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South Africa were facing an embarrassing home defeat to lowly West Indies as their top order crumbled for the second time last night.
Faced with chasing down a daunting 389 after West Indies folded for 175 early on the fourth day, the home side got off to another wretched start when Herschelle Gibbs completed a pair.
Hashim Amla (8) and Graeme Smith (11) soon followed and it was left to Jacques Kallis (9 not out) and Ashwell Prince (10 not out) to repair the damage as South Africa crawled to 38-3 just before lunch.
Kallis will feel some onus to score heavily after saying that his side would use their world record one-day run chase against Australia 21 months ago for inspiration while going for victory at Port Elizabeth.
He said that at the end of a third day in which the finished on 146 for eight, already 359 runs ahead.
But Kallis was still confident South Africa could upset the odds, much like they did in March 2006 when scoring 438 for nine to beat Australia in Johannesburg to win the one-day series.
"Absolutely. Quite a few of this team were involved in the 438 game and we haven't lost the confidence and belief it gave us," Kallis said.
South Africa's leading run-scorer said the home side were expecting to produce a more efficient batting display after being bowled out for 195 in their first innings by West Indies. We know we batted below par in the first innings and this is a chance to redeem ourselves and put that right. It's still a good pitch, it's not like the surfaces we usually get at St George's Park, and we're very positive."
- REUTERS
