South Africa in 4th Test command

It was Kallis’ 22nd century, breaking the record of 21 he held with Gary Kirsten for the most Test hundreds scored by a South African. The innings also pushed Kallis past Kirsten’s career aggregate of 7289 runs, which was the South African record. Kallis has scored 7317 career runs.

Ashwell Prince was 114 not out, his second century, in an unbroken stand of 230, a record for South Africa’s fifth wicket against all opposition.

The previous best was the 192 that Kirsten and Jonty Rhodes shared against England in Durban in 1999-00.

AB de Villiers’ 114 and Graeme Smith’s 126 also meant it was the first time four South Africans had scored centuries in one Test innings.

The 1955 Australians were the last team to inflict four or more centuries in one innings on West Indies when they scored five in Kingston.

Prince, who faced 230 balls and hit 12 fours and a six, lived dangerously in the first half of his innings. He did not offer a chance but played several false strokes and was beaten occasionally before he dug in for the long haul. The more disciplined Kallis played a restrained innings, which featured 12 fours and a six, and came off 256 balls.

De Villiers and Smith became the ninth opening pair and the third for South Africa to share century stands in three consecutive Tests. They are also the first pair of openers to both score centuries in consecutive Test innings. Smith scored 104 and de Villiers made a career best 178 in the third Test in Bridgetown, which South Africa won by an innings and 86 runs to clinch the series. South Africa needed Kallis’ and Prince’s intervention after they lost four wickets — three of them for six runs — in the morning session.

De Villiers and Smith piled up 214 runs between them on Friday, when rain and bad light curtailed play to 48.5 overs. They were separated eight overs into yesterday’s play when fast bowler Tino Best came around the wicket to the right-handed de Villiers, who sparred at a leg-side delivery and feathered a catch to wicketkeeper Courtney Browne.

De Villiers scored his runs off 173 balls with 13 fours and a six, and his dismissal ended the partnership at 245.

Three balls later Smith drove limply at a ball from fast bowler Daren Powell and was caught by Dwight Washington at mid-on. Smith faced 173 balls and hit 19 fours.

South Africa slipped to 251 for three when Boeta Dippenaar drove a delivery from Best to midwicket and was run out by Narsingh Deonarine.

Dippenaar did not react to Kallis’ early refusals of a third run, and turned back too late. Herschelle Gibbs, who scored 23, was dismissed with what became the last ball before lunch, which he prodded to Deonarine at short leg to earn a wicket for off-spinner Chris Gayle.

West Indies’ decision to open the bowling with off-spinner Deonarine yesterday hinted at a defensive mindset.