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DURBAN, Dec 27: South Africa built a first innings lead on the back of a blazing 142 from Herschelle Gibbs on the second day of the second test against West Indies on Saturday.
South Africa reached 303 for three, a lead of 39, when bad light ended play 16 overs early. Jacques Kallis was 74 not out with Gary Kirsten on 16.
Opener Gibbs was at the crease for more than four hours in which he faced 175 balls and hit 23 fours.
He said later: “Things went really smoothly today and it was probably is one of my better hundreds.
“I know the wicket here. Once you get in you should be able to get at least 50 and a hundred.”
Earlier, fast bowler Makhaya Ntini ended with five for 66, his sixth five-wicket haul in tests, after the visitors, 232 for eight overnight, were dismissed for 264.
West Indies were indebted to a career-best 67 from fast-bowler Vasbert Drakes, who hit nine fours and a six.
When South Africa batted, Gibbs played with audacious freedom on a steadily flattening pitch, driving off either foot with sublime timing.
It was Gibbs’s 11th Test century but his first against West Indies. Sri Lanka are the only opponents he has yet to score a hundred against.
South Africa lost their first wicket in the 10th over when Graeme Smith’s square drive off fast bowler Fidel Edwards flew to Ramnaresh Sarwan at deep backward point. Smith hit three fours in his 14.
It was 99 for two when Jacques Rudolph attempted to leave a ball from fast bowler Adam Sanford but sent a looping catch to Daren Ganga in the gully to be dismissed for 36.
The runs flowed at an average of more than five an over while Gibbs and Kallis flayed the West Indian attack. They earned most of the credit for the 139 South Africa scored in the 27 overs between lunch and tea.
The third-wicket pair shared 168 runs before they were separated an hour into the final session when Gibbs attempted to pull a delivery from Sanford and was bowled off the bottom edge.
Kallis and Kirsten scored at a more sedate pace, with Kallis batting for three-and-a-half hours, facing 153 balls and hitting eight fours.
South Africa lead the four-test series 1-0.
Scoreboard
West Indies (1st innings) (overnight 232-8)
W.Hinds c Boucher b Pollock 0
D.Ganga c Pollock b Ntini 6
R.Sarwan c Kallis b Pollock 4
B.Lara c Pollock b Ntini 72
S.Chanderpaul c Hall b Ntini 0
C.Baugh c Kallis b Nel 21
R.Jacobs lbw b Nel 58
V.Drakes c Boucher b Nel 67
M.Dillon b Ntini 6
A.Sanford c Hall b Ntini 15
F.Edwards not out 1
Extras (lb-6 nb-8) 14
Total (all out, 77.5 overs) 264
Fall of wkts: 1-0 2-4 3-15 4-17 5-50 6-148 7-172 8-191 9-261
Bowling: Pollock 23-3-59-2 (nb-4), Ntini 25.5-8-66-5 (nb-1), Hall 10-2-51-0 (nb-2), Nel 13-4-43-3 (nb-1), Kallis 4-0-30-0, Rudolph 2-0-9-0
South Africa (1st innings)
G.Smith c Sarwan b Edwards 14
H.Gibbs b Sanford 142
J.Rudolph c Ganga b Sanford 36
J.Kallis not out 74
G.Kirsten not out 16
Extras (lb-5 nb-13 w-3) 21
Total (for three wickets, 74 overs) 303
Fall of wkts: 1-38 2-99 3-267
To bat: N.McKenzie, M.Boucher, S.Pollock, A.Hall, A.Nel, M.Ntini
Bowling (to date): Dillon 16-4-66-0 (nb-3), Edwards 13-1-61-1 (nb-2 w-1), Sanford 19-3-74-2 (nb-4 w-1), Sarwan 2-0-5-0, Drakes 16-1-62-0 (nb-4 w-1), Hinds 8-1-30-0—Reuters
