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South Africa 421 and 9 for 1 need a further 115 to beat West Indies 329 and 215 (Samuels 74, Chanderpaul 50, Harmer 4-82, Steyn 3-75)

South Africa were left needing 124 to win the third Test at Newlands and take the series 2-0 after a monumental West Indies collapse on the fourth day. West Indies’ last seven wickets tumbled for only 33 runs in 15 overs as not for the first time in the series they were blown aside.

The ball before Marlon Samuels self-destructed to cries of condemnation from all quarters West Indies seemed to be making a fist of it. Samuels and Shiv Chanderpaul put up prolonged resistance in a fourth-wicket stand of 87 in 28 overs, which was enough to take them into a lead of 90, but once Samuels perished attempting to strike Simon Harmer straight for six, it all became very messy.

West Indies did at least take an unexpected wicket in the three overs remaining. If they were disorientated with the bat, that seemed nothing compared to their bizarre tactics in the field as 2.3 overs were shared by Jerome Taylor, Samuels of all people, and a second spinner, Sulieman Benn. Benn’s third delivery, though, a quicker arm ball, left Alviro Petersen transfixed. Comprehensively bowled for 0, his Test career remained as troubled at the end of the series as it had been at the start.

It would be easy to condemn Samuels for the manner of his departure as he holed out to straight long-on, with Dean Elgar, one of several boundary outriders, making good ground to take the catch. “Arrogant”, “brainless” and “inexcusable” were just three words on commentators’ lips.

In his defence, it was exactly the sort of shot that had first indicated West Indian defiance. If he had broken Harmer, the sole spinner, he might have exposed South Africa in a single session that had the potential to extend for up to four hours.

Dale Steyn was deadly once the ball started to reverse, his pace unnerving, his accuracy immaculate and his eyes so dead they might have won the part of the oldest character in the Twilight fantasy series. He bowled Jermaine Blackwood with a wicked outswinger to follow a couple of inswingers and was on a hat-trick after picking up Denesh Ramdin first ball, Ramdin finding Harmer in front of square leg as he played too early. — ESPN.