PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AFP) — Half centuries from Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, and Ashwell Prince trumped a penetrative, marathon spell of spin bowling from Sulieman Benn to put South Africa in a favourable position in the opening Test against West Indies yesterday.

Boucher missed most of the preceding limited-overs matches, but he got his groove back with the top score of 69, de Villiers supported with 68, and Prince made 57, as the South Africans were dismissed for 352 in their first innings about 10 minutes before the scheduled close on the second day at Queen’s Park Oval.

The Proteas’ batsmen battled hard to get on top of the West Indies’ spin bowlers in particular, but Benn, gaining generous turn and bounce from the pitch, was the pick of the home team’s bowlers with five wickets for 120 runs from 47 overs.

Test newcomer Shane Shillingford supported Benn, when he collected three for 96 from 34 overs with his off-spin.

Boucher made five fours and one six from 146 balls in his knock to beef-up the visitors’ total, after their innings appeared at the crossroads at 238 for seven.

He reached his 50 from 102 balls with a single to point, and added a valuable 86 for the eighth wicket with Dale Steyn either side of tea to tilt the balance back in favour of South Africa.

Steyn was stumped off Benn for 39, and Boucher continued to rally the South Africans with tail-enders Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe before he was last man dismissed, caught at long-off off Dwayne Bravo.