Kraigg Brathwaite and Marlon Samuels completed centuries before a dramatic West Indies collapse gave South Africa hope of forcing a victory on the final day of the second Test in Port Elizabeth.
The tourists appeared to be coasting along at 231 for two in reply to the Proteas’ first-innings 417 for nine declared after Brathwaite and Samuels moved to three figures.
But the latter’s dismissal triggered a remarkable passage of play that saw the Windies lose seven wickets for 44 runs, leaving them still 142 behind on 275 for nine when rain and bad light brought a premature end to day four, which consisted of only 35 overs.
Morne Morkel added two wickets to his double strike yesterday and Imran Tahir snared three scalps to keep alive their hopes of wrapping up the three-match series in the 98 overs possible tomorrow.
After rain wiped out the morning session, Brathwaite and Samuels both turned their overnight sixties into hundreds as the Windies sailed past the follow-on target of 218.
Samuels, hit on the back of the helmet by a Morkel bouncer, went to a century in style by clubbing the wayward Tahir for a six and four in consecutive deliveries.
However, South Africa’s fortunes changed when Vernon Philander ended the third-wicket stand of 176 by trapping Samuels lbw for 101, a review failing to save the right-hander.
Brathwaite, dropped on 90 by Francois du Plessis running backwards from second slip, departed in the next over, bowled by Morkel, for 106 when he was held in the cordon.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin saw the Windies through to tea unscathed, but a rejuvenated Tahir and Morkel soon ripped through the middle and lower order.
Tahir had Ramdin lbw, Chanderpaul’s back-foot defensive push rolled through his legs and onto his stumps and, after Morkel had Jason Holder caught behind, the spinner saw Sulieman Benn edge to slip.
Things got worse for West Indies when Jerome Taylor, looking to keep the strike, pushed into the leg side and Kenroy Peters was run out after a fine throw from Dale Steyn.
The wet weather came to Ramdin’s side’s rescue, though, ending the session an hour early and preventing South Africa from continuing their momentum.