Lara made a magnificent 196 in the previous Test match

Brian Lara hit a century for the second successive match to dig West Indies out of a deep hole on day one of the third Test against South Africa in Barbados.

The hosts lost Chris Gayle to Andre Nel (3-54) in the first over and were 12-3 after seven before Lara struck a sublime 176 to propel them to 292-7.

Lara, who shared in century stands with Shivnarine Chanderpaul (53) and Dwayne Bravo, was bowled by Nel late on.

Bravo soon followed for 29 as South Africa finished a see-sawing day well.

Shaun Pollock failed to recover from the ankle injury which has kept him out of the series so far, while South Africa brought Boeta Dippenaar in for Jacques Rudolph despite the latter recovering from a back injury.

I am disappointed because the plan was to be there at the end of play Brian Lara More Lara quotes

West Indies made two changes with Ryan Hinds in for Donovan Pagon and Fidel Edwards replacing Pedro Collins.

Sloppy shot selection did for the Windies' top three more than incisive bowling, after the home side had elected to take first use of the pitch.

Gayle played back to a good-length off-stump delivery from Nel, edging behind for nought, and Hinds, who scored a double century in Guyana, chased Makhaya Ntini's angled ball into the hands of Graeme Smith in slip for one.

Ramnaresh Sarwan's dismissal was pure profligacy, the right-hander cutting lead-footed into the hands of Ashwell Prince at point for 10.

With his side struggling, Lara began watchfully but laid down a marker with a sumptuous back-foot off-drive for four off Ntini.

He and Chanderpaul mixed a watchful approach with some fluent shot-making, Lara passing fifty with a boundary, one of three in the same over off Jacques Kallis.

Nel made two early breakthroughs for South Africa

Chanderpaul had reached his 33rd Test fifty when he attempted to cut Monde Zondeki and got an edge through to keeper Mark Boucher to end a stand of 138.

That brought Ryan Hinds to the crease and he almost made an immediate return to the pavilion when Zondeki tempted him into an edge first ball, but the chance fell a fraction short of Kallis at slip.

Lara fended off a brutal delivery from Kallis that rose up towards his throat when he was on 99.

Hinds soon edged Kallis behind for 10, but Lara recorded his 28th Test century with a nudge for a single down to fine-leg.

The former skipper really stepped on the gas with the taking of the second new ball, smacking the first delivery off Nel through the covers to get to 150.

Lara brought up 100 stand between himself and Bravo, who had contributed 24, with a third boundary in one Ntini over.

The dying overs did nothing to quell Lara's urgency, and he perished when attempting a muscular cut off Nel only to drag the ball onto his stumps.

In all, Lara faced 224 balls and struck 20 boundaries in a quite simply stunning innings.

It put a spring in South Africa's step, and two runs later Zondeki (2-48) had Bravo caught by Smith for 26 off 95 balls.

It left Courtney Browne and Darren Powell - both on three - at the crease at stumps.