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Pretoria - Despite being on the cusp of victory, Proteas bowler Vernon Philander says his side will have to remain committed if they are to finish the job after the West Indies ended day three of the first Test 275 behind the hosts in Centurion on Friday.
At 75 for two in their second innings, the West Indies needed a mammoth effort in the remaining two days to make South Africa bat again after the hosts posted 552 for five declared on day two.
"We'll have to be patient tomorrow," Philander said after the day's play.
"We don't take any opposition for granted and we still need seven wickets."
The West Indies will likely not have 11 batsmen at their disposal as Kemar Roach pulled up injured while bowling on the first day's play and did not come out to bat in their first innings where they were bowled out for 201 earlier in the day.
"We all set our eyes on tomorrow being the big day, we'll have to come out and take those seven wickets," he said.
In their second innings, the West Indies lost their first wicket with eight runs in the board in the fourth over. Devon Smith lasted just nine deliveries before he became Philander's fifth victim of the day. Smith got an inside edge onto his pad and was caught by substitute fielder Temba Bavuma.
Kraigg Brathwaite was the second wicket to fall for the visitors, as he edged a Morne Morkel delivery to Alviro Petersen at second slip who took two grabs to pouch the catch to send the batsman on his way for 20.
The Proteas, however, had to contend with a number of injuries and niggles throughout the day. Dale Steyn went off the field after bowling the first five balls of the innings with a tight right groin.
Steyn returned to field after 45 minutes as the injury seemed to be minor, but he did not bowl again.
Philander left the field after completing his third over with a tight hamstring injury and did not return to the field again.
Quinton de Kock (ankle) and Faf Du Plessis (abdominal pain) both did not take the field at all on day three, as South Africa at one point during their second innings had four substitute fielders doing duty.
De Kock was said to have gone for a scan on Friday evening, and Du Plessis had rested the entire day at the team hotel.
At stumps, Leon Johnson (33) and Marlon Samuels (13) were the unbeaten batsmen for the West Indies.
*Earlier*, the West Indies were bowled out for 201 by South Africa after tea. Resuming after tea on 184/6, West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin showed a lack of resolve to be dismissed for 14.
Morkel picked up the final two wickets. Philander was back to his miserly best as the pick of the Proteas bowlers taking 4/29 from 15 overs.
In the first session of play, the West Indian openers Brathwaite and Smith came out in determined fashion and brought up their fifty stand off 87 balls.
They moved to 72 without loss when Philander appealed for a caught behind as Smith went on the pull. Umpire Billy Bowden gave it not out, but the Proteas, convinced they had heard a sound, went up for a review.
Television replays revealed a sound when the ball clipped the player's hip, but nothing more when the ball moved past the willow.
Television umpire Paul Reiffel, inexplicably, decided to overturn to the original decision to send Smith back to the changeroom for 35.
Philander struck again in his next over, this time legitimately, as he found the edge of Brathwaite's bat, caught at slip for 34.
The persistence from the South African attack was rewarded when Johnson was first to depart after lunch, ending a 44-run stand for the fourth wicket with Samuels.
Johnson departed for 31, caught at extra cover by substitute fielder Robin Peterson, off the bowling of Kyle Abbott to leave West Indies 117 for three.
Samuels was gone for 33, playing on from Morkel as the ball jagged back to the right-hander from around the wicket and clattered his stumps.
The breakthrough came after a 45 run partnership from 84 balls between Johnson and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, which had seemed resolute up to that point.
Philander came back into the Proteas attack shortly before the tea interval, and accounted for the stubborn Chanderpaul, edging to Petersen at second slip for 21, reducing the West Indies to 169 for five.
In the last over before the break, Jermaine Blackwood was out to Philander for 12, caught again by Petersen diving forward at second slip.
Reiffel made his second contentious decision of the day when he was asked if the ball had indeed carried to Petersen.
Reiffel took six minutes and numerous replays to decide the catch was legitimate, but considering the time taken to reach his conclusion, the benefit of the doubt could have easily gone to the batsman.
