South Africa win four in a row

The tourists survived until 70 minutes after lunch before being bowled out for 271, giving South Africa a 149-run win. West Indies started the day at a hopeless 93 for six after being set 421 to win. South Africa also won the first three Tests.

Jacques Kallis was named Man-of-the-match after scoring 110 and 88 not out and taking seven wickets for 124 runs, including five for 90 in the second innings.

He became only the eighth player in Test history to score a century and a half-century and take five wickets in an innings in the same match.

Only twice before have the West Indies lost four successive matches in a single series. The first time was in Australia in 1930/31 when the Caribbean islanders were relative newcomers to Test cricket. The second was also in Australia, this time in 1975/76 at the start of what was to be a long and successful reign as captain by Clive Lloyd, manager of the current team.

Wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs resisted stubbornly, making 69 not out, while fellow left-hander Nixon McLean hammered the bowling in scoring 39 off 49 balls. The pair posted a 65-run partnership for the eighth wicket in 50 minutes.

McLean hit left-arm spinner Paul Adams for six over wide long-on and took 16 off an over from seamer David Terbrugge, including a hooked six over long leg. He pulled Kallis for a third six before holing out to Adams at deep mid-wicket off the same bowler two balls later.

None of the West Indian lower-order batsmen surrendered their wickets without a struggle.

It took 40 minutes for South Africa to claim the first wicket of the day. A sharp piece of fielding by Jonty Rhodes ran out Ottis Gibson for 13 after Jacobs chopped the ball to backward point.

After the stand with McLean, Jacobs had partnerships of 34 for the ninth wicket with Curtly Ambrose, who batted with a runner, and 64 for the last wicket with Mervyn Dillon, who made a defiant 36. Jacobs reached his first Test half-century after facing 112 balls with eight fours.

It was a frustrating day for the South Africans with Jacobs being caught off Pollock's 12th no-ball of the match before Dillon skied Kallis to Cronje at mid-off. Strike bowler Allan Donald, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first innings, did not bowl despite being on the field until lunch.

The fifth and final Test will be at the Centurion ground near Pretoria between January 15 and 19.