South Africa's convincing performance with the bat didn't hide their off-colour day in the field during a seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Friday's first Twenty20 International in Bloemfontein.

Man of the Match Graeme Smith's belligerence in cranking his way to 58 runs from 29 balls and Loots Bosman's six-riddled savagery across a whirlwind 90-run opening stand paved the way for David Miller (36 not out) and JP Duminy (35 not out) to complete the job of chasing a testing 169-run target successfully.

Unperturbed by the departures of Bosman, Smith and Colin Ingram (three) in quick succession, the left-handed duo eventually pipped their pursuit with 25 balls to spare. But seen vociferously chatting tactics on the sidelines, new Twenty captain Johan Botha, predecessor Smith and coach Corrie van Zyl will be far from happy with the nature of the win.

Earlier, the hosts put in a quite shoddy day in the field as a dropped catch, numerous missed run-outs and a string of ground fielding errors afforded Hamilton Masakadza and Justice Chibhabha to cash in with half-centuries.

While Chibhabha enjoyed fortune on 10 and 14 thanks to Miller and Wayne Parnell's catching ineptitude at midwicket and short thirdman respectively. Masakadza rode his luck with quick singles as the outfielders' failed time and time again with attempted direct-hits.

Hardly helped by Morne Morkel's departure from the oval in the wake of an ankle injury and stopgap bowler Duminy's subsequent expense, the Proteas seemed all too rusty in their approach and need a long, hard look at their motivation if they hope not to end on the wrong side of the result across the second Twenty20 International and three ODIs.

Having chased leather for the bulk of the first dozen overs, the home side enjoyed eventual success when Wayne Parnell added to his initial removal of Brendan Taylor for a duck with the scalp of Chibhabha for 52 (32 balls). The half-centurion's dismissal took a good catch from Botha at square-leg, who was one of a few Proteas fielders to walk away with a clean sheet on the day.

Debutant Ingram managed to follow Botha's example when he ran out Masakadza for 72 (53 balls) from down the ground before Charles Coventry (12 not out) and Keith Dabengwa (12 not out) pounded a few last-gasp boundaries to get Zimbabwe to an impressive 168 for four.

Whereas Parnell's consistency in pace and line after a long injury lay-off was as good as it got in terms of positives drawn from their bowling effort, Morkel's injury and an indifferent display from the rest of the attack hardly sees South Africa's international summer off to an authoritative start.

Shot of the Day
Amdist all the sixes on Friday, Miller's powerful four through midwicket on the back of a Graeme Cremer long-hop took the cake. The placement, timing and ferocity of the stroke surely dented the advertising hoarding beyond the ropes.

Delivery of the Day
Approaching from over the wicket, southpaw Parnell produced a pearler of a slower ball to flummox Taylor, who had no answer off the back foot and duly departed lbw as plumb as they come.

Defining Moment of the Day
Miller's spill of Chibhabha in the eighth over of the day set a shoddy precedent for the Proteas, who surely would have done entirely better had the butter-fingered fielder started them off on a better foot rather than opening the floodgates to more fumbles.

Jonhenry Wilson