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Their historically 'first' match during the 1992 World Cup was held at Christchurch, New Zealand on March 5.
West Indies captain Richie Richardson's pre-match comment of the value of the game being "just another cricket match" will backfire as poor fielding on the overcast morning, in front of a crowd of 14,641, meant that the South Africans, sent in to bat, reached 200 runs for eight wickets in their alloted 50 overs.
Peter Kirsten struck 56, but Malcolm Marshall took 2/26, Curtly Ambrose 2/34 and Andy Cummins 2/40. Gus Logie, in a bold counter-attack, made 61 in 69 deliveries, but Desmond Haynes's 30 and Ambrose's 12 were the only double-figure knocks as the Windies were bundled out for 136 in 38.4 overs. The eventual Man of the Match Merryck Pringle had remarkable figures of 8-4-11-4. Richardson will rue those remarks when he was jeered in front of the
Jamaican crowd during their April 7 matchup, the first of three in the Caribbean. Richardson will later strike 30, but Phil Simmons scorched his way to 122 and Brian Lara 50 as the Windies made 287/6 in 50 overs. And Winston Benjamin grabbed 3/45 as South Africa, despite 50 from Andrew Hudson and 42 from Hansie Cronje, were bowled out for 180 in 42.2 overs.
On April 11 at the Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad, Richardson received a warm reception and it rubbed off on the team as South Africa were routed for 152 in 43.4 overs. Jonty Rhodes top-scored with 45, but Ambrose took 3/24 and Cummins 3/40 for the regional side. Paced by Lara's 86 and Haynes' 59, the Windies made 154 without loss in reply, off 25.5 overs. The visitors, with captain Kepler Wessels hitting 45 and Hudson 30, were restricted to 183/6 off 50 overs, again in Trinidad, the following day. Simmons slammed 104, Lara 35 and an unbeaten 37 from Richardson ensured the Windies' successful reply of 190/3 with seven overs to spare.
In their first matchup during the Total International Series, which also included Pakistan, the South Africans whipped the Caribbean team by six wickets on February 11, 1993 at Port Elizabeth. Desmond Haynes struck 43 and Junior Murray an unbeaten 30 in the Windies total of 149 in 49 overs. The hosts had few hiccups in their chase, but Peter Kirsten's unbeaten 45 and Rhodes 46 not out ensured a victory with 3.1 overs remaining.
On a dicey pitch at Cape Town on February 17, the South Africans, with 40 from Daryl Cullinan, were restricted to 140/9 in their alloted 50 overs. But the West Indies succumbed to the medium pace of Cronje and Merryck Pringle (who both had figures of 2/27), falling for 136 in 47 overs. But an opening stand of 152 between Haynes (57) and Brian Lara (111) paced the West Indies to 188/1 in 45.3 overs at Bloemfontein on February 23, in reply to the South Africans' 185/6, despite 49 from Wessels and 45 from Cullinan.
In a Wills International fixture at Bombay's Brabourne Stadium on November 14 1993, with a rain-affected pitch reducing the match to 40 overs per team, South Africa tallied 180/5 with Cullinan making 70 before he retired ill and
Jonty Rhodes 40. Rhodes will later take a record-breaking five catches and Pat Symcox 3/20 as the West Indies were dismissed for 139 in 37 overs.
With an innings of 111 from Lara, off 94 deliveries including 16 boundaries, Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul's 56 were vital in the West Indies' score of 264/8 after 50 overs during their 1996 World Cup confrontation at Karachi, Pakistan on March 11. Cullinan stroked his way to 69, while Hudson notched 54 and Cronje 40, but the slow stuff from Roger Harper (4/47) and Jimmy Adams (3/53) stopped the Africans on their tracks, and they were dismissed for 245 with three
deliveries remaining.
The West Indies were powered to a total of 293/8 in 50 during their triangular series clash at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan on November 3, 1997. Carl Hooper slammed 105 in 101 balls with eight fours and a six, Lara 68 off 70 with 10 fours and a six and Chanderpaul 47 in 40 with five boundaries for the WI. But their bowling fell to pieces, as Cronje struck 94, Gary Kirsten 64 and Rhodes 53 in the South Africans' successful reply of 297/5 in 48.1 overs.
In the final of the ICC Wills International Cup in Bangladesh's Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka on November 1, the West Indies, despite Philo Wallace's stroke-filled 103 of 102 with 11 fours and 5 sixes, and Hooper's 49, were restricted to 245 in 49.3 overs. Jacques Kallis had figures of 5/30 with his testing outswing. The South Africans had little trouble in their winning pursuit of 248/6 with three overs to spare, due to an unbeaten 61 from Cronje and 49 from Mike Rindel 49.
After rain delayed the start of play in the first of seven matches during the 1998-99 series, at Johannesburg on January 22, the West Indies, after an undefeated 66 from Hooper and 45 from Chanderpaul, posted 154/4 in 28 overs. Using the Duckworth-Lewis system for a revised target of 160 and deducted an over from their innings for a slow over-rate, the South Africans reached home in the final bowl with two wickets standing, the closest result in the 18 encounters.
With a record fourth-wicket stand of 226 from Chanderpaul (150) and Hooper (108), the West Indies compiled 292/9 in their alloted overs, despite 6/35 from Shaun Pollock and the fact that no other Caribbean batsman reached double figures at East London on January 24. The Windies held their nerves to dismiss the hosts for 249 in 46.5 overs. Kallis and Mark Boucher both struck 51, Lance Klusener 46 and Cronje 34 in a losing effort, against the relentless pace of Reon King, who took 3/40. Hooper took 4/52 but Klusener made 64, Cronje 58 and Cullinan 46 in the hosts' tally of 274/9 in Durban on January 27. Short-pitched bowling was the order of the night, under lights as injuries to Murray and Lara paid little
dividends to the West Indies' 219 in 43.1. Chanderpaul struck 52, but Murray was eventually dismissed for 24 and Lara 32, while Kallis grabbed 3/24 and Cronje 3/45.
Herschelle Gibbs hit an adventurous 125 and Cronje 74, in a third wicket stand of 162, as the hosts posted 278/6 batting first at Port Elizabeth on January 30. Bowling for the West Indies Keith Arthurton took 4/56 and Nixon McLean 2/32.
Hooper made 57 and Arthurton 48, but the West Indies made little effort in reply, crashing to 179 in 41.3 overs. Cronje took 3/30 and Nicky Boje 3/33. Dale Benkenstein had an unbeaten 69, Klusener 54 not out and Boucher 34 in the South Africans total of 221/8 in Cape Town on February 2. But the visitors offered little challenge, folding for 132 with 7.2 overs remaining. Chanderpaul made 40, but Cronje took 3/10, Klusener 2/17 and Boje 2/37.
The walkovers continued as South Africa trounced the Windies by 114 runs at Bloemfontein three days later. Despite Arthurton's 4/44, Cronje slammed 82 to lead his team to 273 in 49.5 overs. The West Indies were tottering at 82/8 in the 18th over but Cronje eased the pressure in front of a 10,000-strong crowd, as the visitors rallied to make 159 with 9.3 overs left.
The South Africans had little trouble in disposing of the West Indians in the last confrontation in Centurion Park on February 7. Kallis had an excellent all-round match (66 runs with the bat, three wickets for 38 runs with the ball), as the West Indies, replying to the hosts 226/8 in 50 overs, were dismissed for 176 in 44.4 overs.
The West Indies will be seeking to narrow that enormous gap when the one-dayers are concluded, on May 16.