Hashim Amla struck a magnificent 129 off 115 balls Sunday as South Africa defeated West Indies off the last ball in a high-scoring fourth one-day cricket international at Windsor Park.
The in-form opener struck nine fours and two sixes to anchor South Africa’s winning total of 304-3 off 50 overs. South Africa had already clinched the five-match series, and increased it’s lead to 4-0.
AB de Villiers contributed an unbeaten 57 including a scampered single off the final ball to seal the win.
South Africa seemed well on course with just seven runs needed from the last two overs.
But pacer Ravi Rampaul limited the visitors to four off the penultimate over and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo delivered an awesome final six balls.
With one needed from one delivery, the West Indies could have secured a tie but Darren Sammy fumbled at short midwicket when a clean pick-up could have effected the run out of de Villiers.
Earlier, Shivnarine Chanderpaul top scored with 66 and the top order all contributed as the home team piled up 303-6 off 50 overs.
Opener Dale Richards hit 59 off 73 deliveries while Dwayne Bravo (46 off 51 balls) and younger brother Darren (45 not out off 31 balls) lifted the tempo towards the end.
Richards provided early momentum in an opening stand of 64 off 10.4 overs with captain Chris Gayle (29).
Richards cracked seven fours and one six in his second fifty of the series.
Richards and Chanderpaul consolidated after the loss of their skipper, adding 51 off 74 balls.
Richards eventually provided Lonwabo Tsotsobe with the first of his two wickets, driving to extra cover.
But West Indies continued to flourish with Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo putting on a further 76 for the third wicket.
Both fell in the final 10 overs, Bravo bowled by Tsotsobe and Chanderpaul miscuing a pull off Ryan McLaren.
Darren Bravo, the 21-year-old left-hander, hit three fours and a six in a strong finish to the innings.
Kieron Pollard added 26 off 18 deliveries, a knock spiced with one fours and two sixes.
The South African chase was paced by Amla’s third one-day century, and second in this series.
He and captain Graeme Smith added 59 for the first wicket before Smith was bowled by a Dwayne Bravo slower ball in the 10th over.
But Amla found a capable ally in Jacques Kallis and they shared an assured stand of 119 to tilt the balance.
Kallis struck 51 off 54 balls, in the process passing India’s Rahul Dravid as the sixth highest run-scorer in one-day history, before he fell at 178-2.
The 27-year-old Amla, tiring in the searing heat, finally fell in the 38th over at 224-3.
De Villiers and JP Duminy shared a half century stand to further put their side in command.
Duminy was dropped twice in the deep, by Dwayne and Darren Bravo, as South Africa took control in the frenetic closing stages. – Sapa-AP