Skipper Smith leads grand South African fight-back

When play closed South Africa were on 182 for three wickets, losing star batsman Jacques Kallis shortly before the close.

Lara, with last man Reon King at the other end, tried desperately to reach the 200 milestone, but to the dismay of fans at the Oval, lost his off bail to Andre Nel, although reaching his highest score in his 12th Test match on the ground. The "Prince of Port-of-Spain" was at the crease for 440 minutes hitting 25 fours off the 286 balls he received.

Lara lost overnight partner Courtney Browne early yesterday, as South African fastbowler Makhaya Ntini started to make inroads into the tail end of the West Indies innings with the second new-ball.

After Daren Powell struck three boundaries in a brief knock, the 27-year-old Ntini continued to prise out the West Indian batsman with the help of Nel.

Pedro Collins perished swiftly giving Ntini his seventh five-wicket haul in his 57th career Test match. He finished with six wickets for 95 runs.

South Africa began their innings very cautiously and were 10 runs for no wicket at lunch.

But the West Indian bowlers aided the South Africans with their wayward bowling, which included several no-balls.

Reon King lifted West Indian spirits when he had South African opener AB De Villiers caught in the covers by skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

And Rudolph again failed to impress, after hitting a boundary off 21-year-old Trinidadian allrounder Dwayne Bravo, he was caught behind off the same bowler next ball.

The prolific Kallis lived a charmed after he replaced Rudolph surviving a run out chance and being dropped by Ramnaresh Sarwan off Chris Gayle when he was on 33 and the score 175 for two wickets.

But Bravo struck late, trapping the high-scoring Kallis leg before, a blow to the South Africans which could well change the course of this Test.

Smith continued to soldier on, however, batting with determination and grit and is in sight of another Test century.

His gritty innings has so far lasted 285 minutes during which he has struck ten fours off 196 balls.

Much will depend on Bravo and the other bowlers today to rip out the remaining seven South African batsmen and give West Indies the upper hand.

Play resumes at 10 am today.