NEW DELHI – Imran Tahir’s clever leg-spin and A.B. de Villiers’ tenth One-Day International (ODI) hundred condemned the West Indies to a seven-wicket defeat in their World Cup opener against South Africa yesterday.
Darren Bravo led the way in the batting with 73, but Tahir snared four wickets for 41 runs from 10 overs, as West Indies were dismissed for 222 in 47.3 overs, after they were sent in to bat in their Group B match at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.
The Caribbean side claimed opener Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis cheaply before de Villiers smote eight fours and two sixes in an undefeated 107 from 105 balls, and shared in two significant alliances to help the Proteas home with 43 balls to spare.
“I think we had an opportunity where we could have posted much more runs,” said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
“It so happened that all of the batsmen in our side that got starts failed to carry on like [de Villiers] for South Africa.“Every time it appeared we were getting back into the game, we lost wickets in clusters, so we really have to correct this,” he added.
“There were still a few positives in the batting. Darren Bravo batted quite well for us, and so we will go back and look at the drawing board, and come better against the Netherlands.”
To add injury to insult, West Indies were hamstrung by the loss of vice-captain and leading all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, when he injured himself while bowling, and could only complete 2.1 overs of his allotment.
Kemar Roach gave West Indies a bright start in their defence of the modest total, when Amla got an inside edge, and was caught behind brilliantly left-handed down the leg side by wicketkeeper Devon Thomas in the fourth over.
Sulieman Benn gave West Indies further hope, when Jacques Kallis edged a loose drive, and was caught at slip for four next over to leave South Africa 20 for two.
But the West Indies did not get another chance to celebrate a wicket until the 29th over, when Kieron Pollard bowled South Africa captain Graeme Smith for 45, following a second-wicket stand of 119 with de Villiers.
By then, West Indies’ fate was all but sealed.
A full delivery outside off-stump from Benn was square-driven by de Villiers for a single to take the Proteas wicketkeeper/batsman to his milestone from 97 balls.
de Villiers also claimed a piece of World Cup history, as it was the fastest hundred by a South African in the competition.
He added 84 unbroken for the fourth wicket with Duminy (42), whose drive to deep extra cover for a single off Devon Smith, bowling his occasional off-spin, formalised the result.
Earlier, Darren Bravo struck eight fours and one six from 82 balls to give West Indies early momentum. His elder brother Dwayne supported with 40, Smith made 36, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul gathered 31.
The demolition of the West Indies batting was completed by Dale Steyn with three for 24 from 7.3 overs, and off-spinner Johan Botha with two for 48 from nine overs.
West Indies were set back from the third delivery of the match, when Chris Gayle drove loosely at a flighted delivery from Botha and was caught at slip for two.
But the younger Bravo joined Smith and gave West Indies a solid base with a stand of 111 from 136 balls for the second wicket.
Bravo got into his stride with a couple of boundaries from Kallis’ first over, and batted with crisp assurance to reach his 50 from 55 balls.
He then celebrated the landmark with a one-handed six over long-on off Tahir, but his dismissal in the 24th over, lbw playing across to Botha, sparked a mini collapse.
Smith gave a return catch to Tahir, who also trapped Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw for two to leave West Indies 120 for four in the 27th over.
The elder Bravo joined Chanderpaul, and they got West Indies moving again with a stand of 58 for the fifth wicket.
Bravo put the three frontline spinners under pressure, hitting each for a six, all over the leg-side, before he was run out in a horrendous mix-up with Chanderpaul in the 38th over.
Left-hander Chanderpaul continued to inch West Indies along, but when he was caught at long-off in the 43rd over off Tahir, this triggered another collapse in which the Caribbean side lost their last five wickets for 19 runs within 32 deliveries. (CMC)
