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The storyline doesn't change. It simply gets grimmer. The West Indies held such a strangehold on the fifth and decisive one-day international here yesterday there was even the misguided hope that, in spite of everything, South Africa couldn't wriggle free this time.

It was optimism that ignored the indisputable evidence that the grip, and the spirit, has become so weak that it collapses at the first hint of resistance. It is a frailty the ruthless South Africans have repeatedly exploited over the past couple of months and did again.

Their statistical margin of victory was 89 runs. It was actually far more one-sided and embarrassing than that and it secured the series 4-1 with two matches remaining. They will feel like purgatory for the hapless West Indies.

Yet, for 40 of their 50 overs, South Africa struggled to put together a meaningful total. Batting first on winning the toss for the fifth time in the series, they faltered against high class fast and medium-paced bowling on what used to be termed a sporting pitch to be 68 for six when the always dangerous Jonty Rhodes was sixth out off the fourth ball of the 23rd over.

Once more demonstrating their depth and their resilience, they raised a total of 221 for eight, the last 10 overs yielding 86 as Dale Benkenstein, in only his sixth one-day international, and the powerful left-hander Lance Klusener added 91.

It was always going to be a challenging target for the West Indies, again without injured captain Brian Lara and heavily dependent on Lara's standin Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Chanderpaul scored 40, Hooper 1 and they could manage a mere 132 all out off 42.4 overs.

South Africa's early wobbles were caused by Nixon McLean. Again effectively used with Reon King with the new ball, he removed Gary Kirsten to a keeper's catch in the fifth over, bowled Herschelle Gibbs, whose hundred on Sunday seemed to have gone to his head, in the 11th and had the pinch-hitter Shaun Pollock taken at point in the 15th.

The bottom seemed to have been taken out of the innings when, in successive overs after Pollock's exit, Curtly Ambrose beat Jacques Kallis on the front foot for an lbw decision and Keith Semple's first ball, a leg-cutter, pitched perfectly to find Cronje's edge.

Six overs later, Semple induced a top-edged pull from Rhodes to deep squareleg and it was up to Benkenstein and the tail to make the most of the last half of the innings, except South Africa have no tail..

Benkenstein, a correct right-hander Barbadians will remember from his club season with Wanderers in 1995, and wicket-keeper Mark Boucher rebuilt the innings and loosened the tenuous West Indies' clutches with a partnership of 62 off 17.1 overs.

Boucher's dismissal to Curtly Ambrose off the fifth ball of the 40th over still left South Africa unsteady at 130 for seven at which stage captain Cronje admitted afterwards he would have been happy with 180. According to Cronje, Benkenstein, in only his sixth one-day international, kept sending messages back to the dressing room that they would pass 200.

In spite of his limited international experience, he clearly appreciated the ability of his new partner, Lance Klusener, as much as his own and could read the weakening West Indian resolve.

Benkenstein himself was so confident he reeled off a couple of perfectly timed reverse sweeps for his two boundaries while the left-handed Klusener got down to business at the opposite end.

King, whose first seven overs yielded a miserly 14, was clobbered for two straight sixes and his ninth, and last over, cost 16. Hooper served up an inviting knee-high full toss that was duly carted over the long-on boundary and Klusener had 54 to his name from 36 balls when Benkenstein was run out off the last ball that still produced two from Hooper's misfield at midwicket.

Benkenstein's first half-century in One-day Internationals, 69 off 90 balls, contained just the two fours but was sensible and essential to South Africa's revival.

The West Indies picked Rawl Lewis for his first match of the series instead of Neil McGarrell but didn't bowl him a single over and more strange choices were to follow.

Daren Ganga was given his one-day international debut but was kept back to No.8 while Keith Arthurton went at No.3. And McLean, previously used at No.3, was kept back to No.9 by which time the outcome was long since settled.

Junior Murray belted a few good blows but made only 15 before he miscued a hook -n what else - to squareleg off Pollock. Arthurton looked at sea for most of his 38 balls, the last of which he edged to the keeper after eeking out 15.

The two key wickets went in the 21st and 25th overs. Hooper tried to guide his sixth ball, off the steady Klusener to third man, and was caught behind and Chanderpaul, justifiably exasperated over the continuing state of affairs, aimed to hoist Klusener over midwicket and sent the ball flying down to third man instead.

A couple of yards inside the boundary, Steve Elworthy held the catch after it had popped out, a little personal payback from Chanderpaul's crashing six over midwicket off him. Chanderpaul also stroked five fours.

Not until Ambrose and McLean delivered a few hearty, but meaningless, blows at the end, including a six each, was any positive effort made by the batsmen. Semple dallied 42 balls for 13 and then lofted a catch tamely to midoff and even Ridley Jacobs spent 30 balls over 8 as the brilliant South Africans choked them off with their electric fielding and their miserly bowling.

Their state of confusion was exposed when Lewis was left stranded in mid-pitch advancing on McLean for a palpable second run and comfortably run out.

Klusener followed his batting blitz with two for 17 that was enough to earn him the Man of the Match award. But the most striking figures (9-2-10-3) were Cronje's.

It was a night double celebrations for the South African captain who was leading South Africa for the 100th time in his 150th one-day international.