Test whitewash looms after Newlands debacle

Apart from being a beaten captain for the fourth time in this series, he is the leader of the first West Indies side in history with the spectre of the first Test white wash looming at SuperSport Centurion.

Lloyd was captain of the side which lost 5-1 to Australia in 1975/76, but ``at least we won a game'' he smiled. Now he is overseeing the demise of a team which is in need of serious rebuilding but instead is crumbling around him as the embarrassing 5-0 defeat hangs like a taunting millstone.

The man known as big cat sat next to Lara, seen as the spoilt kitten since taking over as leader of a divided band of far from merry men with the knowledge that the fifth match at Centurion, now only eight days away, spells a watershed for a side which is, frankly not up to international standard. A 4-0 result was not what was expected of this series and Lara finally admitted it.

Even Zimbabwe would take on the once mighty Windies and give them a good run for the gold doubloons wrung from the West Indies Cricket Board before the start of the tour.

Although the West Indies tail rattled along the runs and gave South Africa the expected tough time at breezy, chilly Newlands yesterday, all it amounted to was reducing the margin of defeat to an embarrassing 149 runs.

Lara talked about the ``younger players looking at themselves'' and ``playing for our pride as a team'' but the words were similar to those after the defeats at St George's Park and Kingsmead. They were also about as empty as the results and rewards managed so far on this tour. If a 31-year-old, by name of Ridley Jacobs, can put together a sparkling, yet determined innings - their top-score in this match then it does show that there is some spirit and fight in the side.

It also shows that it is more than a question of technique and batting skills which are at fault Now they face the humiliation every side in this competitive sports world: total annihilation in a country where for years they have been revered. ``We want to leave with something for the people here to remember us, but it's not going to happen the way we are playing,'' was coach Malcolm Marshall's blunt assessment on Tuesday night.

So, while the Windies move to Paarl and a three-day match to sort out their batting problems, Allan Donald is to take a rest from duty this weekend along with Jacques Kallis, Hansie Crone and Shaun Pollock.

Pollock has taken 25 wickets this series and has been the backbone of the pace attack while Kallis has joined him in being possibly the second link to the finest all-round duo at international level today.

Donald will have a fitness test before the fifth match of the series at SuperSport Centurion starts tomorrow week.

Although he was on the field throughout the West Indies second innings of 271, Donald did not bowl, which, to some extent, felt Cronje, while wrapping up the West Indies innings yesterday was not as easy as it might have been.

South Africa's initial squad of 30 for the World Cup is to selected on Monday. It is to be trimmed to 20 by the end of February, during the tour of New Zealand and is to be announced around Easter.

The squad of 15 for the tour of New Zealand is to be announced in Durban on January 27.