Hooper philosophical after West Indies consolation win

Kingstown, St Vincent, May 16:  West Indies captain Carl Hooper remained philosophical following victory in the seventh and final one-day international against South Africa at Arnos Vale on Wednesday.

After a series during which his side was all too frequently on the receiving end of a brutal cricketing lesson from the visitors, the win was a minor consolation for the home team.

The West Indies won their second match of the seven-game series by six wickets, as they reached their victory target of 164 with five overs and four balls to spare, 20 year-old Marlon Samuels top-scoring with an unbeaten 54.

"We're under no illusions," Hooper said afterwards. "At the end of the day 5-2 was the series scoreline. It's good to win but I hope that we can learn to play like we did today on a more consistent basis.

"Today we showed that we can bat and bowl well and it's just a shame that we couldn't have put in more performances like this. If we had, we could certainly have won the one-day series.

"I wish we could put our finger on what makes us inconsistent. Today we looked the better side and our results would be a bit different if we could play like this a little more often," Hooper said.

South African captain Shaun Pollock had few complaints after seing his side outplayed in the final game, but admitted his team were ready to go home.

"It was a disappointing end to the series -- we would have liked to have gone out on a winning note," Pollock said. "But it was probably too much to ask of the guys at the end of a long tour.

"I thought (Cameron) Cuffy bowled really well up front and put us under pressure, and when you lose early wickets it's always hard to set a competitive score and that's what put us on the back foot."

The South African captain said he was also disappointed that the team were unable to give Jonty Rhodes something to celebrate in his 200th one-day international for South Africa.

"It was Jonty's 200th match and he's put in some serious effort for South Africa over the years so we wanted to get out there and put in a good performance for him as much as anything else. Unfortunately we didn't do it," Pollock said.

Reflecting on the performance of his side over the test and one-day series, Hooper was more positive.

"I don't want to make any excuses but I thought we were very competitive in the test series and should have won at least two of the games.

"In the one-dayers we were outplayed by a better and more disciplined side and I was disappointed with that. 4-3 would have been better than 5-2," Hooper said.

Consolation win for West Indies in the final ODI against South Africa

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, May 16: A devastating pace bowling display from Cameron Cuffy set up a consolation win for the West Indies in the seventh and final one-day international at Arnos Vale Wednesday.

West Indies ended a five-match losing streak with a six-wicket victory, with Marlon Samuels hitting an unbeaten 54 as West Indies overhauled South Africas total of 163 for seven with 34 balls to spare. South Africa won the series 5-2.

West Indian captain Carl Hooper said his team deserved to finish on a winning note after losing both the Test and one-day series against the South Africans.

He said the players had worked hard and the fielding and bowling had shown a big improvement. ``Weve got to work hard but the players realise it. Give us a year or two and well be back where we belong,'' Hooper said.

South Africa never recovered from Cuffys early strikes which reduced them to 40 for four after they won the toss and batted. Cuffy took three for 24, bowling all his ten overs in one spell.

Jacques Kallis made a patient 69 off 147 balls to prevent a total collapse by the tourists. Kallis hit only three boundaries before being caught at midwicket in the penultimate over when he went for a big hit against offspinner Samuels.

The West Indies found run-scoring on a dry, slow pitch much easier than the South Africans, with Samuels hitting seven fours in a 91-ball innings. Only eight fours were hit in the whole South African innings.

Cuffy had South Africa in trouble almost from the start. His first two overs were maidens and he took the key wicket of Herschelle Gibbs, who was caught off a top-edged hook at deep fine leg.

Fast bowling partner Corey Collymore had Gary Kirsten spectacularly caught by a diving Daren Ganga at backward square leg before Cuffy struck twice more to dismiss Justin Ontong and Neil McKenzie.

For virtually the first time in the series, the West Indies kept the pressure on the South Africans, with consistent performances from all their bowlers, who were backed up by good fielding.

Kallis had partnerships of 39 with Jonty Rhodes, who was playing in his 200th one-day international, and 53 with Mark Boucher. But the batsmen were unable to dominate.

West Indies made a good start, with Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle putting on 40 for the first wicket, and were always on track to win despite star batsmen Brian Lara and Carl Hooper falling in quick succession to allrounder Justin Kemp.

South African captain Shaun Pollock was named man of the series, an award for both the Test and one-day contests.

South Africa beat West Indies in the sixth ODI by 53 runs

Trinidad, May 12: Fast bowler Andre Nel took three wickets on his debut and Neil McKenzie hit 73 as a re-jigged South African team beat the West Indies by 53 runs in the sixth one-day international at Queens Park Oval Saturday.

The tourists, who made 190, lead the West Indians, who were all out for a paltry 137, by five games to one with just one remaining.

South Africa included all five of the players fined for smoking marijuana after their recent test series win but they failed to shine as they stumbled to just 190, the lowest total of the one day series up till the West Indians failed to respond.

Sent in on a pitch which had early life as well as uneven bounce, South Africa were in early trouble before a third wicket stand of 92 between McKenzie, who was returning after recovering from an injury he suffered in the first one dayer, and Justin Kemp (46) revived them.

Kemps dismissal, when he was given out lbw after missing a sweep against West Indian captain and off spinner Carl Hooper, started a collapse in which eight wickets fell for 67 runs.
Opening bowler Cameron Cuffy bowled superbly in an unbroken spell of two for 26 in 10 overs, dismissing both opening batsmen, Herschelle Gibbs and Boeta Dippenaar.

He received good support from a new opening partner, Corey Collymore, who took two for 29.

Hooper also proved difficult to score off, taking two for 27 in his 10 overs.

South African captain Shaun Pollock and Nel put an immediate clamp on the West Indian scoring rate, with Nel taking his first international wicket when he had Daren Ganga caught at first slip with the total on 18 in the 12th over.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brian Lara built what seemed a potential winning position for the West Indies, with Lara making 41 in a second wicket stand of 53 before Lara was run out by a direct hit from Jonty Rhodes at extra cover.

Left-arm spinner Paul Adams had Chanderpaul stumped for a patient 27 off 84 balls and Nel made a double breakthrough when he dismissed Hooper and Ricardo Powell with successive balls in the second over of his second spell.

Gibbs century helps South Africa win the fifth ODI

Bridgetown (Barbados), May 9: Herschelle Gibbs hit his second century of the series as South Africa swept to a seven-wicket victory in the fifth one-day International at Kensington Oval on Wednesday.

South Africa clinched the series, taking a winning 4-1 lead with two matches still to be played, and became the first touring team to the West Indies to win both a Test and one-day series in the Caribbean.

West Indies were seldom in the game despite a fine innings of 92 by star batsman Brian Lara, who lacked support as the West Indies were bowled out for 199 after being sent in on a good batting pitch.

It was the fourth comprehensive win in a row for South Africa. The West
Indies won a thrilling first match by three wickets off the last ball in Kingston, Jamaica, but South Africa won the next three games by eight wickets, 132 runs and eight wickets.

Wednesday's match followed a depressingly familiar pattern for the West
Indian spectators, many of whom left the ground early when it became obvious their team was headed for a big defeat.

South Africa's bowling and fielding was again too good for the West Indian batsmen.

Lara played virtually a lone hand for his struggling side as he made the highest score and only the fifth half-century for the West Indies in the five matches.

The little left-hander faced 125 balls and hit nine boundaries before stepping away to force Jacques Kallis to the offside and being bowled.

Kallis, who missed the fourth international because of injury, was South Africa's most successful bowler, taking four for 22. Fellow fast bowlers Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini took three for 41 and two for 47 respectively.

Two outstanding pieces of fielding by Gibbs stopped two promising partnerships. A direct hit from midwicket ran out Shivnarine Chanderpaul after he and Lara put on 43 for the fifth wicket.

Then Gibbs held a sensational diving catch at full stretch to his right off a scorching drive by Ridley Jacobs after a sixth wicket stand of 61.

It was only during the Lara-Jacobs stand that runs flowed freely, with 35 runs scored off 23 balls before Jacobs's dismissal, which came in the same over that Jacobs pulled a six off Ntini which landed on the roof of the Hall-Griffith stand at long-on. The last five wickets tumbled for 22 runs.

Gibbs then thrashed the West Indian bowling, although he was dropped by wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs off Cameron Cuffy when he had 11 and was lucky to survive an appeal for a catch behind off West Indian captain and off-spinner Carl Hooper when he had 72.

Gibbs went on to make 107 off 132 balls with 11 fours and three sixes before he went down the wicket and drove leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine to Hooper at extra cover when only 18 were needed to win.

Boeta Dippenaar, in only his second international innings of the tour, followed an unbeaten 62 in the fourth match with 42 not out. (AFP)

SA cruise to another easy win

May 6, 2001: South Africa completed a good weekend of cricket in Grenada with a comfortable victory over the West Indies in the fourth one-day international by eight wickets.

The visitors knocked off the paltry target of 201 for the loss of two wickets to win after taking the 3rd match on Saturday by 132 runs on the same pitch.

A 58 run partnership for the first wicket between Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs in just over 10 overs set the visitors on course to victory. Gibbs continued his run of good form, striking the ball with supreme timing, driving off the back foot through the offside field and hooking powerfully. He struck a fiery 27 off 30 balls with five boundaries before holing out to Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the covers off the bowling of Kerry Jeremy.

Boeta Dippenaar came in to replace the injured Jacques Kallis at number 3 and set about taking full advantage of his first real chance on the tour. He started slowly after the good start Gibbs and Kirsten had given South Africa then got into the act going over the top to McGarrell.

Kirsten and Dippenaar put on 96 for the second wicket from 25 overs in fairly pedestrian fashion knowing that the hard work had been done and avoiding any risk taking.

Kirsten moved to his 37th one-day half-century off 77 balls.

Kirsten departed for 72 off 104 balls with 7 boundaries..

Next came in Jonty Rhodes who quickfired 30 runs in 38 balls. A 47 run partnership for the third wicket set South Africa within sight of the winning runs with overs to spare. A big six over long on from Rhodes off Neil McGarrell put South Africa within two runs of the target of 201.

Dippenaar eventually finished off the required target in the 46th over and remained unbeaten on 62 off 109 deliveries.

None of the West Indian attack was able to trouble the South African batsmen. The West Indies captain bowled economically and finished with 1/29 off his 10 overs.

Earlier, it was a case of disciplined bowling from the South African seam attack that restricted the West Indies to 200 all out.

Looking to overcome their loss on Saturday with a better batting performance, the West Indies were not able to maintain any significant partnerships. Shaun Pollock led from the front for South Africa bowling an immaculate line and length with the new ball. He sent down three maidens in his first five overs to finish with incredible figures of 1/16 from his 10 overs.

West Indies crumble to their worst ever defeat in third ODI

St Georges, May 6: Set and imposing 288 for victory, the West Indies crumbled to their worst ever defeat at the hands of South African in the third ODI in Grenada on Saturday.

Superb bowling and fielding from South Africa saw the West Indies slump to 155 all out after 39 overs, with two crucial run-out also hampering a batting effort that never took off after Chris Gayle was out off the second ball.

Marlon Samuels made a fighting 65 as the West Indies struggled to a modest 200 all out in the fourth one-day International at Queens Park on Sunday.

Samuels and captain Carl Hooper, who made 46, were the only West Indian batsmen to withstand a disciplined South African bowling and fielding performance.

South Africa lead the seven-match series 2-1.

South African fast bowler Allan Donald took four for 38 despite his first three deliveries being hit for fours by Brian Lara.

Lara made only 25, however, before he became Donald's first victim, charging down the pitch and edging a simple catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Hooper and Samuels put on 67 for the fifth wicket before Hooper was caught at deep midwicket off Donald.

Samuels took 26 balls to make his first ten runs but then hit some powerful drives, especially straight down the ground, as he went on to make his 65 off 71 balls with seven fours.

Samuels was eighth out when he played across a low full toss from South African captain Shaun Pollock, who conceded only nine runs off his first nine overs before giving up seven off his final over.

South Africa made 287 for four on Saturday on the same pitch, also after being sent in, but Pollock felt there would be early life after the pitch had been lightly watered after Saturday's match.

Saturday's man of the match, South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis, did not play because of a hamstring injury and was replaced by Justin Kemp, who took three wickets, although he was expensive in conceding 54 runs.

Gibbs, Kallis help South Africa level the series

St Johns, May 2: Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis shared a record second wicket partnership of 179 as South Africa cruised to an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the second one-day International at the Antigua Recreation Ground here on Wednesday.

South Africa’s win levelled the seven-match series at 1-1.

Gibbs hit his fourth one-day international century, finishing with 104, while Kallis made an unbeaten 78.

It was a masterly exhibition of batting by the pair, whose stand was the highest for any wicket for South Africa against the West Indies and the highest recorded at the Recreation Ground.

It was the first time West Indies had been beaten in five one-day internationals in Antigua.

Chasing a modest total of 220, Gibbs and Kallis saw off the threat of fast bowler Cameron Cuffy, who bowled a lively opening spell which claimed the wicket of out-of-form Gary Kirsten. But the rest of the West Indian bowling seldom posed a threat.

The West Indian total was never likely to be enough on a small ground with a good batting pitch. Gibbs hit three sixes and eight fours in his 141-ball innings, while Kallis hit two sixes and five fours off 112 balls. Both men hit sixes which cleared the stands and sailed into the streets surrounding the grounds.

Stung by their last-ball, three-wicket defeat in the first international in Kingston, Jamaica, Saturday, South Africa produced a top-class display of bowling and fielding after Shaun Pollock sent the West Indies in to bat.

West Indian opener Chris Gayle hit some crunching boundaries early on as he made 50 off 72 balls but lost momentum when fielding restrictions were lifted at the end of 15 overs.

Recalled Shivnarine Chanderpaul made a successful return to one-day International cricket as he and skipper Carl Hooper lifted a flagging scoring rate, putting on 86 for the fourth wicket in just 13 overs.

Chanderpaul hit 60 off 54 balls in his first one-day international in more than a year during which he has been plagued by injury. Chanderpauls dismissal, when he was run out after a misunderstanding with Hooper, started a West Indian collapse in which five wickets fell while only 30 runs were scored off the last 39 balls of the innings.

Hooper made 48 off 46 balls and was part of the collapse, slicing a slower ball from Pollock to cover after surviving a simple chance to Kirsten at mid-on off Roger Telemachus five runs earlier.

Gibbs said he was pleased to have gone on to make a century after being dismissed three times in the eighties during the recent five-match Test series. He gave a chance on 76 when he cut offspinner Marlon Samuels to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs.

West Indies score a chilling victory against South Africa in the first ODI

Jamaica, April 28: West Indian wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs hit a four on the last ball from Allan Donald on the first one-day to win an extraordinary, drama fitted match against South Africa by three wickets at Sabina Park here on Saturday.

West Indies needed eight runs in the last over of the game to take a lead of 1-0 in the seven match one-day series and Dillon took a single on the first delivery to bring down the target to 7 off the rest five delivery.

Jacobs scrambled a leg bye off the second delivery; Dillon missed the next delivery to leave the home team needing six runs from the last three balls.

On the fourth ball Dillon took a single to give the charge to Jacobs with five runs needed in the last two balls. Stepping off his off stump he swung Donald's delivery out to deep square leg for two, with three needed from the last ball.

The last ball Donald offered a wide full toss outside off stump to prevent Jacobs playing the same shot, but he hit the ball to the backward point boundary to win the enthralling and exciting match.

Windies optimistic to win magnificent seven series

Kingston: West Indies will be seeking to build on their win in the final Test against South Africa when they meet the tourists at Sabina Park in the first of seven one-day internationals.

"The Test win has given the dayers confidence, even though one-day cricket is a totally different game," said West Indian captain Carl Hooper.

Hooper, who claimed there were no fitness worries surrounding his squad, said that for the first time in his experience the current West Indies one-day squad had versatile players who gave the side allround depth.

"For the very first time we have got guys among our top five batsmen who can bowl," he said. For both teams the series will be part of a build-up to the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

"We have a lot of young guys in the squad and the selectors will be starting to earmark those they think might make it to the World Cup," said Hooper.

Hooper, who had a disappointing Test series with the bat, against South Africa, one of the top one-day teams in the world, would provide a good gauge of the ability of the West Indies to become a serious World Cup contender.

South African captain Shaun Pollock said he expected the bulk of his current squad to be contenders for World Cup places. Pollock admitted his side had suffered a blow with the withdrawal through injury of left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, whose replacement, Goolam Bodi, was himself injured the day before he was to join the squad.

It leaves the South Africans short of proven one-day spinners and could provide an opportunity for uncapped Justin Ontong to make his mark at international level.

The 21-year-old, bowling a mixture of legspin and offspin, bowled tidily in a warm-up match against Jamaica on Wednesday and batted confidently. Ontong enhances an already strong fielding side.

Pollock said his team were determined to finish their tour on a high note by winning the one-day series as well as the Test series. "There is a bit of fatigue," he admitted.

"It has been a long season and a long tour, but the end is in sight and there is a nice break ahead. The guys are motivated and want to finish the season well."

South Africa could be without fast bowler Allan Donald, who left the field during the final Test with a recurrence of a long-term left heel injury. But Pollock said he expected Donald to play an important role in the series, whether or not he played on Saturday.

"The heel has been bothering him but he only has to bowl ten overs in a one-day game so I expect him to play a part for the team."

Allrounder Jacques Kallis is also doubtful after hurting his big right toe while batting on the final day of the test on Monday.

Teams (from): West Indies: Carl Ooper (capt), Chris Gayle, Leon Garrick, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara, Ricardo Powell, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Mervyn Dillon, Cameron Cuffy, Kerry Jeremy and Nixon McLean.

Walsh hints he could play on

Kingston, April 24:  West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh offered some hopes to his captain Carl Hooper that his 132nd Test that ended on Monday may not be his last.

After taking his Test wicket haul to 519 on what he said was to be his final appearance for West Indies in the fifth Test against South Africa, Walsh said he would consider a personal appeal from Hooper to be available for the tour of Zimbabwe in June.

"He (Hooper) has asked me to think about it," Walsh said. "He says I shouldn't rule it out and it's only fair to think about it. I will think about it.

"But as far as I'm concerned I had intended for this test to be my last and there's no reason to change my mind."

Walsh said that in extreme circumstances, it was still possible that he could be persuaded to return to the side which travels to Zimbabwe.

"At this point in time I don't think I will go to Zimbabwe," Walsh said, laughing at the prospect. "But if West Indies got into a crisis, I wouldn't say no if there was something to be done. Let's just hope there isn't a crisis!"

Despite leaving the door ever so slightly ajar to those who would wish to persuade him to soldier on, an emotional Walsh was eager to pay tribute to the legion of West Indian fast bowlers who helped him at various stages in his career.

"Playing alongside people like Michael Holding and Colin Croft, Curtly Ambrose and Sylvester Clarke are memories I will always cherish. One special guy who stands out is Malcolm Marshall, sadly no longer with us.

"I want to thank all the guys I played cricket with - the fast bowlers - from Joel Garner right down to Kenny Benjamin, for all the assistance they gave me in my career."

In the immediate future, Walsh said he wanted to take time off from cricket and spend more time with his children.

"I reflected yesterday that I want to have a break away from the game - six months or something like that - and spend some time with the family.

"I want to do some of the things that I haven't had the chance to do before, recharge my batteries and then focus on the next phase of my life and whatever I do, try and do it as successfully as I've done on the cricket field."

Walsh's former captain, Sir Vivian Richards, said: "When the great fast bowlers like Malcolm Marshall packed up, Courtney carried on representing that force in the fast-bowling unit. He's got to where he is through hard work, dedication and commitment.

"He's one of those individuals who you could see when the catches were being dropped or when things just weren't going his way, he didn't just throw his hands up but decided to work harder.

"We're struggling for the right sort of icons and people to give our younger generation the direction that they need. Courtney has fulfilled that and I'm really glad for him," Richards said.

Courtney Walsh facts

PARIS, April 23: Factfile on retiring West Indies bowler Courtney Walsh:

1962: Born October 30 in Kingston, Jamaica.

1982: Makes first-class debut for Jamaica.

1984:August - Makes debut for English county Gloucestershire.
November - Makes Test debut for West Indies against Australia in the first Test at Perth.

1985: Makes limited overs debut against Sri Lanka in one-day international in Hobart.

1986: July -Takes first class career-best figures of nine for 72 for Gloucestershire against Somerset.
December - Takes five for one as West Indies beat Sri Lanka in Sharjah.

1987: Named one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year for 1986.

1988: Takes hat-trick against Australia in the first Test in Brisbane.

1989: Takes 100th Test match wicket, against Australia in Sydney.

1993: Takes 200th Test match wicket, against Pakistan in Bridgetown, Barbados.

1994: Appointed West Indies captain for tours of India and New Zealand after Richie Richardson ordered to rest.

1995: February - Captures career-best Test figures of seven for 37 in the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington.
August - Takes his 300th Test wicket in the sixth Test against England at The Oval.

1996: Named West Indies captain after Richie Richardson resigns at the end of the World Cup.

1998: January - Sacked as captain after West Indies lose all three Tests on 1997 tour of Pakistan.
November - Becomes West Indies leading wicket-taker, passing Malcolm Marshall's 376-mark with the dismissal of Jacques Kallis in the first Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.

1999: Becomes only the third bowler in Test history, after Kapil Dev (434) and Sir Richard Hadlee (431), to take 400 wickets.

2000: Breaks Kapil Dev's world record of 434 Test wickets when he dismisses Zimbabwe bowler Henry Olonga in the second Test at his home ground of Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica.

2001: March - Becomes the first bowler in history to take 500 Test match wickets.
April - On his home Kingston ground, retires from international cricket after the fifth Test against South Africa with 519 Test wickets.

WI win final Test, but SA takes away the series

Jamaica, April 23: West Indies restored a little pride on Monday beating South Africa by 130 runs in the fifth and final cricket Test at Sabina Park but South Africa won the series 2-1.

Leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine took two wickets in the first over after lunch to snuff out South Africa's hopes of saving the match.

South Africa lost only one wicket before lunch as Neil McKenzie and Jacques Kallis batted through most of the morning before Ramnarine had McKenzie caught at silly mid-off for 55.

At that stage, on 209 for four with 59 overs remaining, South Africa still had a chance of earning a draw, or even pushing for an improbable victory after being set to make 386 to win.

But Ramnarine struck with his second delivery after lunch when Kallis went for a pull shot and was bowled for 51 off a bottom edge. Two balls later Mark Boucher was caught behind for nought and South Africa were doomed.

West Indian captain Carl Hooper, who had delayed taking the second new ball, enabling Ramnarine to take his crucial wickets, then called up Courtney Walsh, playing in his last Test.

South African captain Shaun Pollock was caught behind off Mervyn Dillon before Walsh had the crowd in ecstacy when he trapped Justin Kemp leg before for his second nought of the match, then knocked fellow fast bowler Allan Donalds middle stump out of the ground.

Dillon claimed the last wicket when Paul Adams sliced a catch to backward point, leaving Lance Klusener unbeaten on 31.

The win was the first by the West Indies in 15 Test matches and saved them from the embarrassment of failing to win a match in a home series for the first time in 27 years.

Paul Adams to stay on for one-dayers

Jamaica, April 23: South African left-arm spin bowler Paul Adams was given a chance on Monday to revive his career in one-day International cricket.

Adams was due to return home from South Africa's tour of the West Indies after the end of the Test series on Monday but will stay on for seven one-day Internationals following injuries to two other left-arm spinners.

Team manager Goolam Rajah said Adams, 24, would stay on following an injury to the uncapped Goolam Bodi, who suffered a broken left littler finger while playing in a Lanacashire league match in England on Saturday, shortly before he was due to fly to the West Indies.

Bodi had himself been selected as a replacement for Nicky Boje, who returned to South Africa after the fourth Test for an operation on an injured left shoulder.

Adams has not played for South Africa in one-day International cricket since playing in two matches during a triangular tournament in Sri Lanka in July 2000.

Veteran one-day star Jonty Rhodes and uncapped Justin Ontong arrived in Kingston last week to join the rest of the squad, who have been playing in a Test series which ends on Monday.

With Adams staying, the only Test player who will not stay on for the one-day games is batsman Daryll Cullinan.

West Indian players reprimanded

Kingston, April 23: West Indian cricketers Dinanath Ramnarine and Leon Garrick received a severe reprimand from match referee Mike Denness after the fifth and final Test against South Africa at Sabina Park Monday.

St John's, April 23: Ricardo Powell and Nixon McLean have been included in a 14-man West Indies squad for the one-day series against South Africa.

The 22-year-old Powell, a hard-hitting right-hand batsman who can also bowl off-spin, has only played one test but is a regular in the one-day side since making his debut in the 1999 World Cup.

Pace bowler McLean returns after being dropped following the second test against South Africa last month.

But there was no place for former captain Jimmy Adams, Sherwin Campbell or spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, who all featured in West Indies' last one-day series, a triangular event in Australia in January and February.

South Africa have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the current test series. The seven one-dayers begin on Saturday at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

Opening batsman Leon Garrick, who made his test debut in the current fifth test, is the only member of the squad yet to play in a one-day international.

Squad: Carl Hooper (captain), Chris Gayle, Leon Garrick, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara, Ricardo Powell, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Mervyn Dillon, Cameron Cuffy, Kerry Jeremy, Nixon McLean.

Rain interrupts Windies victory in final Test on day four

Jamaica, April 22: Rain interrupted a West Indian push for victory on the fourth day of the fifth and final Test against South Africa at Sabina Park here on Sunday. South Africa were 48 for one at tea after being set an improbable 386 to win. Gary Kirsten completed a miserable end to the series when he was caught behind off Mervyn Dillon for 14.

South Africa hold an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series.

Rain stopped play for 50 minutes during the afternoon. It was the second time on a hot, humid day that a shower drove the players off the field.

Only three overs were cut from the scheduled play, however, under playing regulations which allow for up to an hour a day to be made up for time lost.

South African openers Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs maintained the pattern of a slow-scoring series as they started cautiously against Courtney Walsh, playing in his last Test, and Cameron Cuffy.

Kirsten reached double figures for the first time in six innings before trying to withdraw his bat from a lifting delivery by Dillon. The ball bounced steeply, however, and brushed the bottom edge of his bat before going through to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs.

Walsh, 38, received a standing ovation from his home town crowd when his fellow players stood back and let him lead the side onto the field at the start of the innings. Earlier, the crowd stood and applauded and the South Africans formed a guard of honour when he went out to bat for the last time.

West Indies were bowled out for 301 in their second innings shortly before lunch when Walsh skied a catch to point.

West Indian vice-captain Jacobs and Cuffy thwarted South African hopes of wrapping up the innings quickly when they put on 32 for the ninth wicket in 19.1 overs after the home side had lost overnight batsman Dinanath Ramnarine in the first over of the day.

South African captain Shaun Pollock took a wicket with his third ball when Ramnarine edged a low catch to Daryll Cullinan at first slip.

After catching the ball, Cullinan threw it up in the air as he fell to his left. He then tried unsuccessfully to grab the ball again before it fell to the ground.

Ramnarine stood at the crease before being given out by umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan. The decision was greeted by boos from some of the crowd.

Although Cullinan clearly held the ball cleanly his own actions indicated he was not entirely sure he had fulfilled the requirements of law 32.3 that a catch is completed ``when a fielder obtains complete control over the ball and over his own movement.''

Jacobs was content to keep most of the strike and to use up overs to reduce the chances of South Africa making a successful chase on what remained a good pitch for batting.

Jacobs was ninth man out for 85 when he pulled Lance Klusener to deep midwicket after facing 191 balls and hitting seven fours.

There were loud cheers when Walsh lofted left-arm spinner Paul Adams over mid-off for two but when he tried to repeat the shot he hit an easy catch to Gary Kirsten at point.

Only two teams have successfully chased a target of more than 386. India made 406 for four against the West Indies in Port of Spain in 1975/76 and Australia made 404 for three to beat England at Leeds in 1948.

Windies selectors make some drastic changes for one-day series

Jamaica, April 22: The West Indies selectors made substantial changes on Sunday when they announced their squad for the first two of seven one-day internationals against South Africa.

Only seven of the players who played in a one-day series in Australia in January and February were named in a 14-man squad.

The only player who has not previously played in a one-day International is Jamaican opening batsman Leon Garrick, who made his Test debut in the current fifth Test at Sabina Park.

The first one-day International will be at Sabina Park on Saturday and the second in St Johns, Antigua, on May 2.

The only survivors from a triangular series in Australia in which West Indies were runners-up to the host nation after reaching the finals ahead of Zimbabwe are Brian Lara, Ricardo Powell, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Cameron Cuffy and Nixon McLean.

South Africa, meanwhile, are likely to call for a replacement after allrounder Goolam Bodi suffered a broken finger playing in a Lancashire league game in England on Saturday, the day he was due to fly to the West Indies.

Jamaica, April 22: An aggressive half-century by Ridley Jacobs disillusioned a South African fight back and put the West Indies in a strong position to win the fifth and final Test at Sabina Park on Saturday. Thanks mainly to Jacobs (67 not out) and Marlon Samuels, who made 59, West Indies finished the third day on 255 for seven, an overall lead of 339.

West Indies had been restricted to a second innings total of 126 for five when captain Carl Hooper was out in the 69th over.

At that stage, South Africa could have been starting to entertain hopes of winning, with the overall lead a manageable 210. But Jacobs went for his shots from the start. He had plenty of luck early on but the stocky left-hander hit some crunching shots. Samuels, 20, the youngest player in the team, blossomed during a crucial sixth wicket stand of 58 with Jacobs before he was bowled off an inside edge by South African captain Shaun Pollock.

The South Africans, having bowled and fielded with superb discipline, wilted under a hot sun and the effects of Jacobs assault. Mervyn Dillon helped Jacobs put on 45 for the seventh wicket before he was caught at backward point off Pollock for 13.

By then the lead was over 300 and South Africa were already faced with having to make a record fourth innings chase. The highest target they have chased successfully is 295 against Australia in Melbourne in 1952/53.

There was more frustration for the tourists as Ramnarine survived a hard chance to Jacques Kallis at second slip off Lance Klusener five overs from the close. Jacobs played more cautiously towards the close of play, preserving his wicket for a final push Sunday to set South Africa an unreachable target of around 400.

It was yet another feisty innings by Jacobs, 34, who has played many of his best innings against Australia and South Africa, including the only century by a West Indian in a Test against South Africa. He made 113 not out in the third Test in Barbados.

Earlier, though, the South Africans made the West Indies fight for every run. The West Indies were able to add only 39 runs in 29 overs before lunch and added 67 more in another 29 overs during the afternoon session before the score increased by 107 in 32 overs between tea and the close.

Fast bowler Allan Donald dismissed Leon Garrick for 27 after 13 runs had been added to the overnight total of 34 for no wicket. After bowling two bouncers to Garrick, Donald had the opening batsman pushing at a ball that moved away, touching the edge of the bat before going to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul made seven before edging Justin Kemp to Daryll Cullinan at first slip. Left-arm spinner Paul Adams took the wicket of Brian Lara when the West Indian star drove over a full-pitched ball and was bowled, immediately after driving a similar delivery through the covers for four.

Pollock produced a slow yorker, which bowled Chris Gayle after a slow innings of 32 off 180 balls. West Indian captain Carl Hooper fell to a sharply rising bouncer from Kallis which he could only fend to third slip off his glove.

Pollock finished with the best South African figures of three for 56.

West Indies takes control of fifth test

Kingston, April 20 :  A sensational fightback by the West Indies saw them dismiss series winners South Africa for a feeble 141 on the second day of the fifth test at Sabina Park on Friday.

Defending their own modest first innings score of 225, the home side earned a shock lead of 84 which had been extended to 118 runs by the close of play.

Openers Leon Garrick (21 not out) and Chris Gayle (10 not out) started the second innings to 34 without loss at the close of play.

South Africa may have already won the series with their unassailable 2-0 lead but the home side undoubtedly restored some of their badly dented pride as South Africa collapsed.

Mervyn Dillon claimed four wickets and Courtney Walsh three as the tourists succumbed to the home side's three-pronged pace attack in which Cameron Cuffy also played a significant role with two top order wickets.

Opener Gary Kirsten edged Walsh to Gayle at third slip to depart for his third duck in five innings and Herschelle Gibbs (18) edged Cuffy to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs in the first over after lunch.

Daryll Cullinan (6) began the innings just 65 runs short of 500 for the series but attempted an ambitious back foot cover drive and succeeded only in edging the ball to first slip where Brian Lara held a fine, low catch.

Jacques Kallis (17) continued his run of bad luck with an unusual caught and bowled dismissal that saw the ball loop back to Dillon via an inside edge and the batsman's pad.

Lance Klusener, who has averaged exactly four runs in the series prior to the fifth test, lofted leg spinner Dinanath Ramnarine for a straight six as he attempted to play himself back into form but Walsh slipped the perfect leg cutter through his defences to uproot off stump and dismiss him for 13.

Neil McKenzie, meanwhile, batted with perfect composure and proved as his team mates found new ways to get themselves out.

Mark Boucher (13) savagely hooked a Walsh bouncer to forward square leg where Garrick held an extraordinary catch while Pollock (24) was dismissed for just the third time in the series by wafting and edging Dillon to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs.

His innings included consecutive pull shots against Cuffy that earned 10 runs to the midwicket boundary.

McKenzie's fluent 45 from 99 balls ended with a missed sweep shot against leg spinner Dinanath Ramnarine which resulted in a successful lbw appeal and Dillon quickly wrapped the innings up before South Africa could mount a tail-end fightback.

Garrick counter-attacked in thrilling style when Donald and Pollock took the new ball, pulling and hooking the bouncers to remain at the crease at stumps.

The West Indian first innings ended soon after the start of play for the addition of 11 runs to their overnight 214 for nine wickets with Ramnarine advancing from 28 to 35 not out before Pollock dismissed Walsh (4) for his fifth wicket of the match.

Shaun Pollock joins elite all rounders club

Kingston, April 20:  South African captain Shaun Pollock became the eighth player in Test history to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets when his score passed 12 on the second day of the fifth and final Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park here on Friday.

The 27-year-old, playing in his 56th test, reached the landmark in style when he pulled fast bowler Cameron Cuffy for six to take his total of runs to 2001 with 227 wickets.

Pollock joined some of crickets greatest names as he became the first South Africa to achieve the feat.

The only other players to have done it are Richie Benaud of Australia, Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies), Ian Botham (England), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Kapil Dev (India), Sir Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) and Wasim Akram (Pakistan).

Pollock started his innings with a Test career batting average of 32.06, having hit two centuries and eight half-centuries while his 227 wickets have been taken at an average of 20.39 with 12 five-wicket hauls. 

West Indies struggle on first day of fifth Test

Kingston (Jamaica), April 19: Fast bowler Allan Donald struck twice as the West Indies struggled to 53 for three at lunch on the first day of the fifth and final Test against South Africa at Sabina Park on Thursday.

New cap Leon Garrick was out to the first ball of the match as the West Indies made the worst possible start after winning the toss.

Shivarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle were also out as the West Indies embarked on a mssion to restore pride after South Africa took a winning 2-0 lead in the series by winning the fourth Test in Antigua earlier this month.

Garrick was not in the original 13-man squad named by the West Indies selectors on Tuesday but was called up yesterday in place of fellow Jamaican Wavell Hinds.

He received his cap from veteran Courtney Walsh in a ceremony on the field before the start of play but barely had a chance to savour the moment as he cut the first ball he received from Donald straight to South African captain Shaun Pollock at gully.

Walsh, 38, told the Kingston newspaper, The Gleaner, that his 132nd Test would definitely be his last. It had been expected that Walsh, who has taken a world record 513 Test wickets, would retire but he had not formally announced a decision.

Chanderpaul was caught behind off Jacques Kallis for seven and Gayle cut Donald to Justin Kemp at gully after making an unusually cautious 25.

Brian Lara, who took 16 balls to score his first run, was seven not out at lunch. The West Indies made three changes to their team.

Garrick, 24, made an unbeaten 174 in a two-day match for Jamaica against South Africa in Montego Bay on Monday. This performance followed a prolific Busta Cup domestic competition in which he made 801 runs at an average of 50.06.

The other two changes came from within the original 13-man squad, with young batsman Marlon Samuels replacing Ramnaresh Sarwan and fast bowler Cameron Cuffy coming in for left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell.

Left-arm spinner Paul Adams returned to the South African team after an absence of ten Test matches in place of fellow left-armer Nicky Boje, who returned home for a shoulder operation after the fourth Test.

Fast bowler Donald came back after missing the fourth Test with a hamstring injury with Makhaya Ntini being left out.

SA plan to maintain supremacy over WI in the final Test

Kingston, April 19 : South Africa plan to maintain their supremacy over the West Indies when they meet in the fifth and final Test starting on Thursday at Sabina Park.

Although South Africa took a winning 2-0 lead in the fourth Test in Antigua earlier this month, the tourists are determined not to allow their level of performance to slip.

South Africa will be boosted by the return of fast bowler Allan Donald, who missed the fourth Test because of a hamstring injury.

Donald said he was delighted with his fitness after playing in a one-day match in Montserrat last Thursday and a two-day match against Jamaica in Montego Bay at the weekend.

Donald worked up to full pace and said afterwards: "I haven't felt this good about my bowling for quite a long time."

Allrounder Jacques Kallis, who plays in his 50th Test on Thursday, summed up the feeling in the South African camp. "From a team point of view we would like to win the series 3-0. We have dominated the West Indies sufficiently to have a better scoreline than 2-0."

Donald's return is likely to be at the expense of allrounder Justin Kemp.

But the poor form of left-arm spinner Paul Adams is a concern for the tourists. With fellow left-armer Nicky Boje having returned home because of injury, Adams is the only specialist spinner in the squad but he bowled poorly against Jamaica, taking no wickets for 81 runs in 24 overs.

With Sabina Park expected to offer more help to fast bowlers than other pitches in the Caribbean, Kemp may stay in the side if it is felt Lance Klusener's off-cutters will give the side enough of a slow bowling option.

The West Indies selectors decided to stay with the same 13 players who were picked for the Antigua Test, despite the claims of Jamaican opening batsman Leon Garrick, who made an unbeaten 174 against the tourists in Montego Bay.

With their decision to field two specialist spinners in Antigua having backfired, it seems likely that fast bowler Cameron Cuffy will be in the final line-up at the expense of either Neil McGarrell or Dinanath Ramnarine, the two spinners who played in Antigua.

West Indies captain Carl Hooper said he was looking for a steady improvement in his team's performance as they seek to end a lengthening slump which has finally transferred from disastrous results on away tours to a losing performance in a series at home.

"Over the next two years we've got to play solid cricket. We're heading in the right direction," said Hooper.

Coach Roger Harper said there had been a lot of pressure on the young players in the West Indies team. "We're expecting quite a lot from these young guys," he said.

"They have been thrown in at the deep end and they have to learn more about applying themselves, concentration and getting through the pressure periods."

The teams: 
West Indies (from): Carl Hooper (captain), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Dinanath Ramnarine, Mervyn Dillon, Courtney Walsh, Marlon Samuels and Cameron Cuffy.

South Africa (likely squad): Shaun Polock (captain), Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Justin Kemp, Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini and Paul Adams.

West Indies players to face fines if they drop catches

KINGSTON, April 18: West Indies players will face fines if they drop catches in the fifth and final test against South Africa beginning on Thursday.

"The management have put in place fines for players who drop catches and generally misfield," team manager Ricky Skeritt said on Wednesday of the novel and radical move to improve the side's fielding.

"I don't think the South Africans are significantly better than us. I personally think the main difference is their ability to remain mentally disciplined for longer periods and that is something we are working on.

"I don't think South Africa is a team that should be beating us 2-0 or 3-0."

Pollock the seventh touring captain to win in Caribbean

ST.JOHN'S, April 10:  South Africa's Shaun Pollock became only the seventh captain to lead a touring team to a series victory in the Caribbean when his side beat West Indies by 82 runs in the fourth test on Tuesday.

The South Africans won the second test in Trinidad by 69 runs after draws in the first test in Guyana and the third match in Barbados. They can now equal the worst defeat ever suffered by the West Indies on home soil by winning the final test at Sabina Park in Jamaica in two weeks time.

Three Australians, two Englishmen and an Indian have won a series in the Caribbean.

However, Pollock becomes just the second man to do it in the last 27 years after Mark Taylor's success with Australia in the 1994-95 season.

The first captain to win in the West Indies was Australia's Ian Johnson. He is also one of only two men to win a series by more than one test after triumphing 3-0 in a five-match rubber in the 1954-55 season. The other was countryman Ian Chappell who won 2-0 in the 1972-73 season.

Touring captains to win in the Caribbean: 1954-55, Ian Johnson, Australia, 3-0 (5) 1959-60, Peter May, England, 1-0 (5) 1967-68, Colin Cowdrey, England, 1-0 (5) 1970-71, Ajit Wadekar, India, 1-0 (5) 1972-73, Ian Chappell, Australia, 2-0 (5) 1994-95, Mark Taylor, Australia, 2-1 (4).

SA beat Windies by 82 runs, clinch series 2-0

St John's, April 10: South Africa clinched the series 2-0 beating West Indies by 82 runs on the fifth and final day of the fourth Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Tuesday.

South African captain Shaun Pollock made a double breakthrough and followed up with a third wicket as his side became only the second visiting team in 30 years to win a series in the West Indies.

The previous side to win in the West Indies were Australia, who captained by Mark Taylor won a four-match series 2-1 in 1994-95.

Before that the West Indies had been unbeaten at home since Australia, captained by Ian Chappell, beat them 2-0 in a five-match series in 1972-73.

Brian Lara hit a thrilling 91 as his teammates crumbled at the other end. Lara batted cautiously until Neil McGarrell was the seventh man out.

Lara ended up with eight fours and four sixes before being ninth man out when he skied a drive against Jacques Kallis to extra cover.

The defeat was a setback for new West Indian captain Carl Hooper, who took the decision to send South Africa in on an under-prepared pitch after gambling on picking two specialist spinners.

The pitch deteriorated markedly as the match went on and West Indies were handicapped when Mervyn Dillon, one of only two fast bowlers, was able to bowl only three balls in South Africa's second innings because of a sprained right thumb.

 The day started reasonably for the West Indies as Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan put on 49 for the fifth wicket, seeing their team through almost until lunch after a 40-minute rain break interruped play after a single delivery at the start of play.

But Pollock's entry into the attack proved a crucial move as he dismissed Ramnaresh Sarwan and Ridley Jacobs within four balls.

With his 13th delivery of the day Pollock had Sarwan caught behind for 26, edging a leg-cutter. Three balls later Jacobs drove at a slower delivery and looped a simple catch to Gary Kirsten at extra cover.

Pollock struck again after lunch when Neil McGarrell was caught at silly mid-off. He finished with figures of three for 41.

Boje, who took three of the four wickets that fell on Monday, bowled unchanged from the start of play and finally claimed a wicket when Mervyn Dillon was caught at slip off his glove when Boje made a ball bounce steeply.

He should have completed a five-wicket haul when Lara, on 68, swept him to deep square leg where Makhaya Ntini got into perfect position but spilled the catch.

Lara rubbed it in for Boje in the spin bowler's next over by slamming him to the legside again for a four and six.

Lara had reached his fifty off 144 balls and scored his next 41 off 55 deliveries, with Boje bearing the brunt of the punishment.

Boje bowled 26 overs unchanged and conceded 78 runs to finish with four for 118 off 45 overs.

Finally Pollock called for the second new ball and with the second over Kallis had Lara caught.

Kallis took the final wicket in his next over when Dinanath Ramnarine fended a catch to gully.

Gibbs reprimanded for dissent

ST. JOHN'S, April 10: South African opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs was reprimanded for showing dissent after being dismissed in the second innings of the fourth Test against the West Indies, match referee Mike Denness said on Tuesday.

The incident happened Sunday when Gibbs showed his dismay and pointed to his shoulder after being given out by umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan who ruled he had been caught off a ball of freakishly high bounce from leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine.

Gibbs made it obvious he thought he had not touched the ball with his bat or glove.

Denness said he had a meeting with Gibbs and South African captain Shaun Pollock Monday night and warned the player about his conduct during the rest of the series.

West Indian last hopes rested on Brian Lara 

St John's, April 9: Brian Lara holds the last realistic hopes of preventing a series defeat for the West Indies after the fourth day of the fourth Test against South Africa at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

West Indies were 101 for four at the close of play here on Monday after being set to make 323 on a difficult pitch.

Lara was five not out and it seemed it would need the world record holder to be at his dazzling best in order to stop South Africa taking a winning 2-0 lead in the series.

Left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, bowling into a large patch of rough outside the left-handed batsmen's off stump, dismissed three of the five left-handers in the top seven of the West
Indian batting order.

All rounder Lance Klusener, bowling off cutters, claimed the other wicket, ending a promising innings of 21 by West Indian captain Carl Hooper.

South African captain Shaun Pollock declared his team's second innings midway through the afternoon, leaving his team with a minimum of 131 overs to bowl at the West Indians on a
worn pitch with uneven bounce.

The required run rate for the West Indies was 2.47 in a match in which the scoring rate has only once been above two runs an over, when South Africa made 247 in 122.2 overs in the
first innings.

By close of play they required another 222 in a minimum of 90 overs, with the required rate still at 2.47.

South Africa laboured to 215 for seven before declaring after 123 overs in their second innings. Pollock took his total of runs in the series to 275 for twice out when he made an unbeaten 41.

West Indies hope of leveling the series against SA in trouble

Antigua, April 9: West Indian hopes of leveling their five-Test series against South Africa suffered a blow as they struggled to 130 for six in reply to South Africa's 247 on the second day of the fourth Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Accurate and aggressive fast bowling plunged the West Indies into deep trouble by close of play on Saturday. They faced the prospect of trailing on the first innings as well as having to bat last on a pitch expected to deteriorate.

South Africa reduced the West Indies to 50 for three, and then struck three more blows in the late afternoon. Ramnaresh Sarwan fell to a trap for the second time in the series when he hooked Jacques Kallis to square leg after making 25.

Then a diving Daryll Cullinan brilliantly caught the recalled Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who seemed set to take his innings into the third day, at slip for 40. He was the second big scalp for all-rounder Justin Kemp, playing in place of the injured Allan Donald.

Kemp earlier had Brian Lara, whose world Test record 375 was made on the same ground, caught in the covers for 19. Kemp finished the day with two for 17 off eight overs.

Chanderpaul, who did not play in the first three Tests because he was not considered match fit after recovering from an injury, started cautiously but was looking in good form shortly before his dismissal.

A bad day for the West Indies ended when a Lance Klusener off cutter bowled night watchman Mervyn Dillon. West Indian captain Carl Hooper remained unbeaten on 16. He and Ridley Jacobs will be the main hopes of enabling the West Indies to get close to South Africa's total after Hooper sent in the tourists.

The West Indies could have been in worse trouble if Kemp had not been no balled when Sarwan edged a catch to Cullinan at first slip before he had scored.

Chris Gayle was caught at gully by South African captain Shaun Pollock off Kallis for 11 before Pollock had Hinds caught behind for nine.

Lara slashed a six over fourth slip off Makhaya Ntini before he drove Kemp into the covers where Neil McKenzie held a diving catch. Sarwan had his escape in Kemp's next over and was dropped on two when he gave a sharp chance to Gary Kirsten at short leg off Ntini.

Earlier, Pollock was left stranded on 48 as Dillon bowled Kemp and Ntini with successive balls to end the South African innings. Pollock and left-hander Nicky Boje continued their eighth wicket stand in cautious style after resuming on 210 for seven. Only four runs were scored in seven overs in the first 25 minutes of play before Boje hit left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell for a straight six.

The Pollock-Boje stand was worth 75 when umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan although replays showed the ball pitched outside leg stump gave Boje out leg before to Walsh. Kemp could have been given out to the next ball, however, but survived.

Kemp, in his second Test, helped Pollock add 24 runs before he tried to turn Dillon to the leg side and had his off stump knocked out of the ground. Ntini played a similar shot to the next ball with the same result.

West Indies struggle to reach 130/6 in reply to South Africa’s 247

St John's (Antigua), April 7: West Indian hopes of levelling their five-Test series against South Africa suffered a blow on Saturday as they struggling to 130 for six in reply to South Africa's 247 on the second day of the fourth Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Accurate and aggressive fast bowling plunged the West Indies into deep trouble by close of play. They faced the prospect of trailing on the first innings as well as having to bat last on a pitch expected to deteriorate.

South Africa reduced the West Indies to 50 for three, then struck three more blows in the late afternoon.

Ramnaresh Sarwan fell to a trap for the second time in the series when he hooked Jacques Kallis to square leg after making 25.

Then the recalled Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who seemed set to take his innings into the third day, was brilliantly caught at slip by a diving Daryll Cullinan for 40. He was the second big scalp for all-rounder Justin Kemp, playing in place of the injured Allan Donald.

Kemp earlier had Brian Lara, whose world Test record 375 was made on the same ground, caught in the covers for 19. Kemp finished the day with two for 17 off eight overs.

Chanderpaul, who did not play in the first three Tests because he was not considered match fit after recovering from an injury, started cautiously but was looking in good form shortly before his dismissal.

A bad day for the West Indies ended when nightwatchman Mervyn Dillon was bowled by a Lance Klusener offcutter.

West Indian captain Carl Hooper remained unbeaten on 16. He and Ridley Jacobs will be the side's main hopes of enabling the West Indies to get close to South Africa's total after the tourists were sent in by Hooper.

The West Indies could have been in worse trouble if Kemp had not been no-balled when Sarwan edged a catch to Cullinan at first slip before he had scored.

Tight bowling forced errors from Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds and Lara.

Gayle was caught at gully by South African captain Shaun Pollock off Kallis for 11 before Pollock had Hinds caught behind for nine.

Lara slashed a six over fourth slip off Makhaya Ntini before he drove Kemp into the covers where Neil McKenzie held a diving catch.

Sarwan had his escape in Kemp's next over and was dropped on two when he gave a sharp chance to Gary Kirsten at short leg off Ntini.

Earlier, Pollock was left stranded on 48 as Dillon bowled Kemp and Ntini with successive balls to end the South African innings, hitting the offstump with fast, full-length deliveries.

Pollock and left-hander Nicky Boje continued their eighth wicket stand in cautious style after resuming on 210 for seven. Only four runs were scored in seven overs in the first 25 minutes of play before Boje hit left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell for a straight six.

It was a rare attacking blow, however, on a slow pitch as South Africa continued to dig themselves out of the trouble they had been in at 148 for seven after being sent in.

The Pollock-Boje stand was worth 75 when Boje was given out lbw to Courtney Walsh by umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan although replays showed the ball pitched outside leg stump. Kemp could have been given out to the next ball, however, but survived.

Kemp, in his second Test, helped Pollock add 24 runs before he tried to turn Dillon to the legside and had his offstump knocked out of the ground. Ntini played a similar shot to the next ball with the same result.

Dillon finished with three for 47. McGarrell, making his debut, took four for 72.

Hooper praises left-arm spinner McGarrell

ST. John’s, April 6: West Indies captain Carl Hooper praised debutant left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell for his composure and control after the opening day of the fourth test against South Africa on Friday.

McGarrell finished with four for 57 from 34 overs as South Africa reached 210 for seven.

He was the pick of the bowlers on a pitch that offered generous assistance to the spinners even on day one.

"He's done it time and time again for us in the Busta Cup," Hooper said .

"I knew that given the conditions he would bowl well here too. And he did over a long spell.

"He's not a nervous kind of individual. He's been playing first-class cricket for some time now and he's been around the West Indian team before. Even though this is his first test match he's the kind of guy who'll get stuck in straight away," Hooper added.

It was the first time in 25 years that the West Indies had gone into a test with two front line spinners and the captain said the emergence of McGarrell was a positive sign for the game as a whole in the region.

"It's great that we've got a lot of spinners coming to the fore. A lot of young spinners around the Caribbean can see McGarrell and the likes of (Dinanath) Ramnarine doing well when given the chance, which I think is good for West Indies cricket.

"We've had such a long, successful time with four quicks, so maybe it's time we started turning to the slow bowlers."

Hooper decision to field on a pitch that was widely believed to become more and more spinner-friendly came as a surprise.

He said it was a decision based as much on the quality of the South African attack as the options available to himself.

"My major concern -- I can't say 'our' -- is that if a wicket has a lot of preparation and moisture inside like this one, what kind of damage can the South African seam attack do to us rather than what we can do to them.

BRIDGETOWN, April 5: The West Indies have included left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell in their roster for the fourth Test against South Africa, beginning in Antigua on Friday.

The West Indies Cricket Board announced McGarrell - who bowls orthodox spin - would replace David Mohammed, also a left-arm spinner. Mohammed was in the squad for the second and third Tests but not chosen in the eleven.

The 28-year-old McGarrell is a surprise choice. A useful right-hand batsman and sharp fielder, he played five one-day internationals against England and South Africa in the past two years, but has never appeared in a Test.

His selection may indicate the West Indies will depend on spin, rather than their traditional strength of pace in the Antigua Test with McGarrell replacing one of the three fast bowlers who played in the third Test that ended in a draw here on Monday.

If selected in the final eleven, McGarrell would join leg- spinner Dinanath Ramnarine, who has 15 wickets in the three Tests, and captain Carl Hooper whose off-spin gained him two wickets in South Africa's second innings of the third Test.

South Africa lead the series of five Tests 1-0 after their victory in the second Test in Trinidad. The first Test in Guyana ended in a draw. The final Test is scheduled for Kingston, Jamaica, beginning April 19.

Team: Carl Hooper (captain), Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Merv Dillon, Dinanath Ramnarine, Cameron Cuffy and Courtney Walsh.

West Indies manage to draw the third Test against the Proteas 

Bridgetown, April 2:The West Indies collapsed in dramatic fashion after tea on Monday, but managed to hang on in a thrilling final half hour to draw the third Test against South African at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Monday. West Indies lost seven wickets for 48 runs after being set what seemed a straightforward task of batting out the last session. They finished on 88 for seven. 

Earlier, it had been South Africa who had been under pressure. They lost three wickets in the first hour before Daryll Cullinan batted them to safety with an innings of 82.

South Africa declared soon after Cullinan's dismissal at 197 for nine, leaving West Indies an impossible target of 265 to win in a minimum of 28 overs. In the end they had to face 38.4 overs.

After a solid start, in which Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds put on 34, left-arm spinner Nicky Boje started a slide when he had Hinds caught at slip.

Marlon Samuels went the same way before Gayle, who slammed 48 off 35 balls with 11 fours, went for another extravagant shot and was caught behind off Jacques Kallis.

Wickets then tumbled and there were eight men crowded around the bat as Mervyn Dillon blocked out an over from Boje, with the crowd cheering every ball safely defended.

Then Dinanath Ramnarine was warned by the umpires for time-wasting as he held up play, claiming cramp with the minimum overs already completed inside the last 15 minutes. He had treatment on the field before he and Dillon secured the draw.

Ramnarine earlier had career-best figures of five for 78, with South Africa's declaration robbing him of an opportunity to take a hat-trick after he sent back Cullinan and Allan Donald with successive deliveries.

Cullinan extended a rich vein of form. He made 103 and 73 in the second Test in Port of Spain and 134 in the first innings in Bridgetown.

Cullinan was on course to become the fourth South African to score centuries in both innings of a Test match until he went for a big hit against Ramnarine and edged a catch to Brian Lara at slip.

Although runs came easily towards the end, most of Cullinan's innings was played under pressure as the West Indian spin bowlers reduced South Africa to 97 for six, an overall lead of 164 with more than 70 overs left.

It was only during his partnership with Pollock, who made 40, that South Africa moved out of danger.

Cullinan batted for 269 minutes, faced 246 balls and hit two sixes and eight fours.

Ramnarine and West Indian captain Carl Hooper dominated the bowling. Ramnarine made the ball turn sharply at times on a wearing pitch, while Hooper bowled accurate offspin to take two for 49 in 34 overs.

The teams move on to Antigua for the fourth Test, which starts in St John's on Friday.

South Africa may have to find a replacement for fast bowler Donald, who was off the field from Saturday afternoon because of a strained right hamstring. Physiotherapist Craig Smith said Donald was doubtful for the next match but would have intensive treatment over the next three days.

Allrounder Justin Kemp, who would vie with uncapped Andre Nel for Donald's place, is also on the injured list after suffering a gashed left heel while jumping off a boat on a picnic outing last week.

Ridley Jacobs blazing century give WI hopes of victory

Bridgetown, April 1: A sensational century by Ridley Jacobs and a South African top order collapse gave the West Indies a sniff of victory on the fourth day of the third Test at Kensington Oval Sunday. Jacobs slammed 113 not out as the West Indies made 387 to get within 67 runs of South Africa’s first innings total of 454.

 South Africa lost their first three wickets for 36 runs. They finished the day on 52 for three, an overall lead of 119. When Jacobs hooked Makhaya Ntini for six into the Hall and Griffith Stand at long leg he burst through two barriers. It was his first Test century - and the first by any West Indian in nine Tests against South Africa.

Jacobs, 33, rode his luck - but probably deserved a slice of it after being stranded in the 90s twice in his career. He was 93 not out in the second Test against South Africa in Port of Spain and made his previous highest score of 96 not out against Australia in Perth last December.

South African bowling resources were stretched, with Pollock going without a wicket and seeming to have a problem with his right elbow, which was in a protective bandage. Pollock bowled only eight overs during the first two sessions of the day.

Fast-medium swing bowler Jacques Kallis carried the attack, claiming career-best figures of six for 67 in 36 overs.

South African opening batsman Gary Kirsten completed his first pair in 71 Tests when he was caught at third slip off Cameron Cuffy in the second over of the second innings.

Kallis did not come in at his usual number three position after his bowling efforts but soon found himself at the crease as two more wickets fell quickly when Hooper turned to an all-spin attack.

The captain himself had Herschelle Gibbs caught at short leg for 19 and legspinner Dinanath Ramnarine had Neil McKenzie caught behind for 12. It left Daryll Cullinan and Kallis to bat out the day and they faced 19 overs, with fielders clustered around the bat, before bad light ended play 15 minutes before a revised close.

Jacobs innings had a near-capacity crowd cheering. Like Pollock Friday, he made the bulk of his runs after the last of the remaining recognised batsmen had been dismissed.

Jacobs had made only 14 when his captain, Carl Hooper, fell victim to the last ball of a freakishly long first over of the day. Only 16 overs were bowled in the morning because play was suspended while bowlers footmarks were repaired. It caused 56 minutes to be added to the regular playing time.

The first over of the day took almost an hour to complete and ended with Kallis having West Indian captain Hooper caught behind without adding to his overnight score of 74.

Hooper and Lara shine to avoid follow-on

Bridgetown, April 1: Despite losing Brian Lara, the West Indies had a superb final session on the third day of the third Test against South Africa at Bridgetown on Friday. At the close of play, a brilliant unbeaten 74 from captain Carl Hooper had taken the West Indies to 252 for 5, while Ridley Jacobs was unbeaten on 14.

Lara (83) and Hooper (74 not out) put on 116 for the fifth wicket after South Africa's back-up fast bowlers, Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini, had plunged the home side into trouble.

The two most experienced batsmen in the West Indian team earned roars of approval from a crowd which Friday had watched in near-silence as the West Indies gave a shoddy performance in the field.

Lara again fell short of a Test century against South Africa, a feat which has eluded any West Indian, after getting the benefit of the doubt from the television umpire when he edged Shaun Pollock to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher when he had 21.

Kallis and Ntini did the early damage after taking over from Pollock and Allan Donald, who had shone as batsmen Friday when they put on a record 132 for South Africa's ninth wicket.

Donald was unable to complete the day's play after straining his right hamstring. He suffered the injury while batting on Friday and left the field after bowling 14 overs without taking a wicket. Physiotherapist Craig Smith said he was unlikely to bowl again in the first innings.

Kallis took a wicket with his second delivery and finished the day with three for 52, getting the key wicket of Lara late in the day when the batsman pulled a short ball to mid-on.

Ntini ended a hard-hitting innings of 40 by left-handed opening batsman Chris Gayle and broke a promising partnership between Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan as he took two for 51.

Pollock and Donald were unable to make a breakthrough at the start of the West Indian innings.

Gayle pounded some powerful offside drives off both fast bowlers as he dominated an opening stand of 37 with fellow left-hander Wavell Hinds.

But a double switch of bowlers by skipper Pollock brought a breakthrough. Kallis's second ball swung in to Hinds, who edged a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. He scored only two off 46 balls.

Gayle's lack of footwork was his undoing when he was caught low down at first slip by Daryll Cullinan when he flashed at Ntini. He hit eight fours in a 71-ball innings.

Marlon Samuels was tied down by Kallis before hooking a four. In trying to repeat the shot two balls later he top-edged a simple catch to Neil McKenzie at mid-on.

Ntini made the next breakthrough after Lara and Sarwan had put on 45 for the fourth wicket. With the first ball of his second spell he had Sarwan caught at backward point for 16.

Lara was lucky when he edged Pollock low to Boucher with his score on 21. Umpire Darrell Hair asked television umpire Halley Moore to check whether the ball had bounced before being caught by the wicketkeeper. The South Africans seemed convinced the ball had carried but Moore gave the batsman the benefit, with television pictures being inconclusive.

Lara and Hooper then put on the most attractive batting display of the match. Lara was cautious early on but hit 13 fours in making his 83 off 186 balls.

Hooper made his fourth half-century in five innings in the series and finished the day on 74 off 142 balls with 11 fours.

Pollock's unbeaten century help SA take charge

Bridgetown, March 31: South African captain Shaun Pollock hit a century and shared a record ninth wicket stand with fellow fast bowler Allan Donald on the second day of the third Test at Kensington Oval here on Friday.

Pollock hit 106 not out as South Africa, who had been sent in, reached 454 all out. It was the highest total in matches between South Africa and West Indies. Left with four overs to bat out before close of play, West Indies scored seven for no wicket.

Pollock and Donald shared a stand of 132 for the ninth wicket, a South African record against the West Indies and the highest ninth wicket partnership in Test matches in Bridgetown. West Indian captain Carl Hooper, who had criticised his team's fielding after the first day's play, saw two straightforward chances go down from both century-makers, Daryll Cullinan (134) and Pollock.

Cullinan's escape was relatively inexpensive, with the batsman adding only 12 more runs after offering a simple chance to Brian Lara at deep mid-wicket off Hooper. Pollock was dropped when he had 45 when he steered Courtney Walsh to slip where Chris Gayle could not hold a regulation chance.

The incident happened three balls after tea when the partnership with Donald was worth 56. The innings continued almost until close of play as Pollock decided to grind it out as long as possible.

It was Pollock's second Test century and his second in four matches after he made 111 against Sri Lanka at Centurion in January. In both innings he batted at number nine. Friday he batted for four hours, faced 196 balls and hit 13 fours. He went from 75 to 100 in only 14 balls, including a burst of three successive boundaries against Mervyn Dillon.

Cullinan and Nicky Boje took their overnight sixth wicket stand to 76 in 129 minutes, seeing off the second new ball, before Cullinan was caught and bowled by Dillon for 134.

Boje followed for 34 and Lance Klusener was out for a single, leaving the in-form Pollock with no recognised batsmen to help him prop up the lower order.

There was near stalemate for more than an hour as Pollock turned down singles in an attempt to save Donald from the strike. When he did face, however, Donald batted competently and he eventually received a reasonable share of the strike as he made a Test-best 37 before being caught by Hooper at slip off Walsh when Pollock was on 99.

The total made Hooper's decision to send South Africa in seem questionable. The low point of a disappointing day for the West Indies was when Cullinan was dropped. After his criticism Thursday, Hooper himself was the victim of the worst fielding error of the match when Cullinan skied the ball towards deep midwicket.

Lara was able to get in position but spilled the chance to jeers from spectators in the nearby Kensington stand, the cheapest and most popular area of the ground. At that stage Cullinan and Boje were starting to get on top of the bowling but Dillon dismissed both shortly before lunch.

He held a sharp return chance from Cullinan then had Boje caught at cover. Walsh bowled Klusener soon after lunch but the West Indies' troubles were not over as Pollock and Donald built their record stand.

As the partnership grew, the West Indian fielding standards slid and a largely silent crowd voiced their displeasure several times when fielders failed to pick up cleanly.

Cullinan hits his second century as SA recover from early setback

Bridgetown, March 29: Daryll Cullinan hit his second century in successive Tests as South Africa recovered from early setbacks, after being sent in on the first day of the third Test against the West Indies at the Kensington Oval here on Thursday.

Cullinan made an unbeaten 108 in a total of 244 for five at close of play.

South Africa had been 58 for three on a pitch which had early life.

A fourth-wicket stand of 149 between Cullinan and Neil McKenzie (72) wrested the initiative away from the West Indies.

It was a fourth-wicket record for South Africa against the West Indies. For Cullinan, 34, it was a continuation of the form he showed when he made 103 and 73 and was named man of the match, when South Africa won the second Test in Port of Spain, Trinidad, by 69 runs.

McKenzie struggled in the first two Tests, scoring only 38 runs in three innings. But a hard-fought 58 in 210 minutes against a West Indies Board XI at the same ground last weekend enabled him to spend valuable time at the crease.

McKenzie played some sizzling off-side drives off both the front and back foot and was strong on the hook and pull. His six came when he pulled a short ball from Mervyn Dillon over mid-wicket.

The breakthrough came in surprising fashion when West Indian skipper Carl Hooper called on Wavell Hinds to bowl gentle medium-pacers, at a time when Cullinan and McKenzie were in complete control. With his eighth delivery, Hinds made a breakthrough when McKenzie pulled a short ball straight to Mervyn Dillon at mid-wicket.

It was the second time in successive Tests that Hinds proved an effective partnership breaker. He dismissed Jacques Kallis in Trinidad, after Kallis and Cullinan had put on 99 in the second Test.

McKenzie batted for 190 balls, faced 158 balls and hit nine fours and a six. Cullinan went on to his century after batting for 238 minutes, facing 189 balls and hitting 11 fours.

It was Cullinan's 14th Test century, extending his own South African Test record. Cullinan and McKenzie came together with South Africa struggling, after being sent in.

The conditions were difficult for batsmen as early moisture made batting hazardous on a pitch with close-cut grass patches at both ends.

Earlier, Hooper's decision to bowl first paid off almost immediately when Courtney Walsh had consistent opening batsman Gary Kirsten caught off his gloves for nought off the third ball of the match, the ball lifting sharply.

Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis put on 53 for the second wicket but both were out in consecutive overs from fast bowler Dillon. Gibbs was starting to look settled, when he edged a drive and was caught by Hooper at second slip for 34.

In Dillon's next over, Kallis was beaten by a vicious delivery which squared up the batsman and lifted sharply, with Kallis edging it to wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs.

Cuffy, 31, recalled for just his fourth Test, was unlucky. He had both Gibbs and McKenzie dropped and troubled Cullinan at times. He gained some reward when, with the second new ball, he had Mark Boucher caught behind.

The pitch played easier as the day progressed and the West Indian fast bowlers will need to strike early on Friday with the second new ball, only 7.3 overs old, if Hooper's decision is to be justified.

Courtney Walsh considering retiring from Test Cricket

Kingston, Jamaica, March 24: Record-breaking West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh said he might consider retiring from Test cricket after the current series against South Africa.

Arriving in his native Jamaica, Walsh said his first goal was to help the West Indians level the five-match series they trail 0-1, following the West Indies' 69-run defeat in the second Test in Trinidad on Wednesday.

Responding to reporters' questions over whether rumors of his imminent retirement were true, Walsh said: ''I haven't made any definite plans yet. I am looking to play, if selected, the remainder of the series and see what happens from there.''

The South Africa Test series ends in Jamaica on April 23, and there is widespread speculation in Jamaica that Walsh will use the opportunity to make a graceful exit from Test cricket after reaching the record 500-wicket mark on Monday.

The next Test in the series begins March 28 in Barbados.

Leading Wicket takers in Test Cricket

Walsh, first bowler in cricket history to reach 500-wickets landmark

Trinidad, March 19: West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh on Monday became the first bowler in cricket history to take 500 Test wickets here at the Queen's Park Oval when he trapped South African batsman Jacques Kallis leg before.

The 38-year-old, playing in his 129th Test match, which is also a record for a specialist bowler, reached the milestone when he took two wickets in three balls in South Africa's second innings of the second Test.

Opener Gary Kirsten was his 499th victim when he edged a cut to wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs, prompting police to move into position to prevent a possible crowd invasion.

They did not have long to wait as Kallis became wicket number 500 when he was lbw to a ball which cut back at him to reach the magical mark at an overall average of 24.67 runs.
Walsh ran down the pitch with his arms raised in triumph and was engulfed by his teammates.

It was yet another record for a player whose achievements owe as much to stamina as they do to natural ability.

Although he hasn't officially announced his retirement, it is accepted that the series against South Africa will be his last.

His triumph on Monday ensured that the remaining three Test matches — in Barbados, Antigua and his home country, Jamaica, will be an extended valedictory for one of the most respected men in cricket.

Walsh took 28833 deliveries, more than 1000 more than anyone else has sent down, to break into statistical territory that for generations was thought to be out of reach.

When Walsh played in his first Test match in November 1984, he was a 22-year-old who backed up the great fast bowling trio of the late Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding.

Walsh didn't even get to bowl in his first Test innings as Australia were shot out for 76 on a bouncy pitch in Perth.

He got a turn in the second innings, though, when Graeme Wood was caught in the slips by Richie Richardson, the first of a who's who of international batsmen who have fallen victim to one of the most skilful practitioners of line and length bowling the game has known.

Early in his career, Walsh was a workhorse, the man who bowled into the wind and kept the batsmen quiet while the strike bowlers attacked.

But when the production line of West Indian fast bowlers dried up, Walsh became a kingpin.
Throughout the 1990s, it was Walsh and recently-retired Curtly Ambrose who carried the attack for their side.

Walsh has never been an express bowler with the pace of a Marshall or a Holding, but his height and an easy, rhythmical action enable him to generate steep bounce. His unremitting accuracy and ability to bowl long spells have become legendary. A vicious inducer has been his stock wicket-taking delivery.

"I just try to look after myself," he told journalists in January at the end of his fifth and final tour of Australia. "I try to listen to my body and work along with it. One of the main things is that I enjoy competing against the opposition and I enjoy trying to do a job for the team. Once I'm enjoying both, it makes the job a lot easier," he said.

Walsh has gradually been clocking up the milestones, which lead to cricketing immortality.
It took him 80 matches to reach 300 wickets in England in 1995, making him the tenth man to join the "300 club".

Then he became the all-time leading wicket-taker for the West Indies, overtaking Marshall's record of 376 during the first Test against South Africa in 1998/99.

His next target was Kapil Dev's world mark of 434 and he achieved it in his 114th Test a year ago, amid emotional scenes in his home town of Kingston, Jamaica, when Henry Olonga, Zimbabwe's last batsman, was caught at short leg.

Walsh has taken five wickets in an innings 21 times, with a best of seven for 37 against New Zealand in Wellington in 1994/95. He has taken ten wickets in a match three times.

New honours seem sure to be bestowed on a man who has been awarded the 'Order of Jamaica', been given a gift of land by Jamaican prime minister Percival Patterson and who travels on a diplomatic passport with the official designation of ambassador at large.