South Africa Topple West Indies, Win 3-Match Test Series 2-0
The South Africans have well and truly buried their disappointing T20 World Championship run in the Caribbean by demolishing the hosts in all three formats of the game in a tour that spanned over two months.
The Proteas rounded off their 2-0 win in Twenty20, and 5-0 win in the One-Day International format, with a 2-0 win in the three match test-series as they crushed the hosts by 7 wickets in the final test held in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The hosts bowled out the hosts for a paltry 231 runs in the first innings on a helpful wicket at Barbados that provided more bounce than any other surface throughout the tour.
Dwayne Bravo was the only one to offer any resistance as the seam and spin attack of the visitors ran riot. He made 61 off 104 balls.
Off-spinner Johan Botha was the destroyer-in-chief, capturing four wickets, while fast bowler Dale Steyn captured three wickets.
In rely, the Proteas accumulated a healthy lead of 115 runs (their overall score was 346 all out.) The Proteas were helped by a succession of 70s by skipper Graeme Smith, Ashwell Prince and AB de Villiers, who struck six boundaries in his 73. The left-hander Prince was the top scorer with an unbeaten 78.
Left arm spinner Sulieman Benn brought his height to his advantage, taking six wickets for the hosts, as he enhanced his reputation as the leading spinner in the West Indian ranks.
In their second innings, the beleaguered hosts were once again disappointing in their batting, crumbling to a pathetic 161 runs all out as they looked tired and jaded after a bruising series at home.
The listless performance was what was on the cards, as ever since the West Indians lost the ODI series, they hardly looked interested in putting up a fight against the ruthless tourists, who held them from the scruff of the neck throughout the test and ODI series.
Skipper Chris Gayle, Richards and Deonarine were all cleaned up by Dale Steyn in another inspiring opening burst with the new ball, proving once again that he is the top ranked pace man in test cricket.
As is often the case, the fight went out of the hosts as soon as they lost Chris Gayle.
On the other hand, Bravo, Nash and Ramdin were equally disappointing, as the hosts crashed to 75 for six, staring at an innings defeat for the umpteenth time in recent years.
However, the dapper from Guyana, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, proved once again that he remains the most dependable West Indian batsman with an unbeaten 71.
He faced 179 balls, and his innings included 7 fours and one six. However, he could only push the inevitable slightly, as wickets kept tumbling from the other end.
Spinner Shillingford, in his first test series for the West Indies, was the only one who provided some semblance of support to Chanderpaul.
Shillingford scored 25 runs off 77 balls, in a patient display of occupying the crease, something that the rest of the batsmen knew little about.
Besides Steyn, Johan Botha and the hero of the first test win, Morne Morkel, claimed three wickets each.
The Proteas were given a target of 47 runs to win the match; an inspired Kemar Roach dented the top order with three wickets.
The fired up pacer also had an altercation with South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis that delayed the proceedings for some time, and needed intervention from the umpires.
The winning runs were scored by AB de Villiers, as the match ended with a comfortable win for the hosts on the fourth day of the match.
Johan Botha was named man of the match for his seven wickets in the match, while pace man Dale Steyn pocketed yet another man of the series award due to his outstanding run with the ball in the three test matches.
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