Tahir, Steyn keep Windies to 222

After the West Indies batsman dominated through to half of their innings in the 7th match of the World Cup 2011, at Delhi's Ferozshah Kotla, the South African bowlers staged a remarkable come-back led by debutant leg-spinner Imran Tahir.

Guided by a 73 off 82 balls from Darren Bravo, the Windies were seemingly cruising at 113 in 23 overs, before Botha struck to remove Bravo and then Tahir held sway, finishing with figures of 4/41 while he was ably supported by Dale Steyn who picked uip 3/24. OnlyDwayne Bravo and Shivanrein Cahnderpaul were able to stem the rot for a while, but the latter order caved in like a house of cards

Being put into bat, the West Indies didn't get off to a good start. They lost Chris Gayle for 2 in the first when he was caught at slip off off-spinner Johan Botha. The Windies wree 2/1 in 0.3 overs when Darren Bravo walked out to the middle.

He immediately began counter-attacking, striking pace bowler Dale Steyn for two boundaries in the 2nd over. Surviving opener Devon Smith and Bravo took a four each in the 5th and 6th overs as the West Indies moved to 28/1 in 6 overs. In the 8th over, Bravo went after Jacques Kallis, clobbering him for a couple more boundaries.

Then Bravo took a single of Kallis in the 11th over to bring up his side's 50 and two balls later celebrated with another four. Bravo then knocked a bounday each of Morne Morkel in the 14th and 16th overs and when leg-spinner Imran Tahir came onto bowl in the 17th over, Bravo smashed him for a huge six.

Bravo and Smith then took 5 runs of the 20th over as the scoreboard ticked past 100. But soon afterward Johan Botha broke the 100-plus stand when he trapped Bravo in front for 73 off 82 balls. In the very next over, Imran Tahir added to the Windies woes, when he caught and bowled Smith for 36 off 57 and the Windies were suddenly 117/3 in 24.4 overs.

But Tahir was hungry for more destruction and returned in his next over to get Ramnaresh Sarwan out lbw for 2 off 10 balls. The Windies had slid to 120/4 in 26.1 overs. Just thre balls later there ws more drama, when Tahir dropped a return catch from Dwayne Bravo.In the 33rd over, Bravo who had settled in by tehn, carted Botha for a six and then ran a single to bring up the West Indies' 150.

Bravo was playing a bit of a swashbuckling innings, lofting Peterson for a six and then edging Morkel for a third man boundary. At the end of the 37th over, the Windies had moved to 175/4. In the next over, Bravo and Chanderpaul had a moment of madness running between the wickets which cost Bravo his wicket. He was on his way for 40 off 37 balls with Devon Thomas the new man at the crease. The Windies were 178/5 at that point.

The Windies crossed 200 in the 42nd over, but there was trouble soon after as Tahir sent back Chanderpaul for 31 off 51 balls. Then Steyn trapped Pollard in front for a duck before Tahir had Thomas caught by Duminy at extra-cover and Steynn returned to get Sammy out lbw for 0. The Windies were looking at the bottom of the barrel at 213/9 in 45.1 overs. Then Steyn wrapped up the Windies innings for 222, when he got rid off Suleimann Benn in the 48th over.