Makhaya Ntini claimed his seventh five-wicket haul as South Africa closed in on an innings victory over the West Indies on the third day of the fourth Test at Centurion on Sunday.

West Indies, who followed on 303 runs behind, were 44 for two in their second innings when bad light ended play seven overs early with Ramnaresh Sarwan on seven and Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 12.

The visitors need another 259 runs to make South Africa bat again after the home side declared their first innings closed at 604 for six on Saturday then bowled West Indies out for 301, with opener Chris Gayle top-scoring with 77.

Ntini took five for 49 in West Indies' first innings, and then ended the day with one for 14 in the second. He also struck Gayle with a sharply rising delivery, forcing the lefthander to retire hurt early in the visitors' second innings.

The visitors had resumed the day on seven without loss, before Ntini reduced them to 37 for two early on when Daren Ganga edged to second slip Jacques Kallis for seven, then bowled Sarwan for 13.

Gayle and Lara then began a swashbuckling 102-run partnership, plundering 69 runs in 12 overs from Andre Nel and Andrew Hall in the first session, before Nel had Lara caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher in the last over before lunch for 34.

In the first over after lunch, Gayle was dropped by Kallis off Shaun Pollock before he hit a Ntini delivery four balls later straight to Neil McKenzie at deep point for 77.

Chanderpaul and Dwayne Smith, who scored a century on debut in the third Test, then added 53 for the fifth wicket before Smith drove loosely at a ball from Kallis and was caught by Boucher for a pugnacious 39 that featured eight fours and a six.

Wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs was the next batsman to depart, caught by Boucher off Nel, shortly after the tea break before Chanderpaul was caught at first slip by Shaun Pollock for 42, again off Nel.

Vasbert Drakes and Mervyn Dillon then produced a defiant eighth-wicket partnership of 39 that ended when Ntini bowled Drakes for 35, scored off 34 balls with seven fours.

Dillon and Corey Collymore combined for 21 runs before Pollock bowled Collymore for four and Ntini wrapped up the innings when he bowled Dillon for 30, which he scored off 31 balls with seven fours.

Gayle began the second innings aggressively, scoring 14 runs before he was struck by the Ntini delivery.

The South African fast bowler then bowled Ganga for a duck with an inswinger six balls later.

Lara was trapped in front for six offering no stroke to a delivery from Nel to leave West Indies 32 for two in the 12th over before Sarwan and Chanderpaul went through to stumps.

Scoreboard:

South Africa first innings: 604-6 declared (H.Gibbs 192, G.Smith 139, J.Kallis 130 not out)

West Indies first innings: (overnight 7-0)
C.Gayle c McKenzie b Ntini 77
D.Ganga c Kallis b Ntini 7
R.Sarwan b Ntini 13
B.Lara c Boucher b Nel 34
S.Chanderpaul c Pollock b Nel 42
D.Smith c Boucher b Kallis 39
R.Jacobs c Boucher b Nel 8
V.Drakes b Ntini 35
M.Dillon b Ntini 30
C.Collymore b Pollock 4
F.Edwards not out 0

Extras (lb-7 nb-5) 12

Total (all out, 82.2 overs) 301

Fall of wickets: 1-22 2-37 3-139 4-142 5-195 6-224 7-241 8-280 9-301.

Bowling: Pollock 16.2-6-46-1 (nb-4), Ntini 20-7-49-5 (nb-1), Nel 18-6-64-3, Hall 11-0-65-0, Kallis 12-4-46-1, Smith 3-1-7-0, Rudolph 2-0-17-0.

West Indies 2nd innings:
C.Gayle retired hurt 14
D.Ganga b Ntini 0
R.Sarwan not out 7
B.Lara lbw b Nel 6
S.Chanderpaul not out 12

Extras (b-4 lb-1) 5

Total (for 2 wkts, 16 overs) 44

Fall of wickets: 1-18 2-32

Bowling: Pollock 6-3-13-0, Ntini 5-0-14-1, Nel 3-0-12-1, Kallis 2-2-0-0.

South Africa: G.Smith, H.Gibbs, J.Rudolph, J.Kallis, G.Kirsten, N.McKenzie, M.Boucher, S.Pollock, A.Hall, A.Nel, M.Ntini