Double trouble for Windies

They were centuries of contrasting styles: it took 155 balls for Cullinan’s 100, while Kallis’ took 277 balls.

West Indies — missing the injured fast bowling duo of Courtney Walsh and Franklyn Rose — made the perfect start when Curtly Ambrose had Gary Kirsten caught behind off the first ball of the match for his 350th Test victim.

Opener Herschelle Gibbs fell in the last over before lunch caught at short leg for 42 off the bowling of Mervyn Dillon. But thereafter South Africa tightened their grip.

Cullinan and Kallis made batting look increasingly easy and recorded the first centuries of a low scoring series.

Kallis, who had a28-run start, was the first to 50, reaching the mark for the third time in the series in just under two and half hours.

Cullinan soon followed and then raced ahead of Kallis in the evening session taking just 57 balls over his second 50 before cutting occasional spinner Shivnarine Chanderpaul for his 17th boundary to go to three figures.

It was Cullinan’s sixth century in 44 Tests, coming on one of his favourite grounds. His last six Test innings at Newlands have been 62, 77, 55, 113, 68 and 122 not out.

Cullinan took three hours eight minutes on his century but Kallis was far more circumspect, finally reaching the landmark in the final over of the day.

In all he batted six hours and one minute before turning Otis Gibson to mid-wicket to complete his third Test century.

South Africa lead the five-match series 3-0.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa (1st innings): Gary Kirsten c Jacobs b Ambrose 0, Herschelle Gibbs c Wallace b Dillon 42, Jacques Kallis batting 102, Darryll Cullinan batting 122;Extras: (nb14, lb1, w1) 16. Total (for two wickets in 90 overs) 282

Fall Of Wickets: 1-0, 2-74

Bowling: Ambrose 18-6-35-1 (nb9), McLean 14-2-48-0, Gibson 20-3-65-0 (nb5, w1), Dillon 16-3-63-1, Hooper 16-2-43-0, Chanderpaul 5-0-27-0