Nel wraps up series for South Africa

South Africa 521 for 9 dec defeated West Indies 296 and 166 (Nel 6-32) by an innings and 86 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Another successful appeal for Andre Nel who took a career-best 6 for 32 © Getty Images

Andre Nel took a career-best 6 for 32 as South Africa romped to a series victory by crushing West Indies by an innings and 86 runs on the fourth day at Bridgetown. Graeme Smith had declared early in the morning with a lead of 252, which proved more than enough as West Indies crumbled to 166. It gave South Africa an unassailable 2-0 lead with one Test left to play.

Ntini and Nel had West Indies under the cosh from the outset as their top order succumbed for the second time this match; they lost three wickets in four balls and were in big trouble at 17 for 3. Ntini found himself on a hat-trick after removing Chris Gayle and then Ramnaresh Sarwan with the last ball of his third over. But there was no let-up during the intervening six balls as Nel found Wavell Hinds' edge to continue West Indies' slide.

Ntini steamed in for the hat-trick ball but it was Brian Lara, much to West Indies' relief, who was at the receiving end. Their first-innings hero fended off the danger with an obdurate defensive stroke, and stayed firm until lunch, with his captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul. But they couldn't hold on for another session as Nel trapped both lbw in the space of six deliveries. It was the sixth time in eight innings that he has taken Lara's wicket.

Dwayne Bravo was the next to go, falling to Jacques Kallis as he flashed uppishly at a wide ball. And if the manner of his dismissal sounds familiar, that's because it is: Bravo has now been dismissed exactly the same way in his last three innings. South Africa laid their trap and got their man. And they finished off the remaining four wickets in the same clinical, calculated fashion; the fiery Nel was in fiery form.

South Africa's efforts had been deliberate from the outset. Resuming this morning they added 27 runs in quick time - in stark contrast to yesterday's stodgy batting - for the loss of just one more wicket. Bravo took a stunning catch over his shoulder to remove Ntini off Daren Powell's bowling and then Nel was dropped by Lara, prompting Smith to call his players off the field at 548 for 9.

It was just as well. South Africa raced along at nearly five an over but a scorching West Indies attack were beginning to fire in the short stuff at Nel and Nicky Boje. Ntini had already suffered a blow to the helmet when he ducked into a short one that didn't rise as much as expected.

But on the whole, the pitch remained a decent batting track. The West Indies batsmen, however, tried their utmost to disprove this theory - although Courtney Browne provided some admirable and entertaining resistance from No 8 with 68 from 75 balls, including five fours and four sixes. But once he fell it was game, and series, over.