Smith's resolve tests Windies

West Indies 347 South Africa 370-6

South Africa slowly and deliberately ground out a lead of 23 over the West Indies, with four wickets remaining, on the third day of the fourth Test here yesterday.

South Africa slowly and deliberately ground out a lead of 23 over the West Indies, with four wickets remaining, on the third day of the fourth Test here yesterday.

On a worn, but slow, pitch, they scored 188 runs from the day's 90 overs but lost only three wickets, one in each session, to tilt the balance in their favour in what has been an intense contest. The visitors go into the fourth day 370 for 6 in reply to the West Indies 347 with left-hander Ashwell Prince on 41, and the wicketkeeper Mark Boucher unbeaten on 28.

The captain Graeme Smith was at the core of the South African innings with his ninth Test hundred, a marathon 148 that occupied just under seven and a half hours. But all those who went to the middle yesterday contributed to the team's position.

The resolute nightwatchman Monde Zondeki remained with Smith for the first hour and a half of the day, adding 43 before he was bowled by the left-armer Pedro Collins's inswinger with the second new ball.

Smith then shared a partnership of 52 for the fifth wicket with Herschelle Gibbs that occupied an hour and 40 minutes. He was in such defiant mood that it was a surprise when he was out leg before, playing back to the occasional medium-pacer Wavell Hinds's first ball of the match an hour and 10 minutes into the second session.

More assured that he had been in posting 90 of his runs on the previous day, Smith's main scoring strokes were 17 fours and his favoured area, as usual, the leg-side.

West Indies -- First Innings

(Friday: 276 for 6)

B C Lara b Nel 196

ÝC O Browne c Rudolph b Ntini 26

D B Powell b Ntini 15

P T Collins lbw b Nel 2

R D King not out 1

Extras (b4 lb8 w2 nb5) 19

Total (104.4 overs) 347

Fall (cont): 7-299, 8-318, 9-325.

Bowling: A Nel 28.4-7-71-3, M Ntini 28-3-95-6, J H Kallis 13-4-41-0, M Zondeki 15-0-71-0, N Boje 20-2-52-1.

South Africa -- First Innings

(Saturday: 182 for 3)

*G C Smith lbw b Hinds 148

M Zondeki b Collins 14

H H Gibbs b Collins 34

A G Prince not out 41

ÝM V Boucher not out 28

Extras (b2 lb2 w1 nb20) 25

Total (for 6, 157 overs) 370

Fall: 1-70 2-86 3-181 4-222 5-274 6-303

To bat: N Boje, M Ntini.

Bowling: Collins 29-5-78-2, D B Powell 22-3-86-0, King 26-7-50-1, Bravo 32-7-79-2, Gayle 33-17-41-0, Chanderpaul 2-0-6-0, Hinds 8-5-9-1, Sarwan 5-0-17-0

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) and D R Shepherd (Eng).