David Warner blasted a 43-ball 89 on debut as Australia thumped South Africa by 52 runs in the Twenty20 cricket match in Melbourne on Sunday.
Warner, who would make his Indian Premier League debut for the Delhi Daredevils this year, powered Australia to 182 for nine wickets after Ricky Ponting opted to bat first.
In reply, South Africa were all out for 130 in 18 overs, despite JP Duminy's brilliant 48-ball 78.
Warner, having already made history by becoming the first Australian to make his international debut without any first class experience since 1877, was adjudged man of the match for his 43-ball batting pyrotechnics that included seven fours and six sixes.
Duminy almost matched him, hitting nine fours and a six which came when he scooped a Shaun Tait half-volley over the wicketkeeper's head.
Warner and Shaun Marsh (9) gave Australia a rollicking start and even though the latter fell early, Warner was unstoppable.
The 22-year-old needed just 19 balls to race to his fifty and the first two balls he received from Dale Steyn, Australia's nemesis in the Test series, flew over fine-leg and midwicket for two massive sixes.
Warner's half-century turned out to be the second fastest fifty, following Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball effort in the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.
Warne eventually fell to Makhaya Ntini, whom he had hit for a couple of sixes, but Australia had cruised to 140 inside 14 overs by then.
Ricky Ponting (21) was the second highest scorer for Australia in the match.
Steyn picked three wickets but his four overs cost him 38 runs.
South Africa's chase got off to a nightmarish start with Herschelle Gibbs (0), AB de Villiers (0) and Jacques Kallis (4) returning to the pavilion inside three overs with the score reading a mere 12.
Duminy added 53 runs with Vaughan van Jaarsveld (12) but the latter perished to James Hopes in the ninth over which triggered another batting collapse.
Apart from James Morkel (12), no other South African batsmen could reach double figures and Duminy was left to wage a lone battle.
Whatever faint chance South Africa had withered in the 16th over when David Hussey trapped Duminy plumb in front.
It was a disciplined show by the Australian bowlers with Hussey finishing with three wickets against his name while Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait and Ben Hilfenhaus got two each.
Both the teams now move to Brisbane for the second Twenty20 tie on Tuesday.
