Brian Lara lashing for South African bowlers

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, April 21 (AFP) - Brian Lara hit his 28th Test hundred but West Indies' batting wobbled throughout the opening day of the third cricket Test against South Africa here on Thursday. Batting superstar Lara hit a sensational 176, his second hundred of the series, but West Indies closed on 292 for seven.

Lara again underscored his value to the West Indies' batting, after the home team crashed to 12 for three in the first 40 minutes, following their decision to bat first on a hard, true Kensington Oval pitch under sunny skies.

He reached his landmark when he glanced Jacques Kallis off his hips to long leg for a single.

The left-handed batsman hit 21 fours and one six from 224 balls in just under six hours before Andre Nel, who had earlier put the skids on West Indies, claimed his wicket for the seventh time in a Test late in the day.

Circumspect through the first phase of his innings, Lara added 138 for the fourth wicket to stabilise the innings with fellow left-hander and West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who scored 53.

Gradually, Lara grew in stature, and the ball began to disappear to the boundary with greater regularity, particularly when compatriot Dwayne Bravo joined him after tea and they added 115 for the sixth wicket.

South Africa however, held sway for most of a day that started brightly for them when Nel removed left-handed opener Chris Gayle with the fifth ball of the match, caught behind for a duck. The wickets of Wavell Hinds and Ramnaresh Sarwan in the space of six balls set West Indies back further.

Hinds was caught at first slip for one off Makhaya Ntini playing defensively forward, and Sarwan was caught at backward point for 10 off Nel cutting a short, rising ball.

Lara and Chanderpaul, the West Indies two most experienced batsman, settled the nerves and the crowd with a workmanlike partnership that carried West Indies through lunch that was taken at 60 for three.

They were just beginning to get into the full swing of things following the interval, when Monde Zondeki collected the crucial wicket of Chanderpaul to see West Indies reached 167 for four at tea.

In the first over of a second spell, Zondeki had Chanderpaul flashing at a short, wide delivery to be caught behind. The West Indies captain hit half-dozen fours in 53 from 138 balls in just over three hours.

South Africa could have strengthened their grip had Kallis been a little more alert at slip, when Hinds, on zero, edged his short, rising first ball from Zondeki just short of the fielder.

After tea, South Africa did not have to wait long for success. Hinds was caught behind for 10 off Kallis flirting with danger outside the off-stump to leave West Indies on 171 for five.

This provided the platform for Lara to attack and he brought the spectators in the half-filled stadium to their feets with an array of attractive strokes.

WEST INDIES - 1ST INNINGS

W. Hinds c Smith b Ntini 			01
C. Gayle c Boucher b Nel			00
R. Sarwan c Prince b Nel     		10
B. Lara b Nel     				176
S. Chanderpaul c Boucher b Zondeki	53
R. Hinds c Boucher b Kallis 		10
D. Bravo c Smith b Zondeki      		26
C. Browne not out    			03
D. Powell not out    			03
EXTRAS (B1, LB3, W1, NB5)		10

TOTAL (7 wkts, 89 overs)   		292

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-2, 2-12, 3-12, 4-150, 5-171, 6-286, 7-288 
BOWLING: 
Nel 19-3-54-2 (nb1); Ntini 17-2-61-1; Kallis 14-6-37-1 (w1); 
Zondeki 14-0-48-2 (nb4); Smith 8-1-23-0; Boje 16-2-65-0