Different script, same result, as demoralised West Indies lose again. Trevor Chesterfield In Centurion - 7 February CricInfo report

It may have been a different venue but we had the same result, if with a slightly amended script, as a totally professional South Africa out-played a demoralised West Indies to wrap up the limited-overs international series 6-1 yesterday.

As Hansie Cronje stepped up to take the Standard Bank League trophy before a patriotic packed SuperSport Centurion, the tourists, beaten by 50 runs with 5.1 overs of the game remaining, seemed to have lost the stomach to fight long before the final wicket fell.

On a day when the temperature was turned up an extra notch or two and Lance Klusener won the man of the series award, the touring team's resolve had already melted, as they battled to overcome their technical inadequacies against a varied bowling attack which always had that extra in reserve. In reply to South Africa's 226 for eight the West Indies score of 176 was about what could have been expected by a side so totally out of it they were never in the hunt to get within 50 runs of the target. Even that would have looked anemic had it not been for a half-century by Junior Murray and a couple lower-order efforts which at least gave the Windies a touch of respectability.

As it is South Africa, who probably struck the best balance with their sides this series at Newlands, made three changes: Allan Donald, Herschelle Gibbs and Jonty Rhodes while Brian Lara found he was fit enough to return and Curtly Ambrose was given a break with Floyd Reifer given his first LOI match in South Africa.

Whether Lara's decision to replace Darren Ganga was wise is a debatable point. As it is Donald's return to the LOI scene was not as ominous as we have seen. He played a useful if spare parts role, and no doubt did not enjoy the six Rawl Lewis carted over backward square leg: one of the few defiant strokes by the touring team's batsmen.

Keith Semple smacked the ball around with some defiance and before he was bowled for 23, he had at least made it look a tad more respectable after it had slipped to 95 for six with a little of half the overs bowled. But generally was generally the all-round skills of man of the match Jacques Kallis, along with Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener which spearheaded another convincing triumph.

South Africa owe Kallis a special gong for the way he displayed his multi-talented skills yesterday. An innings of 66 in a South Africa total of 226 for eight was just about the best batting on a day of few memorable performances.

He then ended with three for 38, getting rid of West Indies danger man Shivnarine Chanderpaul for a single and set the standard which was edged by Klusener for the man of the series award.

Yet there were times yesterday when the South Africa innings had a shapeless look about it. The top order, as we had at Newlands, looked as if they were trying to find a cause to put a big total on the board. At 61 for four it needed a special effort to resurrect the innings and it came from Kallis.

A 98 -runs partnership for the fifth wicket provided the impetus needed to get the innings moving into cruise mode. With Jonty Rhodes adding his expertise, the strike rotation rescued what had been a pretty ordinary morning's bating performance. Rhodes' innings was remarkable for the most audacious stroke of the match, a reverse sweep for six off Rawl Lewis. When Rhodes departed, caught and bowled for 41, by Keith Arthurton, the innings had been revived and on the way to a match-winning score.