Associated Press

Port-of-Spain, May 15:

Ashwell Prince’s career-best unbeaten 89 helped South Africa cruise to a six-wicket victory over West Indies in the fourth one-day match at Queen’s Park Oval today.

South Africa lead the five-match series 4-0 and can achieve an unprecedented sweep in the Caribbean in the last game on Sunday.

Prince’s 117-ball knock helped the visitors to their victory target of 232/4 with 3.1 overs to spare. The West Indies, sent in, was limited to 231-8 off 50 overs.

Justin Kemp, who hit four fours and two sixes in a 65, shared a fourth-wicket stand of 132 with Prince that set up South Africa.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul held West Indies’ innings together with an undefeated 85 after the home team lost the openers early again, both dismissed by fast bowler Makhaya Ntini.

Chris Gayle (3) sliced a catch to point and Xavier Marshall (3) spooned off the back foot. Both were caught by Prince, who took four catches in the innings, and Ntini took 3-34. At 16-2, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Brian Lara began rebuilding the innings in a stand of 45 for the third wicket.

But just as the sellout crowd of 25,000 was warming to its local hero, Lara fell for the 11th time in international cricket to Andre Nel.

Sarwan, who scored 48 off 77 balls, added an even 50 with Chanderpaul to further boost the innings.

Dwayne Bravo contributed a busy 28 off 27 balls with four fours, in adding 49 with his skipper.

But his dismissal came just as the West Indies was trying to accelerate. Dwayne Smith (13) and Courtney Browne (11) provided brief assistance to Chanderpaul but the West Indies total was a modest one. The bowlers provided hope by reducing South Africa to 61-3 in 15 overs.

Ian Bradshaw claimed openers AB de Villiers (17) and Boeta Dippenaar (17), and Corey Collymore chipped in with the key scalp of Kallis (17).

Prince and Kemp then gradually dragged South Africa around despite a few alarms. The hard-hitting Kemp eventually fell trying to hoist another six but the victory was completed by man of the match Prince, who fittingly hit the winning boundary, his sixth.