De Villiers, Tahir destroy Windies

Imran Tahir's four-wicket haul on debut for South Africa sparked off the West Indies collapse in Delhi.

NEW DELHI:

Debutant leg-spinner Imran Tahir snared four wickets and AB de Villiers struck 107 not out as South Africa coasted to a seven-wicket win over the West Indies.

Tahir (four for 41) and off-spinner Johan Botha (two for 48) helped  South Africa bowl out the West Indies for 222 of 47.3 overs before de Villiers slammed his 10th One-Day International (ODI) hundred to seal the fate of their rivals in their opening match.

JP Duminy (42*) hit the winning run as South Africa reached the target with 43 balls to spare in their opening day-night Group B clash at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

De Villers put on 119 for the third wicket with his captain Graeme Smith (45) after the South Africans had been reduced to 20 for two following the dismissal of opener Hashim Amla (14) and Jacques Kallis (four) in the space of five runs.

Amla was caught by wicket-keeper Devon Thomas off fast-bowler Kemar Roach and Kallis offered a catch in the slips after misjudging a delivery from left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn.

De Villiers remained calm despite the setback, completing his half-century with a six off-spinner Chris Gayle.

Meanwhile, Tahir and Botha earlier justified the decision of Smith to field three specialist spinners on a ground which was hosting its first international in a year after being banned for a dangerous playing surface.

Bravo gets them back in the game

Darren Bravo led the West Indies fightback with an 82-ball 73 while his older half-brother Dwayne chipped in with a 37-ball 40 with three sixes and a four after the Caribbean side were put in to bat.

Bravo also shared 111 runs for the second wicket with opener Devon Smith after Gayle was dismissed by Botha off the third ball of the innings.

Botha struck again in the 24th over, just when Bravo and Devon Smith were threatening to put up a huge partnership for West Indies.

Tahir, 31, picked up his first wicket in ODIs in his third over when he caught Devon Smith (36) off his own bowling and celebrated it by kissing the South African badge on his shirt.

The Pakistan-born bowler picked up another wicket in his next over when he had veteran Ramnaresh Sarwan (two) trapped leg-before.

Warning bells for Tahir

Tahir, who was warned twice for straying on the pitch, was unlucky not to collect a third wicket just three balls later, grassing a return catch off Dwayne Bravo despite a spirited attempt.

He was not to be denied for long though, removing Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Devon Thomas with his guile and precision before Dale Steyn (three for 24) cleaned up the tail.

Bravo to undergo scan

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will undergo a scan today after falling and hurting his left knee while bowling in the match against South Africa.

Bravo, 27, who scored a quickfire 40 in the West Indies total of 222, fell clutching his left knee on his follow-through after bowling just 2.1 overs and was helped from the field. Kieron Pollard completed the over.

Publsihed in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2011.