Ramnaresh Sarwan stood firm as West Indies struggled to 170 for five at the close on the fourth day of the second Test against South Africa on Monday.
The hosts, who lost Brian Lara cheaply, were just 119 runs ahead with Sarwan unbeaten on 93 and Dwayne Bravo on 30 following an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 78.
South Africa were earlier dismissed for 398 in reply to West Indies' 347, part-time off-spinner Chris Gayle wrapping up the tourists' innings with four quick wickets.
Gayle was first out when West Indies batted again, pushing at a slanting delivery from fast bowler Makhaya Ntini and finding the hands of AB de Villiers in the gully.
South Africa wasted an opportunity to dismiss Sarwan when Jacques Rudolph at short leg failed to reach a looping chance off Ntini.
Wavell Hinds was dropped by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off Jacques Kallis before left-arm spinner Nicky Boje broke through, trapping the opener lbw for 22 to end a second-wicket stand of 65 with Sarwan.
Boje then bowled Lara, who made 196 in the first innings, for four with a delivery that turned sharply and kept low before Ntini struck again with the last ball before tea by trapping Shivnarine Chanderpaul lbw for one.
West Indies sank to 92 for five in the fourth over after the interval when Ntini yorked Donovan Pagon off his inside edge and they would have been 118 for six if Rudolph had not dropped a straightforward chance at square leg offered by Bravo off fast bowler Monde Zondeki.
Sarwan batted defiantly, however, facing 190 balls and hitting nine fours, and he found a useful ally in promising all-rounder Bravo as the pair took the hosts through to the close without further loss.
Earlier, after South Africa had resumed on 370 for six, Gayle struck with his first ball when Boucher, on 28, offered a tame return catch to end a seventh-wicket stand of 71 with Ashwell Prince.
Three balls later Gayle had Prince caught by Chanderpaul at short extra cover for 45 and Gayle took his third wicket when he bowled Ntini for four.
The spinner ended the innings six overs later by bowling Andre Nel for six to finish with figures of four for 50.
Scorecard
West Indies 1st innings 347 (B. Lara 196; M. Ntini 6-95)
South Africa 1st innings (Overnight: 370-6)
G. Smith lbw b W. Hinds 148
A. Villiers c Chanderpaul b King 33
J. Rudolph c Browne b Bravo 8
J. Kallis lbw b Bravo 39
M. Zondeki b Collins 14
H. Gibbs b Collins 34
A. Prince c Chanderpaul b Gayle 45
M. Boucher c&b Gayle 28
N. Boje not out 13
M. Ntini b Gayle 4
A. Nel b Gayle 6
Extras (b-2 lb-2 nb-20 w-2) 26
Total (all out, 166.5 overs) 398
Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-86, 3-181, 4-222, 5-274, 6-303, 7-374, 8-375, 9-384, 10-398.
Bowling: Collins 29 - 5 - 78 - 2 (nb-10) Powell 22 - 3 - 86 - 0 (nb-1) King 26 - 7 - 50 - 1 (nb-8) Bravo 37 - 8 - 98 - 2 (w-2) Gayle 37.5 - 18 - 50 - 4 Chanderpaul 2 - 0 - 6 - 0 W. Hinds 8 - 5 - 9 - 1 Sarwan 5 - 0 - 17 - 0 (nb-1)
West Indies 2nd innings
W. Hinds lbw b Boje 22
C. Gayle c de Villiers b Ntini 1
R. Sarwan not out 93
B. Lara b Boje 4
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Ntini 1
D. Pagon b Ntini 2
D. Bravo not out 30
Extras (b-2 lb-10 nb-4 w-1) 17
Total (for 5 wickets, 78 overs) 170
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-79, 3-85, 4-86, 5-92
To bat: C. Browne, P. Collins, R. K ing, D. Powell
Bowling Nel 16 - 4 - 30 - 0 (w-1) Ntini 15 - 5 - 34 - 3 (nb-1) Zondeki 11 - 4 - 24 - 0 (nb-3) Boje 19 - 6 - 33 - 2 Kallis 11 - 3 - 29 - 0 Smith 6 - 1 - 8 - 0
