After a couple of hiccups and stumbles on a nervous final day, South Africa duly completed an historic 82-run victory over the West Indies at the Antigua Recreation Ground to become just the second side in 27 years to win a Test series in the Caribbean. Resuming on 101-4, still requiring 222 to win, the West Indies were dismissed for 240.

Pollock - Man of the Match Photo CricInfo

Captain Shaun Pollock and his men will celebrate the win long and hard, and well they might. This may not be the greatest West Indies side, but no series in this part of the world is surrendered easily, and the wins here and in Trinidad were born of a cussed determination not to relinquish winning positions. Fittingly, Pollock was also named man of the match for his efforts in Antigua.

It was not a West Indies performance without some honour though, personified in a daredevil 91 on the final day from Brian Lara which briefly threatened to spoil South Africa's party. Lara set out on a calculated assault on left-arm spinner Nicky Boje after lunch, and when he and Dinanath Ramnarine moved past fifty for the ninth wicket, the West Indies required less than a hundred for victory. With Lara in one of those moods, there were one or two nervous glances between the South Africans.

No more so than from Makhaya Ntini, the fast bowler putting down Lara on 64. It was a routine chance at deep square-leg, and Ntini knew it. No surprise then that when Neil McKenzie caught Lara off Jacques Kallis, Ntini sprinted across the outfield to bear-hug the man who had spared his blushes. This would not have been a good match for South Africa to have lost.

With Lara gone after striking eight fours and four sixes, only Ramnarine and Courtney Walsh stood between South Africa and mission accomplished. It did not take long, Ramnarine edging Kallis to Gary Kirsten in the gulley to bring down the curtain on another memorable Antiguan test match.

Needing four more wickets after the lunch interval, South Africa quickly disposed of debutant Neil McGarrell (6) as he prodded forward at Pollock and presented a simple chance to Justin Kemp at silly mid-off. It could well have been leg-before as well.

Boje then got rid of Mervyn Dillon (1), the tall fast bowler gloving a chance to Daryll Cullinan at first slip. Boje celebrated, but the punishment from Lara was yet to come.

After resuming 101-4 overnight, the West Indies reached lunch on 140 for six. Pollock came up with a magnificent leg-cutter which brought Ramnaresh Sarwan (26) lunging forward, the edge flying comfortably to Mark Boucher behind the stumps. The previous over Sarwan had clipped Pollock majestically to the midwicket boundary. He is a precocious talent, but a raw one.

Three balls later it was the West Indian vice-captain Ridley Jacobs who was undone by a clever piece of bowling from Pollock, Jacobs scooping a well disguised slower ball stright to Kirsten at mid-off. It looked a dreadful shot, but Pollock's celebrations showed a man whose plan had just come magnificently together.

Boje had bowled just one delivery at the start of play before a heavy shower rolled in, forcing the players from the field for forty minutes. It briefly threatened to ruin South Africa's day. But only briefly.

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