West Indies' Darren Sammy dives as he is run out by South Africa's wicketkeeper Mark Boucher (unseen) during the last one-day international cricket match in Johannesburg yesterday. - AP

JOHANNESBURG, S Africa (CMC):

West Indies' best batting effort of the contest and nagging afternoon showers could not deny Shaun Pollock a winning farewell to international cricket as South Africa romped to an eight-wicket victory under the Duckworth/Lewis system yesterday to complete a clean sweep of the five-match one-day international series.

Facing a revised target of 211 off 31 overs after Devon Smith emerged from a protracted slump to plunder his way to 91 out of the tourists' total of 295 for seven, Herschelle Gibbs took a page out of the left-handed opener's book in putting aside his own run of low scores, tearing a weakened bowling attack to shreds on the way to an explosive102.

He put on 175 for the second wicket with the irrepressible Jacques Kallis (74 not out), but all the glory still belonged to Pollock.

Promoted up the order after Gibbs fell to Daren Powell and with the match virtually over as a contest, the former captain had the honour of hitting the winning runs with 13 balls to spare to spark scenes of emotion and celebration that lingered long after the post-match ceremony.

Gibbs' entertaining knock had eased any anxieties felt among the capacity crowd at the Wanderers when two prolonged interruptions for rain at the start of the Proteas' chase left many wondering if the grand send-off for Pollock would have been completely ruined by a combination of the elements and the opposition.

The durable all-rounder had earlier completed his final bowling spell in South African colours with the same metronomic accuracy that he had displayed throughout the five matches, conceding just 33 runs and claiming the first wicket of the day, Brenton Parchment, caught by the prowling AB de Villiers at backward point in the 34-year-old's third over of the day.

By the time he was summoned in the middle of the innings to bowl his final three overs, the almost constant roar of the fans accompanying his every move lifted to a deafening crescendo when he completed his 10th and final over.

Outstanding

It was no more than the outstanding all-rounder and former captain deserved in his 303rd and final ODI, 10 years after his debut as a feisty fast bowler and more than useful lower-order batsman.

At that stage, the West Indies were just starting to lose their way in pursuit of a total well in excess of 300.

Smith, given a final chance due to a leg injury to Sewnarine Chattergoon, had made the most of the opportunity in blazing morning sunshine, smashing all the bowlers except Pollock around the ground and dominating a 137-run second-wicket partnership with the ever-reliable Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

The 26-year-old Grenadian took a particular liking to Dale Steyn and André Nel, treating both fast bowlers with disdain in racing to his second ODI half-century off 37 balls with two sixes and eight fours.

A first hundred in this form of the game looked his for the taking until he grew tentative with the landmark approaching and edged a delivery from pacer Charl Langeveldt to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, his innings occupying 76 balls and being decorated with three sixes and 10 fours.

Chanderpaul, much more comfortable nearer the top of the order in ODI's, stroked his way to a serene 49th half-century off 73 balls with three fours before Langeveldt also accounted for him via the lbw route for 51, the two wickets falling for 11 runs to leave the innings at the crossroads at 167 for three in the 30th over.

Another casualty

In the absence of Marlon Samuels, yet another casualty in an injury-plagued West Indies squad, captain Dwayne Bravo fought to maintain the momentum with an innings of 40.

However, his dismissal by Steyn sparked a mini-slide in which four wickets fell for 20 runs until Patrick Browne and Rawl Lewis led a late surge over the final five overs, the pair hammering 53 runs without being separated as Browne finished unbeaten on 49 in his third consecutive impressive innings of the series.

With Jerome Taylor, the outstanding West Indies bowler on this tour of southern Africa, joining the list of players on the sidelines, Bravo relied on Powell and Ravi Rampaul to make the early breakthroughs under greying skies.

Powell delivered in bowling Graeme Smith off the inside edge in just the third over, and with only 11 more deliveries possible over the next three hours, a massive anticlimax was in the offing.

But the irritating light showers eventually lifted and Gibbs wasted no time in tearing into the West Indian attack, dismissing all the speculation about his international future with a volley of outstanding shots.

WEST INDIES Innings

B Parchment c de Villiers b Pollock	2
D Smith c wkp Boucher b Langeveldt	91
S Chanderpaul lbw Langeveldt	51
P Browne not out	49
D Bravo c Smith b Steyn	40
R Morton c wkp Boucher b Kallis	4
+D Ramdin c wkp Boucher b Langeveldt	6
D Sammy run out	1
R Lewis not out	28
Extras (lb8, w12, nb3)	23
TOTAL (7 wickets - 50 overs)	295

Did not bat: R Rampaul, D Powell

Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Parchment, 4.2 overs), 2-156 (Smith, 26.2), 3-167 (Chanderpaul, 28.6), 4-222 (Bravo, 39.3), 5-232 (Morton, 42.2), 6-241 (Ramdin, 43.6), 7-242 (Sammy, 44.2).

BOWLING: Pollock 10-1-33-1 (2w); Steyn 10-0-78-1 (4w); Nel 3-0-27-0; Langeveldt 10-0-61-3 (2w); Duminy 6-0-30-0 (2nb); A Morkel 8-0-48-0 (3w); Kallis 3-0-10-1 (1nb, 1w).

SOUTH AFRICA Innings

(Revised target: 211 runs from 31 overs)

H Gibbs c Chanderpaul b Powell	102
G Smith b Powell	5
J Kallis not out	74
S Pollock not out	10
Extras (lb3, w17)	20
TOTAL (2 wickets - 28.5 overs)	211

Did not bat: AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, +M Boucher, A Morkel, A Nel, D Steyn, C Langeveldt.

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Smith, 2.3 overs), 2-185 (Gibbs, 25.2).

BOWLING: Powell 7-0-39-2 (4w); Rampaul 5.5-1-39-0 (4w); Sammy 4-0-41-0 (2w); Bravo 5-0-52-0 (3w); Lewis 3-0-18-0; Chanderpaul 4-0-19-0.

Result: South Africa win by 8 wickets

Series: South Africa win 5-0

Man of the Match: Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa)

Man of the Series: (Shared) JP Duminy and Shaun Pollock (South Africa)

Toss: South Africa

UMPIRES: Daryl Harper (Australia), Brian Jerling (South Africa).