Jacobs earns Windies thrilling last-ball win

West Indian wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs hit the final ball of the match from South Africa's Allan Donald for four to win an extraordinary, drama-filled match by three wickets at Sabina Park on Saturday.

The home side began the last over requiring eight runs to take a 1-0 lead in the seven-match one-day series and Mervyn Dillon claimed a single off the first ball to bring the target down to seven runs from five deliveries.

Jacobs could only scramble a leg bye off the next and the tourists began to look favourites when Dillon missed the third to leave the West Indies needing six runs from three balls.

But Dillon worked a single off the fourth to return the burly Jacobs to the striker's end with five needed from the final two balls.

The left-hander stepped outside his off stump and swung Donald out to deep square leg for two, leaving three needed from the last ball.

Donald offered a wide full toss outside off stump to prevent Jacobs playing the same shot, but instead he carved the ball to the backward point boundary to win the match amid uncontained scenes of delight from a capacity crowd of almost 15,000.

LARA ON SONG
A superb half-century from Brian Lara (54) -- he shared a fourth wicket stand of 89 with Carl Hooper (43) -- put West Indies in control as they reached 149 for three chasing a modest 201 for victory.

But brilliant bowling and fielding from the tourists created extreme pressure for the batsmen, who suddenly found the runs drying up with Jonty Rhodes in sparkling form at backward point.

Rhodes held two breathtaking catches in that position to remove Lara and opener Chris Gayle but his efforts were to prove in vain as the home side built on the momentum they gained by winning the fifth test on the same ground five days before.

Earlier, West Indian spinners Neil McGarrell, Hooper and Marlon Samuels shared seven wickets as South Africa failed to capitalise on a series of positive starts with four of their top five batsmen scoring between 21 and 38.

A youthful home side, containing just four players over 30, produced a disciplined bowling performance, with excellent fielding to back it up.

Lara's stunning run out of Herschelle Gibbs (8) in the third over set the tone.

Lara swooped at backward point to dismiss the opener with a direct hit at the non-striker's end after Gibbs, who was leading run scorer in the test series, had driven Dillon for successive boundaries in the first over.

PATIENT KIRSTEN
Jacques Kallis (23) was superbly caught by a sprinting Cameron Cuffy at long off after driving McGarrell's left arm spin into the deep and Gary Kirsten's patient 38 from 63 balls ended when he deflected a sweep against Hooper's off spin onto his leg stump.

Neil McKenzie (21) danced down the pitch to fast bowler Cuffy but edged an attempted straight drive to wicketkeeper Jacobs to break the sequence of spinners' wickets, although the slow bowlers were soon back in business.

Rhodes played back to McGarrell and was palpably lbw for 36 and Lance Klusener departed next ball when McGarrell spun one between bat and pad to hit off stump.

Hooper introduced Samuels as a third spinner with South Africa in deep trouble on 149 for six and his occasional off breaks were immediately successful, with both Mark Boucher (14) and Roger Telemachus (3) offering return catches to the bowler.

Shaun Pollock tried his best to resurrect the innings but was left stranded on 26 not out when last man Donald was bowled by Dillon with 14 balls of the innings unused.

The second match of the one-day series will be played in Antigua on Wednesday before back-to-back games in Grenada next weekend.

Mail Cricket Editor