We don't know how to finish them off - Gayle

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has said his team didn't know how to "finish them off" after losing the fifth ODI to South Africa during a tense finish in Trinidad. West Indies had South Africa at 246 for 9, chasing 253, and eventually lost with two balls to spare, consigning them to their second 5-0 whitewash at home against Graeme Smith's team.

"The game came close again, and we fell short again,' Gayle told reporters after the match. "We don't know how to finish them off. Losing has become a habit, but we have to put that behind us and look forward to the Test series."

The one-wicket defeat on Thursday followed a loss off the last ball in the fourth game in Dominica. "I think our team needs to learn from South Africa. They are a top team and we came close to victory against them many times this series. When you look at their performances, we can take something from their approach to the game and put it into our game."

Though they lost all seven games in the series so far, West Indies, according to Gayle, could take some encouragement from knowing South Africa "are beatable" as the teams prepare for the three-Test series. "We came close, and we fell short, but one positive we can take away is that we know they are beatable," he said. "We just hope that we can change things around for the Tests. We can beat them, we have done it once in South Africa, so there is no reason we can't beat them at home."

Gayle received mixed reactions from the Port-of-Spain crowd after the game and was booed by some and cheered by others. He wasn't too fussed about it, saying it had "happened in the past in Trinidad and Tobago".