BRIDGETOWN (Barbados), May 12: An incredible last over hat trick from Charl Langeveldt brought South Africa from the brink of defeat and handed them a stunning one-run victory with one ball to spare over West Indies in the third One-day International on Wednesday (partly reported in Thursday’s edition).

Chasing 285 from 50 overs to keep the series alive, West Indies appeared to have sewn it up when they needed four runs to win from the last over.

In the gloom of Kensington Oval, hosting its final One-day International before it undergoes a major transformation ahead of the 2007 ICC World Cup, West Indies got singles from the first two balls of the last over, but Langeveldt responded with three unplayable inswinging deliveries that removed Ian Bradshaw, Daren Powell and Corey Collymore.

Langeveldt bowled Bradshaw and Powell for one and a duck respectively with the third and fourth balls, and gained an lbw verdict over Corey Collymore from the penultimate ball of the match that sparked South African celebrations and left West Indian supporters stunned.

Langeveldt was the pick of the South African bowlers with a career-best five wickets for 62 runs from 9.5 overs, Andre Nel supported with three for 42 from his allotment of 10 overs, and Makhaya Ntini took two for 45 from his 10 overs.

The victory gave South Africa a 3-0 lead in the five-match series that concludes on Saturday and Sunday with back-to-back matches at Port of Spain.

The visitors won the first two matches by the same margin of eight wickets at Kingston.

West Indies, who enjoyed something of a reputation last year for chasing sizeable targets, had Chris Gayle put them on their way with his 10th ODI hundred, a purposeful 132 from 152 balls that contained seven fours and two sixes.

He drove Nel through cover for a single in the 36th over to reach his milestone and West Indies looked to be cruising at 213 for four in the 40th over.

The home team, however, failed to keep their composure, and wicket after wicket tumbled until Courtney Browne was caught at mid-on for nine off Ntini off the last ball of the penultimate over leaving Dwayne Bravo and the bowlers to bring home the bacon.

Instead, Langeveldt roasted the meat, and West Indies came away empty-handed for the seventh straight ODI at the ground.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:

G.C. Smith c Smith b Bradshaw 28

H.H. Dippenaar c Marshall b Bradshaw 123

J.H. Kallis c Gayle b Collymore 87

J.M. Kemp run out 12

M.V. Boucher not out 13

S.M. Pollock b Bravo 0

H.H. Gibbs c Smith b Bravo 11

A.G. Prince not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-5, NB-1) 9

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 284

FALL OF WKTS: 1-43, 2-237, 3-251, 4-258,

5-260, 6-276.

DID NOT BAT: C.K. Langeveldt, A. Nel, M. Ntini.

BOWLING: Powell 10-0-60-0 (2w); Bradshaw 10-0-51-2; Collymore 10-0-50-1 (1nb); Smith 9-0-50-0; Gayle 2-0-19-0 (1w); Bravo 9-0-51-2 (2w).

WEST INDIES:

C.H. Gayle c Pollock b Nel 132

X.M. Marshall c Boucher b Ntini 15

R.R. Sarwan b Nel 0

B.C. Lara c Nel b Langeveldt 32

S. Chanderpaul c Kemp b Langeveldt 23

D.R. Smith b Nel 21

D.J.J. Bravo not out 21

C.O. Browne c Nel b Ntini 9

I.D.R. Bradshaw b Langeveldt 1

D.B. Powell b Langeveldt 0

C.D. Collymore lbw b Langeveldt 0

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-6, W-6, NB-12) 29

TOTAL (all out, 49.5 overs) 283

FALL OF WKTS: 1-48, 2-49, 3-119, 4-213, 5-242, 6-258, 7-281, 8-283, 9-283.

BOWLING: Pollock 10-0-67-0 (3nb, 1w); Ntini 10-0-45-2 (4nb); Nel 10-0-42-3; Langeveldt 9.5-0-62-5 (5nb); Kallis 1.1-0-2-0; Kemp 6.5-0-47-0 (1w); Smith 2-0-7-0.

RESULT: South Africa won by one run to lead five-match series 3-0.

UMPIRES: E.A. Nicholls (West Indies) and D.B. Hair (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: B. Doctrove (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Charl Langeveldt.

NEXT MATCH: At Port of Spain on Saturday.—AFP