South Africa captain Graeme Smith led from the front with a half-century to steer his side to 182 for three on the second day of the second Test against West Indies on Saturday.
South Africa made steady progress after curtailing the West Indian innings to 347.
Smith was unbeaten on 90 with nightwatchman Monde Zondeki on one. He faced 196 balls and hit 10 fours in a careful innings.
Brian Lara smashed a brilliant 196 to anchor the West Indian innings while fast bowler Makhaya Ntini took six wickets for 95 runs.
The Trinidadian fell just short of what would have been his first Test double century on his home ground when he was bowled by Andre Nel for 196 to end West Indies' innings.
The former captain faced 286 balls and hit 25 fours in his magnificent innings that began with the West Indies in trouble on 13 for two.
Lara's century was his 27th, which made him the West Indian with the most Test hundreds to his credit.
Previously, Lara and Garfield Sobers had 26 centuries.
THIRD PLACE
Lara's innings also saw him leapfrog Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) and Sachin Tendulkar (10,134) into third place on the list of all-time leading run-scorers in Test cricket.
Lara began the match with 10,094 runs.
Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini added two wickets to his overnight tally and finished with six for 95.
West Indies resumed on 281 for six and South Africa took the second new ball almost eight overs after it was due with the third delivery of the day's play.
Ntini claimed his fifth wicket in the fifth over of the morning when Courtney Browne edged a ball on to his thigh pad and into the hands of Jacques Rudolph at short leg.
Browne scored 26, and his dismissal ended a stand of 74 for the seventh wicket scored with Lara.
The innings ended when Lara pushed forward to a delivery from Nel, missed it and looked back to see the ball had clipped the top of his off-bail.
Nel celebrated by leaping up and down, even as the crowd fell silent.
Smith and AB de Villiers shared an enterprising opening stand of 70 for South Africa that ended when De Villiers, who scored 33, drove a ball from fast bowler Reon King uppishly to Shivnarine Chanderpaul at short extra cover.
South Africa were 86 for two in the fifth over before tea when medium pacer Dwayne Bravo had Jacques Rudolph caught behind by wicketkeeper Browne for eight.
Smith and Jacques Kallis batted conservatively together in their stand of 95 that endured until the fourth ball before the close when Bravo trapped Kallis in front for 39.
Scoreboard
West Indies (1st innings): (Overnight: 281-6)
W. Hinds c Smith b Ntini 32
C. Gayle c Boucher b Ntini 6
R. Sarwan c Nel b Ntini 5
B. Lara b Nel 196
S. Chanderpaul c&b Boje 35
D. Pagon b Ntini 0
D. Bravo b Nel 5
C. Browne c Rudolph b Ntini 26
P. Collins lbw Nel 2
R. King not out 1
D. Powell b Ntini 15.
Extras: (b-4, lb-8, nb-5, w-2) 24
Total: (all out, 104.4 overs) 347
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-13, 3-108, 4-203, 5-204, 6-225, 7-299, 8-318, 9-325, 10-347.
Bowling: Nel 28.4-7-71- 3 (w-1), Ntini 28-3-95-6 (nb-2), Kallis 13-4-41-0, Zondeki 15-0-71-0 (nb-3 w-1), Boje 20-2-52- 1.
South Africa (1st innings):
G. Smith not out 90
A. Villiers c Chanderpaul b King 33
J. Rudolph c Browne b Bravo 8
J. Kallis lbw Bravo 39
M. Zondeki not out 1.
Extras: (lb-1, nb-10) 11.
Total: (for 3 wickets, 67 overs) 182
Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-86, 3-181.
To bat: A. Prince, M. Boucher, N. Boje, M. N tini, H. Gibbs, A. Nel
Bowling: Collins 13-2-40-0 (nb-7), Powell 12-2-58-0, King 12-3-21-1 (nb-3), Bravo 14-3-39-2, Gayle 16-6-23-0.
