West Indies Steamrollered By Slick South Africa

South Africa 388-4 (Kallis 86, Smith 83, Duminy 80no) beat
West Indies 200 (Sammy 52, van der Merwe 4-34) by 188 runs
ICC Champions Trophy warm-up, Potchefstroom

South Africa underlined their strength going into the ICC Champions Trophy with a dominant 188-run win over a West Indies side which could be one of the worst to play in the tournament in recent years.

Four South Africans reached half-centuries with embarrassing ease as they racked up 388 for four before the West Indies managed just 200 in 41.1 overs.

Graeme Smith led the way with 83 in 74 balls and after he and Jacques Kallis (86 in 90) had laid the platform, JP Duminy and Mark Boucher laid into the West Indian bowlers, who struggled badly.

Duminy blasted an unbeaten 80 in 49 deliveries with four fours and five sixes while Boucher helped himself to 55 in 27 balls with nine fours and a six.

Herschelle Gibbs retired having made 38 and AB de Villiers was the only man to miss out when he made 16, although even he needed just 15 balls.

Tino Best and David Bernard both picked up two wickets but at a combined cost of 159 runs in 20 overs worth of bowling.

Despite putting on 80 for the first wicket, the West Indies were never going to be able to keep pace with the South African juggernaut, and so it proved.

Dale Richards (41) and Andre Fletcher (35) needed no second invitation to play their strokes, but the middle order fell away, exposed by the spin bowling of Johan Botha (1-23), and Roelof van der Merwe (4-34).

Darren Sammy, who before the game had identified the Proteas as likely contenders for overall victory, was the only West Indian to settle, scoring 52 before being bowled by van der Merwe.

There was a wicket apiece for Dale Steyn, Kallis and Duminy.