PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa - Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis punished the West Indies for fielding lapses as South Africa built a strong position on the first day of the second Test in Port Elizabeth yesterday.
The home side reached 2-270 at stumps after being asked to bat in overcast conditions at St George's Park.
Elgar made a Test-best 121 and shared a second-wicket partnership of 179 with Du Plessis, who finished the day on 99 not out.
The West Indies missed four chances to break the Elgar-Du Plessis stand.
The bowlers could feel aggrieved as they toiled with much better control and discipline than they did in Centurion where they were heavily beaten by an innings and 220 runs in the first Test.
"The pitch was slow but there was a lot of seam movement," said Elgar. "They bowled very well. They had their chances but they didn't take them."
Du Plessis was put down by Marlon Samuels at gully off Jerome Taylor when he had eight and again by Devon Smith diving to his right off left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn on 26.
One ball after Du Plessis' second escape, the left-handed Elgar went down the wicket to Benn and was well out of his ground as the ball squeezed through to hit low on the pad of captain and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.
Elgar was on 48 and, to add insult to the disappointed bowler, he went down the wicket again and lofted Benn to the straight boundary to raise his fifty.