Having just missed a century in the third one day international against South Africa at Port Elizabeth last Sunday, West Indies' top order batsman Marlon Samuels is the Performer of the Week.

Samuels blasted a whirlwind 98 off 88 balls before he was caught on the wide long on boundary off the final ball of the innings, as West Indies posted a respectable 252 for seven off their 50 overs.

His late assault saw him plundering 78 runs off the last eight overs to push the Windies past the 250 mark. Despite his effort, West Indies lost the match by seven wickets, as the home team duly clinched the five-match series with two matches remaining.

Samuels took 62 deliveries to reach 50 and only 26 more to add a further 48 runs.

In an effort to reach what would have been a well-deserved century, he attempted to hit the final ball out of the ground, only to be caught in the deep.

Significantly, the ground (St. George's Park) was the one where weeks earlier he scored 94 and 40 in the first Test against South Africa, spear-heading West Indies to a decisive victory.

He was awarded 'Man of the Match' for that effort.

- Orville Clarke