duckworth/Lewis method when the tourists were bowled out for 164. South Africa made 279 for eight before their innings was cut short by rain after 48.2 overs.

Chasing a reduced target, which eventually became 225 runs off 32 overs after another brief interruption, Gayle led the West Indies to a storming start as he and Dwayne Smith put on 51 for the first wicket inside the first six overs.

Gayle, who played match-winning innings in both Twenty20 internationals he played in ahead of the one-day series, swung at almost everything as he made 41 off 24 balls, with two sixes and five fours.

He hit two fours in Steyn's first over -- one a top edge over wicketkeeper AB de Villiers -- but swung once too often and edged a catch to De Villiers.