Opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs lashed a decidedly ordinary West Indies attack mercilessly to help South Africa dominate the second day of the second cricket Test at Kingsmead on Saturday.
At stumps, South Africa had rushed to 303 for three, a lead of 39 after dismissing the Windies for 264.
The 29-year-old Gibbs batted with his customary grace and class to record 142, his 11th Test century and his first against the Windies.
In putting on 168 for the third wicket with Jacques Kallis (74 not out), Gibbs looked utterly untroubled as he drove, cut and pulled 23 boundaries.
After a comparatively circumspect half century, Gibbs accelerated markedly and needed just 44 balls to score the second 50 of his century.
”I’m actually quite relieved that I’ve eventually been able to get a hundred against the Windies,” said Gibbs.
”I came close two years ago in the Caribbean but I didn’t get there and then I missed out at the Wanderers. So I’m obviously really happy.”
Gibbs later described the knock as one of his better hundreds.
”From the word go my feet moved really well. Everything went smoothly.”
Any hope that the Windies may have harboured of containing the South Africans after dismissing Graeme Smith cheaply disappeared in the post-lunch session.
The only blemish, from a South African point of view, in a session that realised 139 runs in 27 overs, was that the hosts lost Jacques Rudolph for 36 just when the left-hander looked set to play an innings of substance.
Rudolph had come to the crease after the loss of Smith before lunch and batted with the confidence that has been so conspicuously absent of late.
Smith was out for 14, caught at a fly gully position off Fidel Edwards — this after Edwards and Smith shared a heated exchange following a barrage of short-pitched bowling.
Earlier, the South Africans needed 12 overs to dismiss the Windies for 264 — significantly more for what they would have hoped for after the Windies had stumbled to 50 for five.
Resuming on their overnight 232 for eight, Vasbert Drakes moved to a career-best 67 before Andre Nel had him caught behind off his first ball of the day.
Nel’s Easterns’ teammate, Andrew Hall, then spectacularly dived full-length to catch Adam Sanford for 15 at third slip, having dropped the same batsman on 13 earlier in the day’s play.
Makhaya Ntini ended with five for 66, his sixth five-wicket haul and his second against the Windies. — Sapa