THE QUEEN'S Park Oval is famous for thrilling and surprising finishes and who to tell, there could be another one on the way. At stumps on yesterday's third day's play, South Africa were on 370 for six with Ashley Prince on 41 and Mark Boucher on 28. Although, based on the figures, South Africa are in front, with the pitch becoming more and more difficult for batsmen, with South Africa, barring some brilliant batting today, batting last, the contest is still interestingly poised and could swing on the performance of the West Indies bowlers this morning and again on tomorrow's final day. Though the West Indies will be bowling last and should be happy about that, their bowling yesterday was disappointing ­ so much so that their batsmen, up against not only pacer Makhaya Ntini who took six wickets in the first innings, but also and moreso fast bowler Andre Nel and left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, may have to bat well, very well, or else. Blessed with a pitch that has been kind to bowlers from the opening day, a pitch generous to movement off the seam, a pitch off which the ball is bouncing awkwardly and one which would have had the likes of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh, Curtley Ambrose and Patrick Patterson begging for the ball, the West Indies bowlers looked ordinary. INTIMIDATED BY THE PITCH On a day when their length was either too short or too full and their line wayward, the Windies bowlers probably only escaped a lashing because South Africa's batsmen, intimidated by the pitch, were cautious, very cautious. With the last innings obviously on their mind, Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Prince and Boucher were content to bat as long as possible in an effort to score as many runs. The West Indies bowlers, including medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo who bowled so well on the previous afternoon, were in fact lucky that part-timers Christo-pher Gayle and Wavell Hinds, plus a spot on the pitch, were around to rescue them. In five spells, slow bowler Gayle, who conceded 23 runs off 16 overs in three spells on the previous afternoon, bowled 17 overs while giving up a mere 18 runs. With his first ball of the innings medium-pacer Hinds (one for nine off seven overs) cut down Smith for 148, the South African captain batting for 456 minutes, facing 313 deliveries and stroking 17 boundaries, mainly through the arc between extra-cover and mid-wicket. WEST INDIES BOWLERS The ineffectiveness of the West Indies bowling was underlined by the fact that it was 90 minutes and six bowlers before left-arm pacer Pedro Collins removed night watchman Monde Zondeki ­ bowled for 14 at 222 for five. The jubilation was shortlived, however. In fact, with Smith and Gibbs batting confidently in-between the scares when a few deliveries rolled along the pitch but off the stumps, and despite an edge or two that fell short of the slips, with the West Indies at times looking as if they were simply going through the motions and waiting for something to happen, it seemed, despite the pitch, that that would have been the Windies' only success for the day. Fortunately for West Indies, however, Hinds removed Smith leg before wicket at 274 for five after the solid left-hander had ticked off his ninth Test century and his third against the West Indies. And shortly after tea, Collins got lucky when, with Gibbs going back to a short delivery, the ball hit one of the spots on the pitch, shot along the pitch and hit the offstump with the right-handed Gibbs, 34, trying desperately to get his bat down in time. That was 303 for six with 34 overs to the end of the day. With the left-handed Prince and the right-handed Boucher watching every ball onto the bat and reeling off a few lovely strokes, the only chance the West Indies had of taking another wicket was when, at 343 for six, Prince, 24, went back, hit a short delivery from King to square-leg, and Donovan Pagon dropped a simple, waist-high catch. Reprinted from jamaica-gleaner.com