Steyn stars for South Africa

Seamer Dale Steyn dismisses the very dangerous Brenton Parchment © Getty Images

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Dale Steyn grasped the baton from retiring South Africa seamer Shaun Pollock, producing a stunning spell of quick bowling to seal a 2-1 series win over West Indies in Durban.

The day after Pollock announced his departure from the international arena, Steyn claimed 6-72 as the Proteas wrapped up an innings-and-100-run victory in the third and final Test.

Marlon Samuels (105) and Dwayne Bravo (75) offered a belated fight in the Windies cause, but an evening collapse ensured the match did not enter a fourth day.

With Shivnarine Chanderpaul unable to bat because of illness, the task was always liable to be too much for the tourists.

Resuming on 23 without loss, still 394 behind, they added just another 10 runs before Steyn struck for the first time, removing Brenton Parchment, who faces a close-of-play hearing after being charged following an earlier incident between the pair.

Parchment (20) was adjudged lbw, and Daren Ganga soon followed when he was caught by Jacques Kallis at second slip for 11 off the bowling of Ntini.

Runako Morton produced a run-a-ball 37 before he was trapped in front playing no stroke to Pollock, for what proved to be the 34-year-old’s final Test wicket.

Bravo continued where Morton left off, reaching 32 by the interval, with Samuels beside him on 28.

And they were relatively untroubled throughout the afternoon as they each passed 50.

Marlon Samuels plays the ball late during his lone hand for struggling West Indies against South Africa in Durban

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Bravo, in particular, looked in fine form with a lofted straight drive over Pollock’s head and a back-foot punch off Steyn the highlights.

Samuels offered a chance to Kallis off the bowling of Steyn when he was on 41, but the all-rounder failed to cling on.

It was a different story in the evening, though, as Steyn stole the show, first bringing to end a partnership worth 144.

He removed Bravo, the all-rounder given lbw playing across the line, before Nel induced an outside edge from Denesh Ramdin which was taken by Mark Boucher.

Skipper Graeme Smith delayed taking the new ball for two overs but when he did take it, it proved a decisive move.

With just his third delivery with the new ball, Steyn removed Samuels, whose 105 was his second Test century.

He was squared up by a ball which moved off the seam and clipped the top of off stump.

Darren Sammy (17) was next to go, chipping the ball off a leading edge back into the hands of Steyn, before Daren Powell was bowled through the gate for a duck.

That wicket gave Steyn his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests, and he wrapped things up by bowling Fidel Edwards.

It was a consummate display of new-ball bowling from Steyn and one which suggested that, even without Pollock, the South Africa attack is in safe hands.