South Africa 'choke' Windies at Kotla
New Delhi, February 24: Debutant leg spinner, Pakistan born Imran Tahir, took 4 wickets for 41 runs as new-look South Africa restricted the West Indies to 222 all out in 47.3 overs in their ICC Cricket World Cup Group B match at the Feroz Shah Kotla. South Africa, playing three spinners, with Johan Botha and Robin Peterson in the side along with Tahir, opened the bowling with the former. The innovation brought immediate results as the dangerous Chris Gayle edged to Jacques Kallis off the third ball for 2.
Darren Bravo, the younger of the two Bravo brothers in the side, played a delectable innings of 73 off 82 balls with 8 fours and a six. He fell after a very good partnership of 111 for the second wicket with Devon Smith. He couldn't be saved by the Third Umpire review after being adjudged LBW off Johan Botha.
Devon Smith fell soon after, caught and bowled Tahir for 36 and Ramnaresh Sarwan fallowed soon after, LBW to Tahir for 2. Windies were 120 for 4 at this stage, also having wasted the second Umpire Review for Sarwan. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was joined by the elder Bravo, Dwayne, and the two seeemed to have got the Caribbean team back on track with a 78-run stand. Dwayne Bravo, however fell for 40 off 37 balls that contained a four and 3 sixes, run out going for a nonexistent run.
Chanderpaul fell for 31, caught in the deep by Peterson off Tahir and was soon followed by the much-hyped Kieron Pollard, who was ruled LBW to Dale Steyn off his first ball after a referral. Devon Thomas, who top edged Tahir's last ball to JP Duminy, fell for 15, with the team score still at 213. The same score accounted for captain Darren Sammy too as he fell LBW to Steyn in a replay of Pollard's dismissal. He too went for a duck.
The innings did not go too far after Sammy's fall as Sulieman Benn fell, going for a big hit off the fast bowler and being snaffled up by Morne Morkel for 2. Steyn ended up with three for 24 in 7.3 overs.
News Posted: 24 February, 2011
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