BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) — Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brendan Nash transformed a seemingly hopeless position for West Indies with purposeful hundreds in the second Test against South Africa yesterday at Warner Park.

Chanderpaul was undefeated on 151, and Nash scored 114, as West Indies, replying to South Africa’s first innings total of 543 for six declared, reached 424 for four at the close on the third day.

Chanderpaul and Nash, similar in style, batted resolutely, and made full use of the flat pitch to add 220 for the fourth wicket to truly put the South Africans on the back-foot for the first time in the series.

Chanderpaul has so far struck 10 fours and one six from 264 balls in 347 minutes, and Nash smote 14 fours and one six from 148 balls in 199 minutes.

Chanderpaul and Nash gained solid support from Narsingh Deonarine with 65 and West Indies captain Chris Gayle with 50.

Chanderpaul reached his 22nd Test hundred, when he square drove his 188th delivery from Dale Steyn for two.

Nash arrived at his second Test hundred from 129 balls, when he crunched a short ball from Steyn through square leg for his 12th four.

Chanderpaul languidly strolled down the pitch, and lofted left-arm spinner Paul Harris over long-on for his only six to ensure West Indies avoided the follow-on.

After the start was delayed due to rain, West Indies continued from their overnight total of 86 for one, and reached 126 for two at lunch.

In an eventful morning period, Gayle was the only West Indies wicket to fall, after he reached 50 for the second time in the series.

He had batted circumspectly through a testing first hour, and reached his half-century when he flicked his 83rd ball from Lonwabo Tsotsobe behind square, and was fortunate that Morne Morkel’s throw from the deep did not run him out, as he strolled into the non-striker’s end for a single.

Gayle however, did not make the most of the reprieve, and ironically Morkel bowled him, when he edged a flat-footed drive into his stumps with the first ball after the drinks break.

Chanderpaul joined compatriot Deonarine, and for the remainder of the session, continued to battle away.

Chanderpaul endured a nasty blow to the helmet from Steyn, but soldiered on to partner Deonarine to his 50 from 117 balls, when his fellow left-hander punched Paul Harris through point for two.

After the interval, West Indies suffered an early setback, when Deonarine too, gave his hand away. He started to play loosely, and Steyn bowled him off the inside edge.

This brought Nash to the crease, and following a few testing short-pitched deliveries from the South African fast bowlers, he settled down, and carried West Indies to tea on 236 for three.

Chanderpaul reached his 50 from 114 balls, when he swept Harris from outside the off-stump through square leg for his sixth four.

After the break, Nash brought up his 50 from 76 balls with a single through square leg off Alviro Petersen.

Nash and Chanderpaul grew in confidence, and they started to plunder the withering South African attack.

The two both passed their milestones, but Nash was run out, when he cut Tsotsobe to backward point, and tried to steal a single.

The ball bounced over the head of fielder AB de Villiers, and he leapt, grabbed the ball, and fired a direct hit at the striker’s end.

Nash had turned back, and tried to regain his ground, but couldn’t beat the throw.

Dwayne Bravo joined Chanderpaul, and they got through to the close with little or no drama, adding a further 53 — unbroken — for the fifth wicket.

Morkel has been the most successful South African bowler with two for 87 from 21 overs.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA 1st Innings

543 for six declared

(A de Villiers 135 not out, G Smith 132, J Kallis 110)

WEST INDIES 1st Innings

(overnight 86 for one)

*C Gayle b Morkel 50

T Dowlin c de Villiers b Morkel 10

N Deonarine b Steyn 65

S Chanderpaul not out 151

B Nash run out (de Villiers) 114

DJ Bravo not out 21

Extras (lb6, w2, nb5) 13

TOTAL (4 wkts, 116 overs) 424

To bat: +D Ramdin, S Benn, S Shillingford, R Rampaul, K Roach

Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Dowlin), 2-106 (Gayle), 3-151 (Deonarine), 4-371 (Nash)

Bowling: Steyn 20-3-70-1 (nb1, w1); Morkel 21-5-87-2 (nb1); Tsotsobe 19-3-62-0 (nb3); Harris 35-1-129-0; Kallis 16-4-51-0 (w1); Petersen 5-0-19-0

Position: West Indies trail by 119 runs with six first innings wickets standing

Umpires: Asad Rauf, S Taufel

TV umpire: S Davis

Matchreferee: J Crowe

Reserve umpire: C Duncan