SOUTH AFRICA BOWLED OUT FOR JUST 200 BY WEST INDIES IN JAMAICA

Left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell took 3-32 as the much-vaunted depth of the South African batting line-up went absent for a day and the capacity crowd roared on their side.

The last six wickets could add just 69 runs as South Africa look to become just the second side, after Australia in 1991, to beat the West Indies in a one-day international at the ground.

It was an encouragingly aggressive and determined display in the field from the West Indians, the tone set as early as the first over when Brian Lara ran out Herschelle Gibbs (8) with a direct hit at the non-striker's end. The hesitation between Gibbs and Gary Kirsten was only fractional, but Lara's athleticism and accuracy were breath-taking.

With Kirsten and Jacques Kallis both looking confident, South Africa reached the 15 over mark on 67-1, but McGarrell was shortly to claim his first wicket.

Kallis (23) is never afraid to use his feet to the slow bowlers but on this occasion he was just short of meeting the ball on the half-volley and instead of smashing it high into the George Headley stand, Cameron Cuffy took a fine catch as he sprinted around the long-off boundary.

Kirsten endured a miserable run in the test series but looked back to somewhere close to his best as he took the attack to Kerry Jeremy, smashing him straight back to the boundary for four and then pulling him for another boundary high over midwicket.

He needed some luck too, though, and once again it deserted him. Sweeping at Carl Hooper, he gloved the ball back onto his leg-stump to be bowled for 38 off 63 balls.

Jonty Rhodes and Neil McKenzie consolidated for South Africa, nudging the total along with quick singles and hair-raising twos. The pair took the score along to 131 before the middle-order imploded.

McKenzie (21) was the first to go, dancing down the wicket to fast-bowler Cuffy and edging to the wicket-keeper. When Rhodes (36 off 53 balls) was trapped on the back foot by McGarrell and Lance Klusener followed first ball, bowled by one from McGarrell which turned through the gate, South Africa were 149-6.

And it did not improve much after that. Mark Boucher (14) dabbed one straight back to Marlon Samuels, debutant Justin Ontong was caught at short fine-leg looking to play the most unorthodox of 'chip-sweeps' off Hooper and Roger Telemachus (3) was superbly caught and bowled, again by Samuels.

Captain Shaun Pollock was left unbeaten on 26 when Allan Donald was clean bowled by Dillon with the score on a round 200.

WEST INDIES ASK SOUTH AFRICA TO BAT IN FIRST ODI

Teams

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Leon Garrick, Marlon Samuels, Brian Lara, Carl Hooper (capt), Ricardo Powell, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Mervin Dillon, Kerry Jeremy, Cameron Cuffy.

South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Jonty Rhodes, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock (capt), Justin Ontong, Roger Telemachus, Allan Donald.

© CricInfo

Date-stamped : 29 Apr2001 - 11:42