West Indies v South Africa, 2014-15

	No rope far enough: A. B. de Villiers crashes one of 16 sixes at the Wanderers © Gallo Images Enlarge
Related Links Series/Tournaments: West Indies tour of South Africa Teams: South Africa | West Indies

Test matches (3): South Africa 2, West Indies 0
Twenty20 internationals (3): South Africa 1, West Indies 2
One-day internationals (5): South Africa 4, West Indies 1

Every self-respecting West Indies tour involves a pay dispute, and the class of 2014-15 was no exception. In fact, they had outdone themselves before this trip by picking a fight not only with their board but also with their players' association. At issue was the association's decision, apparently taken without the players' approval, to sign away earnings previously agreed with the board, prompting the premature termination of the tour of India in October. Was the old joke about BWIA - British West Indian Airways - about to come true?

The initials, the punchline went, stood for "But Will It Arrive?" As it turned out, enough sticking plaster was applied to allow the Test series to start as scheduled, on December 17. Unusually, the two captains held a joint press conference the day before. Hashim Amla forgot to turn on his microphone. No problem: Denesh Ramdin leaned over to do the honours. At the end they wished each other luck. Seated together, two of the most polite men in sport made a cute couple; perhaps it was the only way of pretending a genuine contest was imminent.

And so South Africa strode to an untroubled victory in the First Test at Centurion. Rain stopped them doing the same at Port Elizabeth. But there were no such interruptions at Newlands, where they triumphed again to retain the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy. It was Amla's first home series as captain, but there was no sign of added stress: he made a double-century in the First Test, and averaged over 100 in the series, as did A. B. de Villiers. Morne Morkel found some nastiness to take 13 wickets - matching Dale Steyn and his carefully managed anger.

The West Indians barely provided opposition. Marlon Samuels topped their averages with 53. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, showing signs of age, scraped together 91 runs in five innings. The leading wicket-taker, Sulieman Benn, claimed only six. South Africa, at heart a conservative team, were confident enough to try out a new player in each Test. With each one-sided session, the question thundered louder: what is cricket going to do about West Indies? It is not just that they have no hope of rediscovering their dominance. It is that they seem to have no hope of competing consistently, of playing as if they respect their history. Cricket in the Caribbean is like bullfighting in Spain: a stodgy cultural artefact, endured and tolerated more than enjoyed and treasured.

"You waiting for me?" asked Chris Gayle as he passed a roomful of reporters before a press conference that wasn't with him. Yes, we were waiting for him - to light some kind of fire under the tour's wet wood. He did so in the Twenty20s, clouting the ball with all the belligerence he has brought to his role as cricket's leading mercenary, and steering his side to a series win over weakened opposition. But it didn't work in the one-dayers, in which de Villiers blasted the fastest international century yet seen, from an eye-popping 31 balls. Normal service resumed: South Africa won the series, with West Indies floundering again.

Match reports for

Tour Match: South African Invitation XI v West Indians at Benoni, Dec 10-12, 2014
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1st Test: South Africa v West Indies at Centurion, Dec 17-20, 2014
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2nd Test: South Africa v West Indies at Gqeberha, Dec 26-30, 2014
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3rd Test: South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town, Jan 2-6, 2015
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1st T20I: South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town, Jan 9, 2015
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2nd T20I: South Africa v West Indies at Johannesburg, Jan 11, 2015
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3rd T20I: South Africa v West Indies at Durban, Jan 14, 2015
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1st ODI: South Africa v West Indies at Durban, Jan 16, 2015
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2nd ODI: South Africa v West Indies at Johannesburg, Jan 18, 2015
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3rd ODI: South Africa v West Indies at East London, Jan 21, 2015
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4th ODI: South Africa v West Indies at Gqeberha, Jan 25, 2015
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5th ODI: South Africa v West Indies at Centurion, Jan 28, 2015
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