/ 15 May 2005

SA beat West Indies in fifth one-day match

South Africa completed a seven-wicket victory in the rain-marred fifth and final one-day international against West Indies on Sunday.

South Africa won the five-match series 5-0, and have completed an unprecedented clean sweep of an international cricket series in the Caribbean.

South Africa restricted West Indies to 138 for seven from their allocation of 20 overs. Sent in to bat after play started almost five hours late because of rain, West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals and were indebted to Dwayne Bravo’s spunky, unbeaten 41 from 40 balls that contained three boundaries.

Andrew Hall with two wickets for 21 runs from four overs, and Andre Nel with two for 32 from four overs were the most successful bowlers for South Africa.

Chris Gayle blasted five fours and one six in 28 from 20 balls before he was caught at third man off Nel in the fifth over.

Two wickets — Sarwan caught at short fine leg for 15 and West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul run out for one — fell in the next two overs to leave West Indies 48 for three in the seventh over.

West Indies continued to bleed wickets, and every time it looked like one of the batsmen were just about to get into the swing of things, they would be dismissed.

Bravo however, kept the scoreboard ticking over with circumspect batting mixed with some youthful exuberance and ended with the top score.

The match was reduced to 20 overs-a-side because of the rain delay.

Each bowler was limited to a maximum of four overs, and the fielding restriction applied for the first six overs of each innings. – Sapa-AFP