Alex Balfour reports on the final from Bangabandhu Stadium, Dhaka

The essence of yesterday's clash was perfectly encapsulated in Cronje's choice of opening bowler. In the hope of containing Philo Wallace, the South African captain called upon Pat Symcox. The stage was set: the final was to be a clash of the most exciting team in the tournament and the most professional. In the end the most professional team, South Africa, prevailed and it was hard to begrudge it its victory. Even before the game the South Africans' performance was flawless, as coach Bob Woolmer spent 30 minutes in the outfield giving a couple of dozen local ball boys a bit of catching practice.

The West Indies had their moments too. The most memorable was Philo Wallace's richly deserved century. Dropped by Rhodes early in his innings, and tied down by Symcox, Wallace waited 9 overs to really get going. He tore into Elworthy, nearly beheading umpire Steve Dunne as he drove back down the ground, and then followed that up with a huge six into the crowd at wide mid wicket. But it would be wrong to personify Wallace as an out and out slogger. On one occasion, coming down the track to Symcox, he realised the ball was a little too short for his stroke, and instead got down on one knee and swept him through square leg. It was only worth a single, but it was a shot which spoke volumes about his batting.

Wallace's century came off just 98 balls. Unfortunately no one else in the West Indian side could stay with him. Chanderpaul looked jaded and didn't last long, while Lara was bowled ignominiously round his legs by Crookes. Cronje caught Wallace coming forward and sent the ball down the leg side where Boucher completed the stumping, and thereafter the West Indian batting ran out of ideas. Hooper disappointed again edging to Rhodes of Kallis and Lewis went leg before the very next ball. The islanders limped to a total of 245 and it never looked likely to be enough.

Rindel and Cullinan fired South Africa to a rapid start, putting on 34 in the first five overs. Rindel's 49 was just the innings Cronje would have wanted from the opener, full of adventure and not a little luck. Kallis at number four, probably the worst exponent of the sweep shot on the field, contributed a typically brutish but vital 37. It was enough, on top of his five wickets, to earn him the man of the match award. Fittingly it was Cronje who made the runs that saw South Africa through, hitting an unbeaten 61 which included some sweetly timed cuts that even Keith Arthurton could not stop. On the one occasion that Arthurton did pick up Cronje's favourite shot he provided one of the highlights of the tournament. Glancing the West Indies best bowler, King, to gully, Cronje set off for a run, unaware that Arthurton was prowling behind the wicket. Running round Arthurton took the ball on the bounce in his left hand and slung it at the wicket still running. The throw took out middle stump and Arthurton just went on running to long leg in triumph, with Rindel a good eight feet short of his ground. It was, simply, a quite stupendous piece of fielding.

South Africa have fluffed many a one day final, and often the spectacular has been the undoing of their unspectacular side, but this time they were determined not to let it slip from their grasp. Where many a South African had choked before Crookes, coming in after Hooper held a good catch to dismiss Beckenstein, was coolness personified. He made light work of a labouring Dillon, and cheekily reverse sweeping Lewis for four. A pulled the next four through mid-wicket, a two over cover and a sweep through mid- wicket and it was all over. In the end the hungriest and most professional team won, and the victory was well deserved. For Brian Lara there was the compensation that he can look forward to the test series in South Africa with a real chance of coming away with something.