It was a crumb of comfort after a largely one-sided series, but it will have
tasted no less sweet to Carl Hooper's men as the West Indies turned in a
fine all-round performance to win the seventh and final one-day
international by six wickets at Arnos Vale. South Africa win the series 5-2.
Chasing a modest 164 for victory on a pitch that flattened out in the
afternoon sun but which still offered the bowlers plenty of help, Marlon
Samuels (54 not out) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (32 not out) ensured there
were no repeats of earlier collapses, seeing the West Indies home with five
overs and four balls to spare.
Samuels again proved why he is rated so highly with a languidly elegant
knock which included seven fours. Chanderpaul provided sensible support at
the other end, striking three boundaries of his own - two in one over from
Justin Ontong.
The innings was given a decent foundation by an opening partnership of
40 between Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle before Ganga (15) was run out after a
dreadful mix-up, wicket-keeper Mark Boucher doing well to gather Shaun
Pollock's return and throw down the stumps as Ganga clattered into him.
Gayle (28) was bowled by Jacques Kallis and when Justin Kemp and Herschelle
Gibbs combined for the wickets of Brian Lara (18) and Carl Hooper (5), there
was just a sense that the wheels might be about to come off.
Earlier, Cameron Cuffy tore through the South African top order, picking
up 3-24 as he bowled his 10 overs straight through from the start in a
superb exhibition of pace bowling. Fast and accurate and with useful support
from Corey Collymore at the other end, Cuffy reduced South Africa to a
disastrous 40-4, a position from which they never properly recovered.
Only a resolute 69 from 147 balls from Kallis held the South
African innings together and saved his side from complete embarrasment.
After seeing out the first over, Gibbs (1) went into
gun-slinging mood but lost a game of Russian roulette with Cuffy, top-edging
a hook towrds fine leg where Collymore took a fine catch in the swirling
breeze.
Three overs later opening partner Gary Kirsten was gone, brilliantly
caught by Ganga at square-leg. Kirsten (6) pulled Collymore firmly
but turned to see Ganga fly full length to his right and pluck the ball
one-handed from the sky.
The 21-year-old Justin Ontong (2) received the chance he has been waiting
for with a promotion up the order to number four - but he also received a
beauty from Cuffy which he edged into the safe hands of Chris Gayle at
second slip. Neil McKenzie (13) was Cuffy's third victim, looking to drive
over the top but just failing to clear Ganga at mid-off.
Jonty Rhodes also struggled to make an impression in his 200th one-day
game for South Africa, restricted to 16 off 33 balls before he looked to
force left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell through the off side and edged the
ball onto his stumps.
The consolidation continued with the arrival of Boucher to join
Kallis, but runs continued to come intermittently as neither batsman was
able to wrest the initiative away from the West Indian bowlers. The
frustration eventually told, as Boucher (25) swung Samuels straight down
McGarrell's throat on the mid-wicket boundary.
Kallis fell as the final slog struggled to materialise, heaving Samuels
to Brian Lara at midwicket, Kemp (12 not out) and Pollock (7
not out) unable to find the boundary even once as the overs ran out.