WI blown away, Steyn, Morkel fire as SA take charge

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP):

Fast bowler Dale Steyn grabbed 5-29 and pace mate Morne Morkel took 4-19 as South Africa blew away West Indies for 102 and took a firm grip of the opening Test on day three yesterday.

South Africa, after sealing a first-innings lead of 250, stretched their advantage to 405 as they closed at 155-2.

Captain Graeme Smith hit an unbeaten 79 and Jacques Kallis 40 not out.

Earlier, Morkel did the early damage before Steyn ripped apart the middle and late order on his way to crossing 200 Test wickets.

"Morne bowled fantastically well. He set the standard this morning when he took three early wickets for us," Steyn said.

"Today was just a great day to be a South African. I think as a team we did fantastically well.

"As an individual, it's great to have those honours but today was a great day by the South Africans."

Only three West Indians reached double figures with Narsingh Deonarine top-scoring with 29. Shivnarine Chanderpaul contributed 26 and Denesh Ramdin an unbeaten 25.

West Indies began the day replying to South Africa's first-innings total of 352 and were soon deep in trouble.

Morkel claimed Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash and captain Chris Gayle as the hosts slumped to 12-3 inside the first hour.

Dowlin (4) fell first as he deflected a catch to first slip where Smith hauled in a low catch.

Next over, left-hander Nash (1) was controversially ruled caught behind after Smith successfully challenged umpire Steve Davis' original not-out decision.

Gayle (6) soon followed as he dragged an ugly pull back into his stumps to spark more celebrations for the South Africans.

Fourth-wicket stand

The experienced Chanderpaul and fellow left-hander Deonarine stalled the partying with a fourth-wicket stand of 59 on both sides of lunch. But the innings was derailed in the second session once Chanderpaul fended a Steyn bouncer to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

The innings subsided dramatically with six wickets tumbling for four runs in 28 deliveries.

Dwayne Bravo (1) also fended to Boucher to give Morkel his fourth wicket. Steyn then took over with some quality, fast swing bowling.

Deonarine misjudged an inswinger and lost his off stump as he played no stroke.

The tail was no match for the Steyn as Shane Shillingford was leg before first ball and Suleiman Benn (0) and Rampaul (0) had their stumps rattled.

Steyn, in his 39th Test, reached 200 career wickets with Benn's. He became the fourth fastest to the milestone after Australians Clarrie Grimmett (36), Dennis Lillee (38) and Pakistani Waqar Younis (38).

Rampaul's dismissal gave Steyn his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests.

Ramdin and Nelon Pascal dragged the innings past three figures in a last stand of 27. Ramdin struck four fours, but Pascal eventually skied a pull to midwicket to end the innings.

Smith opted not to enforce the follow-on and inspired his team with a confident 138-ball effort. The left-hander hit seven fours. He shared an unbroken third-wicket stand of 76 with Kallis after Alviro Petersen (22) and Hashim Amla (5) fell cheaply.