7 Jan 2015

South Africa beat Windies to retain top spot

8:18 am on 7 January 2015

South Africa has retained its world number one test ranking after an eight wicket win over the West Indies in the final cricket test in Cape Town.

South African cricketer Hashim Amla

South African cricketer Hashim Amla Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Opener Dean Elgar hit an unbeaten 60 as the Proteas took the three-match series 2-0.

Elgar and captain Hashim Amla (38 not out) helped South Africa home as they reached 124 for two wickets before lunch on the final day to secure victory.

"It is good to still be the number one test team but it's not really about the ranking. It needs to be about being a winning team for a long time," Amla said.

They were nine for one overnight and showed no hurry to knock off the remaining 115 runs needed for victory.

The first 44 balls of the day failed to deliver any runs before Elgar finally stroked a boundary off Jerome Taylor to break the stranglehold.

Faf du Plessis was out for 14 just after the first hour, handing Sulieman Benn a second wicket of the innings after the spinner bowled opener Aviro Petersen with the last ball on Monday. The tall left-arm spinner toiled for 16 successive overs on Tuesday to finish with figures of two for 24.

The win added to South Africa's victory by an innings and 220 runs in the first test in Pretoria.

The second test in Port Elizabeth was a rain-affected draw.

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