GEORGETOWN, April 1: Wavell Hinds entered the record books as he hit 213, the highest score by a West Indian against South Africa, as the first Test resumed after a rain delay on Friday.
West Indies maintained their dominance of the first day to move to 386 for three at lunch with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, captain in the absence of Brian Lara, unbeaten on 117.
Hinds has batted for more than seven-and-a-half hours, faced 272 balls and hit 34 fours and two sixes.
The more subdued Chanderpaul scored his runs off 211 balls with 17 fours.
Lara’s 202, which he scored in Johannesburg in the 2003-04 series was the previous best score by a West Indies player against South Africa.
Hinds and Chanderpaul came together with the West Indies on 106 for three and their unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 280 is a record for any wicket for the West Indies against South Africa, beating the previous best of 174 set by Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle in 2003-04.
The morning session was reduced to an hour’s play because of mopping up operations following overnight rain.
West Indies resumed on 347 for three, and quickly picked up from where they left off on Thursday against a lacklustre South Africa bowling display.
Hinds went to his double century when he opened the face of his bat as he pushed forward to a delivery from fast bowler Andre Nel, the ball scooting through backward point and across the fast outfield for four.
The closest South Africa came to taking a wicket was when Nel struck Hinds on the pads with a delivery that pitched in line with the left-hander’s leg-stump.
The South Africans appealed loudly for a leg-before decision, but umpire Aleem Dar signalled four runs after the ball clattered into the third man boundary.
Earlier on Thursday, opener Wavell Hinds and skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul struck centuries and shared in a record partnership to put West Indies in control on the first day.
The pair put on 241 for the unbroken fourth wicket, a record against South Africa, as the home side reached 347 for three when bad light halted play 9.5 overs early.
Hinds, who survived a difficult chance on 13 when dropped by Herschelle Gibbs in the gully off fast bowler Charl Langeveldt, ended the day unbeaten on a career-best 188, his fifth Test century.
He had hit 30 fours and two sixes in 230 balls.
Chanderpaul, captaining the side for the first time in the absence of Brian Lara, finished on 102 not out, his 12th century, having struck 15 fours.
