In spite of a typically power-packed 103 by Philo Wallace the West Indies once more faltered in the final of a major limited-overs tournament last night, losing the Wills International Cup – the so-called mini-World Cup – to South Africa.
Wallace's innings, studded with five sixes and 11 fours, was comparable to other thunderous hundreds of vivid memory by Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards. However, unlike Lloyd's similar onslaught in the real World Cup in its inaugural year, 1975, and Richards' in the second four years later, Wallace's effort proved in vain.
No one could build on the foundation he laid, the 15 overs remaining once he fell to a sharp leg-side stumping yielding the last six wickets and a mere 65 runs for an all-out 245 off the 50 overs.
On a fast outfield and a basically good pitch at Dhaka's Bangabanghu Stadium and against opponents who have established themselves as currently the most complete and efficient unit in the abbreviated form of the game, a total of 245 was clearly insufficient.
There were periods when it seemed the West Indies could have made it close. But South Africa were shepherded through their potential crises by their cool captain, Hansie Cronje, with an unbeaten 61 over the last 22 overs and they had four good wickets and three overs to spare at the end to secure the glittering gold cup under the floodlights.
Following their triumphs in the Golden Jubilee tournament in Pakistan and in the Commonwealth Games in September, it was the third time in a year South Africa had collected the gold.
In contrast, the West Indies again had to be satisfied with the runners-up prize, as they had to in the Champions Trophy in Sharjah last December and the World Series in Australia in 1996.
Not since the 1983 World Cup have they won a tournament with more than three teams involved. This one featured all the top nine and they at least did well, with an inexperienced attack, to overcome India and Pakistan on the way to the final. But the loss to South Africa was not an encouraging portent for the series of five Tests and five One-Day Internationals that now lie ahead there.
Wallace, the strapping opener with the physique and strength of a heavyweight boxer, had been one of the main catalysts to their earlier victories with 79 against Pakistan and 39 against India.
His effort deserved better reward but the other main batsmen were short of expectations.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul could not reproduce his sparkle of the previous day and dawdled 54 balls for 27 before he was lbw to an ill-advised crosshaul prompted by sheer exasperation.
Captain Brian Lara entered at 94 for two in the 24th, a promising introduction. He promptly hoisted left-arm spinner Nick Boje for six but, three balls later, exposed his leg-stump to be hit by Derek Crookes, an ordinary off-spinner whose three overs yielded 33 and included long straight sixes by Wallace.
Carl Hooper compiled a measured 49 off 56 balls but was out just when he was most needed and the contributions of Keith Arthurton, Phil Simmons and Ridley Jacobs were negligible.
Wallace had been confronted by the unsettling experience of an off-spinner, Pat Symcox, first up with the new ball, a tactic that snared him third ball the last time it was employed against him in a One-Day International. He bided his time, blocked those on line and contented himself mainly with sweeps off those that drifted down legside.
He lost his reinstated left-handed partner, Clayton Lambert, to a top-edged hook off the pacy Steve Elworthy off the first ball of the sixth over but, with the rare benefit of two missed catches by the usually flawless Jonty Rhodes at 15 and 43, let nothing punishable escape.
He got into top gear with 14 in the 10th over off Elworthy, including his first six – a huge, straight blow – and thoroughly dominated a stand of 76 off 19 overs with Chanderpaul.
He was at his most devastating over his second 50 that required a mere 26 balls and included three more meaty sixes and six fours.
Four balls later he was gone – and, as it turned out, so too was the match.
Belatedly bringing himself on, Cronje slipped a ball down leg-side, Wallace missed his glance and, as he overbalanced, Mark Boucher brought off a high-class stumping.
The scoring markedly declined on the Barbadian's disappearance against the steady medium-pace of Cronje and Jacques Kallis who shared the last seven wickets that fell for 65 off the last 15 overs.
Hooper was in a position to dictate terms and was doing so sensibly when, like Phil Simmons before him, he sliced a drive off Kallis too close to Rhodes at point. Another 26 balls remained at his dismissal and they brought a mere 13 runs.
Even with a modest target, South Africa were out of the blocks faster than Ato Boldon.
Neither Reon King nor Mervyn Dillon found their immediate control of the previous day and the left-handed Mike Rindel and Daryl Cullinan had raised 54 half-way through the eighth over before Keith Arthurton's speed of pick-up and throw to keeper Ridley Jacobs from short third- man ran out Cullinan.
Boucher, elevated well above his station to No.3, soon followed, stranded and stumped down the leg-side off Hooper's sharply turning off-break but Kallis and Rindle added 78 and, finally, Cronje found sober partners in Dale Benkenstein and Crookes to see it through after the mid-innings hiccup.
Three wickets fell in the space of 19 runs and six overs, two to Simmons' quick off-breaks and one to Arthurton's direct hit from short third-man, to give the West Indies a glimmer of hope.
It gradually faded. Cronje countered Rawl Lewis' leg-breaks from round the wicket with an effective and well-rehearsed reverse sweep and was never in trouble; the fielding became slack, Dillon sent down a couple of wides and Lewis a couple of no-balls, and, even though Benkenstein didn't see it through, Crookes did, completing the victory with three fours in an over from Lewis.