First Test at Bourda balanced on a knife edge

South Africa lost their last six wickets for 58 runs to earn a meagre lead of just 28 runs, despite Gary Kirsten's 150, as the first Test between the West Indies and South Africa at the Bourda entered the final two days balanced on a knife edge.

The West Indies made light work of erasing the deficit on an increasingly uneven pitch with Chris Gayle blasting his way to a furious 26 not out and Wavell Hinds reaching the close on 13 as the home side closed on 50 without loss, a slender lead of 22 runs.

Resuming at 130-1 in reply to the home side's 304 all out, the tourists continued their meticulous, calculating and efficient accumulation of runs as Carl Hooper urged his troops to stem the tide with tigerish fielding and tight, miserly bowling. It was, ironically but impressively, an inverted mirror image of the Test's first innings when South Africa engineered a similar fightback.

Kirsten and Jacques Kallis continued their remorseless third wicket stand for most of the morning session until Kallis perished to a rotten piece of umpiring from England's John Hampshire nine overs before the lunch break.

A thick inside edge went undetected and the stand ended at 146 with Kallis on his way, lbw for 50 from 181 balls in exactly four hours.

Daryll Cullinan snicked a classic leg spinner from Dinanath Ramnarine to Ridley Jacobs shortly before the break and Neil McKenzie's troublesome start to the tour continued immediately after lunch when a lap-sweep at Ramnarine failed to make contact and he was bowled around his legs to leave the tourists wobbling at 198-4 having been 171-1.

It could have been even worse had a leading edge from Mark Boucher not popped up and landed impossibly between three fielders but the South African 'keeper went on to make his own luck with a brave assault on the bowlers which brought him a half century and repaired the innings with a stand of 76 with the unmoveable Kirsten.

Finally, however, after seven hours and 26 minutes in the steaming cauldron of the Bourda, weariness led the opener to wave at a wide ball from Courtney Walsh that bounced unexpectedly and flew from the top edge to Jacobs. Kirsten faced 338 balls in total striking 13 boundaries and a memorable, slog-swept six off Ramnarine. His greatest allies however, as always, were his unflappable temperament, superb fitness and unwavering concentration.

Lance Klusener also fell to a poor lbw decision although Ed Nicholls has enjoyed a fine Test so far and it would be unreasonable to expect every umpire to see every ball that pitches an inch outside leg stump with the naked eye. The television replay, however, saw it very clearly.

Walsh pushed his world record to 496 when he trapped Boucher lbw on the back foot and thereafter it was all Shaun Pollock could do to muster a lead of 28 with the tailenders.

Chris Gayle then adopted a dashing, thrilling approach to erasing the deficit with a series of flashing square drives against Pollock that forced the South African captain to withdraw himself from the attack after just three overs that cost 23 runs.

After three days of fierce competition both sides are showing signs of sagging. The judges' cards are evenly marked but there is still plenty of time to land the knockout punch.