The one dread (apart from the tidal wave) that I have when on tour, is to wake up late and miss the transport to the ground and in doing so, keep other people waiting. So when I retired to bed last night I covered as many angles as possible by setting my alarm on my cell phone as well as asking reception to please call me at 06h00. I needn’t have bothered because apart from the constant noise of the waves lapping against the shore immediately outside my room, which tends to induce slumber rather than disturb it, there is a cockerel within close proximity of the hotel. On my first morning at the Anchorage Hotel I was awoken by the ‘cock-a-doodle-do’ at around 06h00 which I reckon is fair enough given the fact that sun is pretty much up by then. However, this morning, at precisely 02h30 this obviously demented bird burst into song (if one can describe it as that) and didn’t stop until the phone rang to wake me up at 6 o’clock. Not that I object to the sound of a cockerel that has obviously lost his Rolex but at two in the morning it’s a tad over the top!!

Windsor Park Stadium here in Dominica is, without doubt, one of the prettiest international cricket grounds that I have ever been to. With the Botanical Gardens of Dominica on the one side, the Roseau River flowing just behind the stand that our commentary position is in and the mountains providing an overall backdrop, I was blown away with the beauty of the venue.

Graeme Smith followed the adage of “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” when he won the toss and chose to bat and things looked good as he and Hashim Amla put on 53 at a good rate for the first wicket. After that, it became hard work for the South African batsmen with several getting starts but not capitalising. The injury to Johan Botha came at a bad time for the visitors as it had a detrimental effect on the batting power play as South Africa stuttered to 224 and, horrors of horrors, failed to bat the full 50 overs.

Almost inevitably, the West Indies managed to put in another inept performance with the bat. A good enough start over the first 10 overs but the critical wicket of Chris Gayle meant that pressure was on the remaining batsmen. Yes, South Africa bowled superbly and I proudly sing their praises but this West Indies team just do not seem to understand how to go about constructing a team innings of any consequence.

West Indies 0 South Africa 3 ODI series done and dusted. Well played the Proteas