Associated Press

Bridgetown, May 12:

Fast bowler Charl Langeveldt claimed three wickets in as many balls in the final over on Wednesday and bowled South Africa to a one-run victory over the West Indies in the third one-day cricket international at Kensington.

The victory gave South Africa an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Langeveldt began the final over with the home team needing four runs to win with three wickets in hand.

The 30-year-old conceded two singles off the first two balls and then dismissed Ian Bradshaw, Daren Powell and Corey Collymore off the next three to secure an unlikely win. The West Indies, whose chase was powered by Chris Gayle’s 132, were bowled out for 283 off 48.5 overs.

Man-of-the-match Langeveldt took a career-best five for 62 off 9.5 overs.

South Africa, sent in to bat, reached 284 for six off 50 overs on the back of Boeta Dippenaar’s 123, his second one-day century.

But Gayle’s innings, which spanned 152 balls and was spiced with seven fours and two sixes, seemed to set a winning platform.

He added 48 for the first wicket with Xavier Marshall before two wickets fell for one run as South Africa gained an edge.

Marshall edged to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher while Ramnaresh Sarwan dragged on from Andre Nel.

Lara hit 32 off 42 balls as he helped Gayle put on 70 for the third wicket. Gayle, on the way to his 10th one-day century, added a further 94 with his skipper.

Chanderpaul contributed 23 off 29 balls, but when he was fourth out at 213 in the 40th over, the match was well poised. Dwayne Smith tilted it toward the West Indies with two fours and a six in 21 off 16 balls. But Nel removed him and Gayle in his last two overs to keep South Africa in the hunt.

Courtney Browne lofted Ntini to mid-on off the final delivery of the 49th over to set up the dramatic final over. Bradshaw took a single off the first, and Bravo, who ended 21 not out, added one off the second.

But he was left stranded at the non-striker’s end as Langeveldt bowled out the West Indies. Earlier, Dippenaar and Jacques Kallis (87) added a record 194 for the second wicket to anchor the visitors. Dippenaar hit 12 fours off 129 balls and Kallis smacked two huge sixes and two fours off 109 balls.

The pair seemed set to steer South Africa to over 300. But the West Indies pegged the scoring back in the final 10 overs, which raised only 62 runs.