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Chris Gayle scored the first century in Twenty20 international cricket but it was not enough to give the West Indies [Images] victory as South Africa won the opening match of the Twenty20 World Cup by eight wickets on Tuesday.

Gayle slammed 117 off just 57 balls, with a record 10 sixes, as the West Indies posted a challenging 205 for six after being sent in to bat in the Group A match.

But Herschelle Gibbs [Images] put on 54 off 37 balls with captain Graeme Smith [Images] (28) for the first wicket before he and Justin Kemp guided South Africa to a comfortable victory with 14 balls to spare.

Gibbs batted with a runner but it had no effect on his dazzling strokeplay as he blazed 90 not out off 55 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes, as he and Kemp added 120 in 9.2 overs.

Earlier, the 27-year-old Gayle opened the innings and hammered a creaking South African attack.

South Africa went wicketless until the 14th over as Gayle and Devon Smith put on an opening stand of 145 off 86 balls, the highest in Twenty20 history -- beating the unbroken 132 made by South Africa's Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman against Pakistan in Johannesburg earlier this year.

Smith was caught behind off a cramped slash off Vernon Philander for 35 that included just three boundaries.

The left-handed Gayle preferred the aerial route, hitting seven fours, and his 10 sixes doubled the record of five shared by Australians Ricky Ponting [Images], Damian Martyn and Adam Gilchrist [Images].

Gayle was eventually dismissed in the 17th over when an attempted hook off Johan van der Wath went straight up in the air, gifting wicketkeeper Mark Boucher [Images] with a simple catch.

South Africa's bowlers came back well to limit the West Indies to 38 runs in the last five overs with Van der Wath taking two for 33 and Morne Morkel one for 30 in their four-over spells.