South Africa enter the fifth and final one-day international against West Indies on Thursday at the Queen’s Park Oval here, with a victory and a third straight clean sweep on Caribbean soil clearly in mind.
The South Africans lead the series 4-0, following a 66-run victory, under the Duckworth-Lewis Method, in the first ODI two Saturdays ago at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, where they also won the second ODI by 17 runs last Monday.
The Proteas then won the third ODI by 67 runs last Friday at Windsor Park in Dominica, where they also completed a seven-wicket victory last Sunday.
Five years ago, South Africa swept a five-match rubber in the Caribbean, and when they hosted West Indies two years ago, they again nailed their opponents.
The South Africans have not lost to West Indies, since their hosts won the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy by six wickets with 36 balls to spare four Novembers ago.
“We would love to win this last game,” Proteas skipper Graeme Smith said. “It may be difficult, since we have been playing back to back matches in sweltering heat, but I think the guys have handled themselves well in the conditions.
“For us, the players that comprise the limited-overs squad, it would restore a lot of confidence in us, after we peformed so poorly in the T20 World Cup,” he said.
— AFP