LONDON:AB de Villiers’ 79 not out provided the platform for South Africa to crush Scotland by 130 runs in the Proteas’ opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 at the Oval today.

Scotland, chasing a target of 212 after South Africa made 211-5, slumped to 81 all out. De Villiers faced just 34 balls, striking six sixes and six fours. Scotland collapsed to 13-4 inside three overs and only Kyle Coetzer’s gutsy 42 off 32 balls, featuring three sixes, prevented an even greater margin of defeat.

Scotland could also take some consolation from the performance of off-spinner Majid Haq, who took two wickets in four balls to remove openers Jacques Kallis (48) and South Africa captain Graeme Smith (38), who put on 87. Coetzer did give Scotland fans something to cheer by pulling Steyn for six but the match had been over as a contest long before then. Scotland briefly staunched the flow of wickets before Neil McCallum was bowled by Johan Botha to leave his side 35-5.

When South Africa batted, Kallis dragged a sweep against Haq onto his stumps having faced 31 balls with eight fours. Three balls later Smith got a top-edge off Haq which the Scotland wicket-keeper Colin Smith caught. Scotland put a brake on run-rate and when Herschelle Gibbs was stumped by Smith off Watson, South Africa were 125-3 in the 15th over. But the Proteas scored 83 runs off the last five overs although the last over did see Coetzer take a brilliant catch, diving backwards, to get rid of Mark Boucher.