West Indies salvage some pride with six-wicket win

Neil Manthorp

The West Indies salvaged some pride with a six-wicket win over South Africa in the seventh and final one-day international on Wednesday.

The result meant the South Africans win the series 5-2.

In a low scoring match in difficult batting conditions, the home side chased down their modest victory target of 164 with 34 balls to spare after restricting South Africa to 163 for seven.

Marlon Samuels led the way for the home side with a stylish, unbeaten 54 after Jacques Kallis had held the tourists innings together with a battling innings of 69 from 147 deliveries.

It was an inspired bowling and fielding performance from the home side that created the chance of victory with Vincentian Cameron Cuffy, playing an international on home soil for the first time, leading the way with an uninterrupted spell of 10 overs which brought him 3-24.

Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle gave the home side a solid start with an opening stand of 40 but South Africa's suffocating fielding again restricted the West Indies progress and wickets began to fall.

Ganga (15) became the ninth run out victim of the series following a mix up with Gayle in the 13th over and Gayle followed three overs later when he was bowled by Kallis for an aggressive 28 from 39 balls.

REGULATION CATCH
Brian Lara (18) and Carl Hooper (5) both drove all rounder Justin Kemp to extra cover where Herschelle Gibbs held a regulation catch to dismiss the former and a stunning, diving catch for the latter.

At 102 for four in the 31st over South Africa clearly believed they could yet again defend a low total but 20-year-old Samuels played some magnificent shots to reach his half century from 77 balls with a pair of cover-driven boundaries against seamer Roger Telemachus.

Shivnerine Chanderpaul opted to hit over the crowded infield to relieve the pressure and enjoyed considerable success finishing unbeaten on 31 from 45 balls with four boundaries.

South African skipper Shaun Pollock accepted defeat graciously and, in the absence of something more appropriate to honour Jonty Rhodes's 200th one-dayer, allowed him to bowl for the first time in his career.

Rhodes had made 16 when he batted.

Mail Cricket Editor