The Proteas batsmen opened the way for an attacking bowling performance, said the Man of the Match, Imran Tahir.

The legbreak-googly spinner took seven West Indian wickets to help roll them over for 204 in 38 overs as they tried to chase a challenging target of 344 in the Tri-Nation series in St Kitts on Wednesday.

His figures were ninth on the list of all-time best figures and beat the previous best Proteas mark of 6-16 by Kagiso Rabada.

 Tahir, 37, also took his overall tally of ODI wickets to 105 in 58 matches, in the process becoming the fastest to cross the 100 mark, cutting the record of 59 matches that was previously held by Morne Morkel.

‘It was a perfect opportunity for me to be able to bowl the way I wanted to bowl, because the batsmen had put us in such a good position,’ he said. ‘I had the freedom to attack.’

Tahir said that much work had gone into analysing the West Indians and in adapting to the changing conditions. ‘On their day they can chase down anything, but that’s part of the challenge which I enjoy,’ he said. ‘Thanks to technology, we can really watch them and look for mistakes. We have really worked hard and that came out today. The changes in the [fielding] rules has made it harder for us spinners, but I see that as part of the challenge.

‘For me, every wicket is special, especially on the international arena, and I was glad I could play a part. I would like to thank Cricket South Africa, the beautiful people back home and my family for their support.’

The Proteas now top the log with two bonus-point wins as the series moves to Barbados.

Photo: AFP