One-Day Blunders

Ten thousand spectators, with representation from almost every single Caribbean island, filed into Queen's Park Stadium yesterday morning with plenty of flags and noise-making instruments in the hope of a West Indies triumph in the first of the weekend's two back-to-back Cable & Wireless One-Day Internationals.

Most of them would have dejectedly strolled out hours later in disbelief following South Africa's most annihilating conquest over their beleaguered opponents.

Never before in their 21 One-Day Internationals against South Africa had West Indies been crushed by the humiliating margin of 132 runs.

The problem is not losing games, but how you lose games, disappointed West Indies captain Carl Hooper said after the defeat that left the West Indies trailing 2-1 in the seven-match series.

When put simply, the West Indies bowled nonsense, fielded woefully, batted pathetically and on occasions ran between the wickets like novices.

The only thing which went the hosts' way was the toss, but they allowed South Africa first use of an ideal batting strip and the visitors responded by marching to 287 for four on the strength of Jacques Kallis' fine century and brisk, busy contributions from Gary Kirsten (50), Herschelle Gibbs (46) and Jonty Rhodes (47).

West Indies were as good as beaten before they faced a ball and even before they were eventually dismissed for 155 in 39 overs, the vast majority of the crowd had become disinterested.

On the evidence of the fully-booked flights that came into Point Salines International Airport on Thursday and Friday and the presence of the varying T-shirt posses at the stadium, it would not be far off to assume that nearly half of the crowd came in from neighbouring islands.

Some might now be regretting the money they spent on airline and ground tickets, along with hotel and guest house accommodation.

On the eve of the match, Hooper expressed concern over his bowlers' ability to contain South Africa in the first 15 overs and the problems he faced yesterday were even more distressing than those at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Wednesday.

The captain himself delivered ten overs of tidy off-breaks and gave up only 32 runs, but no one else followed his example.

The bowling was not totally erratic by any means, but the West Indies suffered mainly because of the bold aggression displayed by openers Gibbs and Kirsten.

Gibbs was never afraid to charge down the pitch to the pacers. Just ask Mervyn Dillon and Cameron Cuffy.

In the eighth over, Gibbs took a few steps out of the crease and lifted Dillon over the ropes at long-on and, in the following over, the treatment was reserved for Cuffy, who was hoisted over long-off.

Cuffy and left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell were the West Indies' two most economical bowlers in the opening matches, but this time around, neither could contain the South Africans, who posted the first 50 off 48 balls and the hundred from 111 deliveries.

McGarrell was summoned after eight overs, but Kirsten took an immediate liking to him and frequently used his feet to play the type of flowing extra-cover drives that we had not seen from him since his 150 in the opening Test two months ago.

Kirsten and Gibbs put on 88 in 14.4 overs before the dangerous Gibbs was plucked out by Ricardo Powell's splendid catch at mid-wicket that required him to ran back almost 20 yards.

Enter Kallis, who was not as adventurous as the openers but who was just as effective in accumulating his seventh century in One-Day Internationals.

His 107 off 108 balls only included fours boundaries, which underlined how effectively he used the spaces in the vast outfield to compile his ones and twos. It was only towards the end of the innings that he used the long handle.

Had Dillon and Cuffy not messed up their communication channels, Kallis would have been caught at wide long-on when he was 85, but no one called for the ball.

Dillon took the catch but could not prevent a collision with Cuffy and went over the boundary before releasing the ball to his partner.

Kallis duly reached his hundred by hoisting a Marlon Samuels' offbreak for six.

With such a daunting target, West Indies sent in Powell as a pinchhitting opening batsman.

He lifted Pollock over mid-wicket for six, but soon a nondescript cross-batted shot against the same bowler resulted in a skied catch to mid-on.

By then, Chris Gayle was the first of the soft dismissals.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, too, fell to a top-edged swing that was well held by Boeta Dippenaar running around from long-leg.

Brian Lara and Hooper tried to repair the damage by adding 39 for the fourth wicket before Lara, as had always looked likely, was bowled behind his back by Makhaya Ntini.

Hooper was just about getting into stride before he was the first of two run-outs.

He was lucky that an earlier throw missed the stumps, but there was no reprieve when Ntini's quick movement, pick-up and return to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher ended his innings in a contentious manner.

Hooper made a desperate dive as Boucher removed the bails and there were countless televisions replays before the decision was made.

He left at 119 for five in the 25th over and by then the result was inevitable.