Dale Steyn fortified South Africa's hold on the third and final Test against West Indies, with a telling opening burst before tea on Monday.
Steyn captured three wickets for 23 runs from five overs, as West Indies, trailing by 111 on first innings, reached 70 for three in their second innings at the break on the second day at Kensington Oval.
The South Africans were bowled out for 346 about 10 minutes after lunch, replying to West Indies' first innings total of 231, with left-hander Ashwell Prince finishing unbeaten on 78, and Sulieman Benn ending with six wickets for 81 runs from 46.4 overs.
Steyn struck, when Dale Richards miscued a hook and was brilliantly caught by Alviro Petersen running backwards at mid-wicket for 17 in his third over.
Next delivery, he had left-hander Narsingh Deonarine caught at square cover for a first-ball duck to leave West Indies 27 for two.
In his fifth over, Steyn collected the prized scalp of West Indies captain Chris Gayle caught behind for 10 playing defensively forward to a well-pitched delivery that bounced and moved away from the big left-hander to leave the hosts 36 for three.
Steyn and the rest of the South Africa attack met defiance from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, not out on 30, and Brendan Nash, not out on 12, for the remainder of the session.
Before lunch, Ashwell Prince held things together, as South Africa suffered a lower-order batting collapse, and subsided to 342 for nine at the interval.
On a dramatic morning, South Africa wobbled, after they resumed from their overnight total of 285 for six.
Mark Boucher was run out for 17, when he got entangled with Prince trying to steal a single, and failed to beat Brandon Bess' throw from mid-on to the wicketkeeper in the first hour.
Johan Botha was then trapped lbw for nine off Benn playing back and down the wrong line to a well-pitched delivery.
The slide continued, when Steyn was comprehensively beaten and bowled with a delivery from Kemar Roach for four.
Steyn's dismissal was marred by controversy, when he and Benn, whose five wickets for 77 runs from 46 overs made him the pick of the West Indies' bowlers, became embroiled in a war of words, and the South African appeared to spit in the direction of the beanpole left-arm spinner.
After lunch, Morne Morkel was caught at slip for nine to become Benn's last victim before Steyn ripped a hole in the West Indies top order.
South Africa lead the three-Test series 1-0, after they won the first Test by 163 runs inside four days last Sunday at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, and the second Test was drawn at Warner Park in St. Kitts.
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
