A searing spell from Anrich Nortje saw South Africa gain a big lead in the first innings, but West Indies fought back with four wickets by stumps on day two.

West Indies’ quicks put the Test match in balance with four wickets between them in the 8.1 overs of South Africa’s second innings in Centurion on day two.

Having been bowled out for 212, West Indies made use of the brand new cherry to take out four South Africa wickets. Dean Elgar was the first to fall as Alzarri Joseph, whose five-for had bowled South Africa out earlier in the day, got the visitors the early breakthrough.

He would later go on to dismiss Temba Bavuma for a duck, making it a pair on Test captaincy debut for the South African, while Kemar Roach and Jason Holder also took one apiece to leave the Test interestingly poised.

Earlier in the day, South Africa resumed their first innings at 314/8, having stumbled from 221/1 to 300/8 on Day 1, and could add just another 28 runs to their overnight score.

Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee showed intent right away with a boundary each in the opening over off Alzarri Joseph, but the tall speedster redeemed himself to bounce out the latter with the second new ball soon after.

Anrich Nortje threw his bat around for a brisk 14 off 11, before Joseph completed his maiden Test five-for and with it, wrapped up the South African innings for 342 with another dismissal off a bouncer.

West Indies skipper Kraig Brathwaite was dismissed early in their response, losing his off-stump to a brilliant away seaming ball from Kagiso Rabada in just the seventh over.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul showcased resilience and unleashed quality strokes until being caught brilliantly by Senuran Muthusamy off Coetzee to hand the debutant his maiden Test scalp. Raymon Reifer and Jermaine Blackwood guided West Indies to 71/2 by lunch.

Kagiso Rabada shelled a relatively difficult caught and bowled chance to dismiss Reiffer – perhaps the lone blip for the visitors in the first hour post lunch – and the duo added 64 for the third wicket post that.

Nortje outfoxed Blackwood with a similar line, beating the batter with his extra pace to induce an inside edge through to the wicketkeeper.

Reifer, meanwhile, found support in Roston Chase and got to his third Test fifty with a cover-driven four off the second ball after tea.

However, it was a downward slide thereafter, with Marco Jansen having the left-hander caught behind to give Proteas an opening. Rabada then had Chase caught by skipper Dean Elgar in the second slip off the very next ball, before Nortje began another fiery spell with wickets of Joshua de Silva and Jason Holder in the same over.

He soon had Joseph caught by Jansen at backward point and completed his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests by having Kyle Mayers top-edge one to Jansen at deep fine leg.

Coetzee trapped Kemar Roach leg-before to wrap up the West Indies innings for 212, capping off a 130-run first-innings lead for the hosts. (ICC)