Windies fail again, lose by 53 runs

A much improved bowling and fielding performance was not enough to spare the West Indies their fifth successive one-day defeat at the hands of South Africa on Saturday.

The home side tumbled to a miserable 137 all out and defeat by 53 runs in the sixth limited overs international at the Queen's Park Oval on Saturday.

Having dismissed the tourists for just 190 after winning the toss and bowling first, the home side began their innings with high hopes of repairing their battered pride after surrendering the seven-match series with a seven-wicket defeat in Barbados on Wednesday.

Despite making four changes from the side that took an unassailable 4:1 lead in Barbados the South Africans, who played all their 'reserves' and all five players fined on Friday for smoking marijuana, proved too strong once again.

Debutant fast bowler Andre Nel claimed three wickets for just 20 runs, including that of West Indian skipper Carl Hooper for eight, while Brian Lara's potentially match-winning contribution of 41 came to an end when Jonty Rhodes ran him out at the non striker's end with a direct hit from 30 metres.

Shivnerine Chanderpaul formed the home side's fourth different opening partnership in six matches alongside Daren Ganga but laboured desperately for 27 runs from 84 balls on an unpredictable pitch tailor-made for fast bowlers.

When Chanderpaul walked past a perfect googly from Paul Adams and was stumped in the 33rd over, the home side's chances were all but gone.

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Earlier Neil Mckenzie anchored the South African innings with 73 from 117 balls with eight fours which deservedly earned him the man of the match award in conditions that were always going to produce a low scoring contest.

McKenzie added 92 for the third wicket with Justin Kemp who scored 46 but only one other batsman was able to reach double figures -- Rhodes cutting Corey Colleymore to Lara at backward point in the final over for 25.

Cameron Cuffy and Colleymore set a positive tone immediately for the home side with a superb opening spell that yielded just 20 runs in the first 10 overs.

Herschelle Gibbs (1) was bowled by an unplayable off-cutter from Cuffy in the third over and fellow-opener Boeta Dippenaar struggled painfully for seven runs from 37 balls before being trapped lbw by a Cuffy delivery that kept low.

McKenzie consolidated cleverly with a series of well-taken singles. Kemp drove seamer Kerry Jeremy for six over mid-wicket and added three more boundaries before West Indian captain Carl Hooper broke the stand with a questionable lbw verdict against Kemp who attempted to sweep a delivery from outside off stump.

Jacques Kallis (three) was bowled by another delivery from Hooper which kept unnaturally low and McKenzie's stoic resistance came to an end when he slashed a wide delivery from Colleymore to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs in the 42nd over.

Part-time off-spinner Marlon Samuels collected two of the final four wickets and 21-year-old medium pacer Jeremy the other two as the innings folded meakly in front of a delighted, capacity crowd of nearly 25,000.

Five bowlers claimed a brace of wickets each while Cuffy (2-26) and Hooper (2-27) conceded fewer than three runs per over in their full quota of 10 overs.

The final match will be played in St Vincent on Wednesday before the South Africans return home after 12 weeks on Thursday having become the first team to win both test and one-day series in the Caribbean.

Mail Cricket Editor