On the back of fine centuries from Jacques Kallis and Gary Kirsten, and aided by staggeringly sloppy fielding, South Africa shut the West Indies completely out of the second cricket Test at Kingsmead on Sunday.
At stumps on day three, the Windies had moved to 18 without loss, barely denting the huge deficit of 394.
South Africa amassed a mammoth 658 for nine — the highest tally recorded to date by the hosts on home soil — taking full advantage of the Windies’ limited and inexperienced attack, as well as six dropped catches.
The most costly of those drops was the one skipper Brian Lara spilt off Mervyn Dillon at first slip when Kirsten had 22.
Kirsten offered another chance when he had 41. On that occasion, Vasbert Drakes put him down at gully, again off Dillon.
It was not a particularly happy morning for Drakes. In the over before dropping Kirsten, he fumbled a catch at fine leg to let Kallis off the hook when he had 84.
When Drakes was brought on to bowl, Kirsten repaid the former Border allrounder’s largesse by smashing him for four consecutive fours.
Drakes eventually hung on to a catch at midwicket, but by then Kirsten had 137, his 20th Test century, and had passed 7 000 Test runs. The dropped catches also allowed Kallis and Kirsten to post the highest-to-date South African fourth-wicket partnership of 249.
It eclipsed the 214 Herbie Taylor and Hubert Deane made at the Oval in 1929 against England.
Dillon was eventually rewarded for his consistent line and length — an example not universally followed by his colleagues — by dismissing Kallis for 177.
Kallis, though, missed out on bettering his previous highest of 189 not out, made in Bulawayo in 2001/2002.
It was, however, the highest score made by a South African against the West Indies.
Daryll Cullinan held the previous record of 168, made in 1998/99 at Newlands.
The departure of Kallis and Kirsten, however, did not herald a period of safer hands for the tourists.
Neil McKenzie was dropped when Ramnaresh Sarwan spilt a return catch while Adam Sanford, the Windies’ most successful bowler with three for 170, put down Andrew Hall at fine leg. — Sapa