West Indies win the seventh and final one-day international by six wickets, but South Africa still take the series 5-2

Marcus Prior16-May-2001It was a crumb of comfort after a largely one-sided series, but it will havetasted no less sweet to Carl Hooper’s men as the West Indies turned in afine all-round performance to win the seventh and final one-dayinternational 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 theafternoon sun but which still offered the bowlers plenty of help, MarlonSamuels (54 not out) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (32 not out) ensured therewere no repeats of earlier collapses, seeing the West Indies home with fiveovers and four balls to spare.Samuels again proved why he is rated so highly with a languidly elegantknock which included seven fours. Chanderpaul provided sensible support atthe other end, striking three boundaries of his own – two in one over fromJustin Ontong.The innings was given a decent foundation by an opening partnership of40 between Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle before Ganga (15) was run out after adreadful mix-up, wicket-keeper Mark Boucher doing well to gather ShaunPollock’s return and throw down the stumps as Ganga clattered into him.Gayle (28) was bowled by Jacques Kallis and when Justin Kemp and HerschelleGibbs combined for the wickets of Brian Lara (18) and Carl Hooper (5), therewas just a sense that the wheels might be about to come off.Earlier, Cameron Cuffy tore through the South African top order, pickingup 3-24 as he bowled his 10 overs straight through from the start in asuperb exhibition of pace bowling. Fast and accurate and with useful supportfrom Corey Collymore at the other end, Cuffy reduced South Africa to adisastrous 40-4, a position from which they never properly recovered.Only a resolute 69 from 147 balls from Kallis held the SouthAfrican innings together and saved his side from complete embarrasment.After seeing out the first over, Gibbs (1) went intogun-slinging mood but lost a game of Russian roulette with Cuffy, top-edginga hook towrds fine leg where Collymore took a fine catch in the swirlingbreeze.Three overs later opening partner Gary Kirsten was gone, brilliantlycaught by Ganga at square-leg. Kirsten (6) pulled Collymore firmlybut turned to see Ganga fly full length to his right and pluck the ballone-handed from the sky.The 21-year-old Justin Ontong (2) received the chance he has been waitingfor with a promotion up the order to number four – but he also received abeauty from Cuffy which he edged into the safe hands of Chris Gayle atsecond slip. Neil McKenzie (13) was Cuffy’s third victim, looking to driveover the top but just failing to clear Ganga at mid-off.Jonty Rhodes also struggled to make an impression in his 200th one-daygame for South Africa, restricted to 16 off 33 balls before he looked toforce left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell through the off side and edged theball onto his stumps.The consolidation continued with the arrival of Boucher to joinKallis, but runs continued to come intermittently as neither batsman wasable to wrest the initiative away from the West Indian bowlers. Thefrustration eventually told, as Boucher (25) swung Samuels straight downMcGarrell’s throat on the mid-wicket boundary.Kallis fell as the final slog struggled to materialise, heaving Samuelsto Brian Lara at midwicket, Kemp (12 not out) and Pollock (7not out) unable to find the boundary even once as the overs ran out.