South Africa turn the screw

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

AB de Villiers struck a career-best 178 as South Africa tightened their grip on the third Test - and the series - in Barbados. After a day of clinical accumulation, and despite a late flurry of wickets, they had a lead of 225 with two wickets still in hand. It was a slow day for all concerned as South Africa inched along at barely three runs an over, but they had their plan and they were sticking with it. An unassailable 2-0 lead is theirs for the taking.

The day belonged to de Villiers, yet he barely offered a glimpse of his abundant talent. To call him patient would be an understatement: he took 23 balls to get off the mark in the morning session, and his runs were painstakingly, lovelessly eked out.

In fact it was Boeta Dippenaar who had to take an unusually dominant role in a second-wicket stand of 143. Dippenaar certainly enjoyed himself in an unfamiliar situation: in accordance with South Africa's unhurried game-plan, he took his time and waited for the rare bad ball. But when they came, he saw and he conquered, ensuring they were well and truly dispatched; the highlight was a gloriously effortless six back over Ryan Hinds's head.

West Indies bowled well, but on a pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers it took a direct hit to break the deadlock. Dippenaar called for a tight run and couldn't scamper home in time. The stumps were shattered by the substitute fielder Dwayne Smith, on the field for another Dwayne, Bravo, who had to leave the field after parrying a ball into his face.

He left the field clutching a towel to his bleeding left eye, but he returned to the field in the afternoon without the need for stitches. But it is his team's bowling department who were searching for some added needle to prevent South Africa sewing up the series.

Reon King answered the call, inducing de Villiers's edge through to the wicketkeeper Courtney Browne (392 for 3). Or so it seemed: TV replays were inconclusive, suggesting that the noise may have been his bat thudding the ground. There was no doubt about Herschelle Gibbs's dismissal soon after, however - his edge off Chris Gayle was smartly taken by Bravo at first slip.

The deceptively dangerous Gayle struck again soon after when Ashwell Prince, who made 23, was magnificently caught by Bravo, diving and jerking his body backwards at first slip.

All the while, Jacques Kallis rumbled on at the other end. His 78 was mechanical even by his standards - there were just four fours in his 156-ball innings - but though it was not pretty cricket, it looks set to be winning cricket.

Kallis eventually fell to his unlikely nemesis, Wavell Hinds. Hinds has taken just 16 Test wickets - and that includes Kallis three times. His dismissal precipitated a mini-collapse, from 496 for 5 from 504 for 8: Mark Boucher, having hung around grimly in a boundary-free 28, chopped on Daren Powell's second delivery with the second new ball, and Monde Zondeki toe-ended Powell to cover two overs later.

South Africa had dithered over hitting the accelerator so much that they ended the day in reverse, with Fidel Edwards bounding in cockily and the batsmen struggling to get it off the square. But there was no doubt that they remained firmly in the driver's seat.