Beaten WI face one-day whitewash

For yet another time, the West Indies disappointed their fans with a terrible batting performance, atrocious catching and ordinary bowling as South Africa trotted home by six wickets in the fourth Digicel One-Day international at the Queen’s Park Oval yesterday.

Scores, West Indies 231 for eight (50 overs). South Africa 232 for four (46.5 overs).

Despite the heart-breaking one-run loss in the third international in Barbados on Wednesday, the Oval was almost packed yesterday as thousands turned up to see the home team — the majority of tickets sold before the outcome of the series was known.

And although being down 3-0, the fans were hoping for a better display. Under overcast skies, West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul called wrong and stand-in South African captain Shaun Pollock asked the home team to bat first. West Indies made one change with Fidel Edwards replacing Daren Powell.

Chris Gayle who smashed 132 in the third game, did not get the opportunity to get off this time, falling for just three of Makhaya Ntini’s bowling. To show his love for the Oval pitch, Ntini struck again, sending back teenager Xavier Marshall and the West Indies were struggling at 16 for two.

The faithful supporters were opening for a Brian Lara repeat of the Second Test here when he scored 196. With Ramnaresh Sarwan playing a more settled innings, Lara began to flourish and after belting Andre Nel for a boundary, the South African fast bowler had the last laugh...again, by having Lara caught in deep cover by Ashwell Prince who snared his third straight catch.

At 61 for three, Chanderpaul joined Sarwan and they tried to repair the damage, but when Sarwan was caught in the deep two short of his 50 with the score at 160, very few fans were hopeful of a 250-plus score.

Dwayne Bravo tried his best by being aggressive, but once again he fell to a catch behind the wicket. Dwayne Smith lit up the Oval with a huge six and boundary in one over, but was over exuberant when he played all over a Andrew Hall delivery and his stumps were shattered.

The innings ended at 231 for eight, with very little contribution from the tail which collapsed dramatically in Barbados. Once again, Ntini was the pick of the bowlers with three for 34 to follow-up his record 13 wickets in the Second Test here.

With regular captain Graeme Smith banned for four international for his team’s time wasting in the third one-day match, it was left to AB de Villiers and Boeta Dippenaar to open the innings for the visitors.

De Villiers moved down the pitch to hit Ian Bradshaw out of the ground but only managed to play straight into Gayle’s hands at first slip. The score was 27 and it was a rare early breakthrough for the Windies.

Dippenaar followed nine runs later caught by Marshall off Bradshaw and there was really celebration when the prolific Jacques Kallis was caught by Gayle at slip off Corey Collymore. The score was 61 for three and certainly, something seemed to be happening for the West Indies.

But Ashwell Prince and Justin Kemp ensured that West Indies did not steal the honours with a 132-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Thanks to the West Indian fieldsmen, both batsmen flourished as catch after catch went down. Bradshaw in true goalkeeper fashion, pushed one over the ropes for a six, Edwards dived over the ball on the boundary, and Marshall took a catch with his feet on the ropes. Added to that, catches went down in the slip and short mid-wicket.

When Kemp was out for 65 with the score on 193, the writing was on the wall. Mark Boucher joined Prince and they took the score to 232 ensuring the Proteas go 4-0 up in the series with one game to go.

Prince finished on 89 not out and with that won the Man of the Match award, chosen by Dudnath Ramkeesoon, first vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board.

The West Indies have never been whitewashed in either a test or one-day series in the Caribbean. According to the local cricket board, tickets have been sold out for today’s game.

OVAL SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES vs SOUTH AFRICA
West Indies inns:

C Gayle c Prince b Nitini 3

X Marshall c Prince b Ntini 3

R Sarwan c Hall b Kallis 48

B Lara c Prince b Nel 22

S Chanderpaul not out 85

D Bravo c Boucher b Ntini 28

D Smith b Hall 13

C Browne c Boucher b Langeveldt 11

I Bradshaw c Prince b Langeveldt 6

F Edwards not out 0

EXTRAS (LB2, W3, NB7) 12

Total for eight wickets 231

DID NOT BAT: C Collymore

Fall of wickets: 5; 16; 61; 111; 160; 180; 212; 230.

BOWLING: S Pollock 7-0-37-0; M Ntini 8-1-34-3; A Nel 10-2-42-1; J. Kallis 8-0-32-1; C. Langeveldt 8-0-42-2; A. Hall 9-0-42-1.

South Africa inns:

AB De Villiers c Gayle b Bradshaw 17

B. Dippenaar c Marshall b Bradshaw 17

J. Kallis c Gayle b Collymore 17

A. Prince not out 89

J. Kemp c Sarwan b Gayle 65

M. Boucher not out 11

EXTRAS (W14, NB 2) 16

Total for four wickets 232

Fall of wickets: 27; 36; 61; 193.

BOWLING: Edwards 10-0-51-0; Bradshaw 8-0-43-2; Collymore 8.5-0-30-1; Bravo 8-0-33-0; Smith 7-0-44-0; Gayle 5-0-31-1.

DID NOT BAT: A. Hall, S. Pollock, M. Ntini, C. Langeveldt, A. Nel.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Ashwell Prince