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The youngest and the trustiest of their players took a match that was slowly slipping away from the West Indies and reclaimed the initiative with refreshing aggression on the third day of the final Test at Sabina Park yesterday.

Marlon Samuels, the stylish 20-year-old right-hander in his seventh Test and his first in his native Kingston, and the no-nonsense left- handed Ridley Jacobs, with later help from Merv Dillon and Dinanath Ramnarine, ensured the West Indies would start the fourth day 339 ahead with three wickets standing.

It is more than South Africa have ever made to win a Test, pre- or post-apartheid, but another 30 runs or so would be useful.

Samuels and Jacobs came together 25 minutes before tea when captain Carl Hooper fended a high catch to third slip off Jacques Kallis' wicked bouncer in the first over of a spell.

The West Indies had then crawled to 126 for five from 68 overs 92 off 51 on the day and the typically disciplined South Africans had worked their way back into the match.

Tacked on to the first innings lead of 84, the West Indies were 210 ahead at Hopper's dismissal.

With a suspect tail to follow on a basically true pitch, it was not enough to prompt optimism of the victory that would end their streak of 13 winless Tests and inflict on South Africa their first loss for 12.

Samuels was already 30, stroking the ball with the pleasing ease that has long since earmarked him as one for the future. After a frenetic start, Jacobs simply batted with the effective, unorthodox method that has served him well since he entry into the team two years ago.

The two changed the tempo of the game and rebuilt the innings with a partnership of 58 in just over an hour.

After Samuels was out 40 minutes after tea for 59, dragging a short ball in Shaun Pollock's second over with the second new ball into his stumps, Jacobs and fast bowler Dillon further consolidated the West Indies' position in another attacking stand of 45 in 55 minutes.

Dillon spoiled his status as a budding all-rounder by swatting a catch to point off Pollock but his fellow Trinidadian, Dinanath Ramnarine, whose first innings 38 not out has also lifted his batting profile, joined Jacobs to add a further, unbeaten 26 over the last 50 minutes.

The South Africans visibly wilted at the end of a hot, humid day.

The bowling lacked sting, Alan Donald went off the field with a sore heel near the end and there were three missed catches.

Samuels was put down by Lance Klusener at midwicket off Justin Kemp at 51, Kemp failed to hold on to a difficult, diving effort at fine-leg off Pollock when Jacobs was 26 and Ramnarine escaped to Kallis at second slip off Klusener in the penultimate over.

The West Indies are not the only one who yield to pressure.

Once more, the South Africans couldn't find an answer to the belligerent Jacobs, the only West Indies century-maker in the 11 Tests between the teams and a thorn in their side since his entry into the team in South Africa two years ago..

He was unbeaten 67 at the end after two and three-quarter hours in which he found the boundary seven times with a combination of thumping cuts and drives and a few in the dark off the inside edge.

The final session, that brought 107 runs off 32 overs, contrasted sharply to the first two that yielded 114 off 57.

Until Jacobs strode onto Sabina Park, the largest crowd of the match had watched the West Indies struggle to score.

They were confined to 39 runs off 29 overs before lunch while losing Leon Garrick and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Garrick had moved to 27 when his inexperience was exploited by Alan Donald in a high-quality over.

The fast bowler, South Africa's top Test wicket-taker, set him up with a couple of bouncers that drew the desired hooks and the signal from umpire Steve Bucknor that he had used up his allotment. He followed with the full length outswinger that found the edge of the little right-hander's defensive bat.

Just as he did in the previous Test, Chanderpaul edged to first slip off medium-pacer Justin Kemp for seven.

Brian Lara was 10 at lunch and, with scores of 91 and 81 in his last two innings, was in the type of form that could build the platform from which the West Indies, with the series already secured by South Africa, could gain a consolation win.

But left-arm wrist spinner Paul Adams struck a decisive blow quarter- hour after resumption when the left-hander played over a top-spinner that knocked out the leg-stump.

The West Indies progress was kept to snail's pace by tight South Africa bowling and typically efficient fielding that continued to make inroads into the order.

Chris Gayle curbed his natural aggression to such an extent that he was kept on 27 for an hour before lunch. He added a mere 22 to his overnight 10 and had been batting for four and a quarter hours for 32 when Pollock baffled him a change of pace yorker that plucked out the middle-stump.

His dismissal brought in Hooper as the last of the specialist batsmen. He had been in for half-hour for five and could only fend Kallis' throat-ball off the glove high to third slip where Pollock lept to snare the catch.

Then came Jacobs.

© The Barbados Nation