CENTURION–Captain Hashim Amla lashed a third career double century and Stiaan van Zyl stroked a hundred on debut, to propel South Africa to an imposing total but rain prevented the hosts from ramming home the advantage on the second day of the opening Test against West Indies here yesterday.
Revelling in good conditions and a muted Windies attack, South Africa rattled up 552 for five before declaring just before tea, with the prolific Amla leading the way with 208 and van Zyl unfurling a breezy, unbeaten 101.
However, any hopes of getting at the chronically brittle West Indies top order were quickly scuppered as heavy rain swept across SuperSport Park, erasing any chance of play for the remainder of the day.
After five sessions in the field and with little to show for their efforts, the wash-out would have come as a relief for the Windies but a massive disappointment to the Proteas who took command of the contest with another emphatic batting display.
Resuming on 340 for three, Amla and van Zyl proved the catalysts of South Africa's healthy progress after AB de Villiers fell inside the first hour of the morning after adding just ten to his overnight 141.
De Villiers consumed 235 deliveries in a shade over 5-1/4 hours and counted 16 fours and two sixes, posting a record 308 for the fourth wicket with Amla.
He punched left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell down the ground for a couple in the day's fifth over to raise the 300-run partnership and then celebrated with a back-foot drive to the cover boundary two balls later.
A single in the next over from Sulieman Benn saw him reach 150 for the ninth time in his career but he perished in the left-arm spinner's next over, taken at backward point by Jermaine Blackwood, trying to punch a flighted delivery through the off-side.
Again, the breakthrough only served to raise false hopes for the Windies as Amla and van Zyl then combined in a 155-run, fifth wicket partnership to further extend the Windies sorrows, and take their side to lunch at 449 for four.
The right-handed Amla, resuming on 133, moved to 178 at the first interval, playing with complete assurance against an attack missing fast bowler Kemar Roach who failed to recover from an ankle injury sustained late on the opening day.
In cruise mode by now, Amla survived a dropped chance by Blackwood at mid-wicket off Taylor on 180 to complete his double century on the stroke of the first hour after lunch, when he clipped Cottrell to mid-wicket for a couple.
The knock followed his monumental unbeaten 311 against England at The Oval two years ago and an unbeaten 253 against India in Nagpur in 2010.
His knock was the highest by a South African against West Indies and also the highest by a Proteas skipper at home.
Scoreboard
South Africa 1st Inns
Alviro Petersen c Smith b Roach 27
Dean Elgar c Samuels b Cottrell 28
Faf du Plessis c Ramdin b Roach 0
Hashim Amla c Taylor b Benn 208
AB de Villiers c Blackwood b Benn 152
Stiaan van Zyl not out 101
Quinton de Kock not out 18
Extras: (8b, 6lb, 2w, 2nb) 18
TOTAL: (for 5 wickets declared) 552
Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-57, 3-57, 4-365, 5-520
Bowling: Jerome Taylor 26.1-5-108-0, Sheldon Cottrell 28-1-124-1, Kemar Roach 15.5-4-52-2, Sulieman Benn 46-7-148-2, Marlon Samuels 20-0-89-0, Kraigg Brathwaite 1-0-2-0, Jermaine Blackwood 3.3-0-15-0.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Pakistan, and Billy Bowden, New Zealand.
TV umpire: Paul Reiffel, Australia.
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle, S Lanka?