Gibbs showed why he is one of the world's top openers

Herschelle Gibbs hammered his 11th Test century to give South Africa the upper hand in the second Test against West Indies in Durban.

The home side were 303-3 when bad light stopped play, a lead of 39, after Gibbs hit 23 fours in an innings of 142.

He played the senior role in a stand of 168 with Jacques Kallis, who passed 5,000 Test runs in an unbeaten 74.

Gary Kirsten, the first man to achieve the milestone, was the other not out batsman on 16.

The inability of the West Indies pacemen to find a consistent line and length cost them dear, although Adam Sanford marked his Test comeback with the wickets of Gibbs and Jacques Rudolph.

The tourists managed to add 32 to their overnight score of 232-8 at the start of play, with Vasbert Drakes making 67 - the highest score of his Test career.

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Drakes hit three successive fours in one over from Andrew Hall but was caught behind when he top-edged an attempted hook off Andre Nel.

Makhaya Ntini brought things to a close by dismissing Sanford for 15, which gave him figures of 5-66 - the sixth time the paceman has taken five in a Test innings.

Graeme Smith and Gibbs launched South Africa's reply in positive style as they went along at a rate of four an over.

Captain Smith went for 14 in the 10th over, however, when he drove at a wide ball from Fidel Edwards and was caught by Ramnaresh Sarwan at short third man.

It brought only temporary relief for the tourists, who lost the first Test by 189 runs, as South Africa increased the tempo after reaching lunch on 71-1.

The home side added 139 in the two-hour afternoon session with Gibbs bringing up his century from 130 balls by thumping Drakes for four past mid-on.

Rudolph, who is under pressure for his place in the side, played some stylish strokes but failed to build on a good start when he was caught by gully Daren Ganga off Sanford for 36.

And it was Sanford who finally put paid to Gibbs when he under-edged a short ball into his stumps, leaving him just three runs short of 4,000 in Tests.

The floodlights were turned on as the light faded but umpires Darrell Hair and Simon Taufel eventually decided it was still too murky and called a halt to play.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher (wkt), Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel.