West Indies maul Afghanistan by 6 wickets in 1st T20I

Basseterre, St. Kitts: Marlon Samuels top-scored with 35 and opener Evin Lewis added 26 as the West Indies beat Afghanistan by six wickets Friday in the first of three Twenty20 matches at Warner Park.

Sunil Narine took three wickets for 11 runs for the hosts and was named man of the match. Opener Chadwick Walton added 22 runs.

The West Indies notched 50 runs in the first 5.2 overs and clinched the match in the 17th over.

Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai won the toss and decided to bat in the war-torn country's first Twenty20 match in the West Indies.

"We played some poor shots," he said. "If we made 40 to 45 more (runs), it would have been good."

Shapoor Zadran led the Afghanistan bowlers with 2-30 in 3.3 overs.

The home side was without all-rounder Kieron Pollard, who was ill and unavailable for selection.

Afghanistan will play two more Twenty20 matches against the West Indies on Saturday and Monday, both also at Warner Park in St. Kitts and Nevis, followed by three one-day internationals in St. Lucia.