De Villiers faced 352 balls before a tired shot cost him his wicket

AB de Villiers made the highest score of his career as South Africa took total command of the third Test against West Indies in Barbados.

They were 521-8 at the close on day three, a lead of 225, with de Villiers hitting a six and 15 fours in his 178.

Jacques Kallis (78) and Boeta Dippenaar (71) provided the main support on a pitch offering little to the bowlers.

But West Indies stuck to their task and two wickets by Daren Powell enabled them to end the day on a high note.

The home side's star performers, however, were Dwayne Bravo and substitute Dwayne Smith, whose superb work in the field resulted in four of the seven wickets which fell.

Smith was on the field for Bravo, who suffered a cut below his left eye after deflecting the ball into his face as he made a diving stop, when he ran out Dippenaar with a direct hit from square leg.

He returned in the final session while Chris Gayle took a breather and grabbed an excellent left-handed slip catch to remove Kallis, who was surprised by a ball from medium-pacer Wavell Hinds which bounced more than he expected.

Bravo was just as impressive close to the wicket, taking a sharp chance to send Herschelle Gibbs on his way for eight.

He then flung himself to the right to take a one-handed catch after Ashwell Prince (23) flashed at a ball from Gayle, who had figures of 3-85 at the close.

South Africa began on 253-1 and only had one mild alarm in the first hour of play when Dippenaar under-edged an attempted square cut off Powell, only for the ball to fall short of Brian Lara.

He progressed to his fifty and celebrated by lofting Ryan Hinds over long-off for six, while de Villiers brought up his 150 off 299 balls by forcing Gayle away square for four.

Their partnership was worth 143 when Smith's direct hit at the bowler's end ran out Dippenaar but Kallis helped de Villiers add another 58 before the latter was caught behind to become Reon King's 50th Test victim.

Daren Powell gained reward for his hard work late in the day

Gibbs opened his account with two successive fours off Gayle, but they were his only scoring strokes before Bravo took the catch to leave the tourists on 417-4 at tea.

Kallis was 44 not out at that stage and the stage seemed set for him to record another Test hundred as he went about things in his usual methodical, unhurried fashion.

He only hit four boundaries, but it still came as a huge relief to the home supporters when his innings was ended by Smith's catch.

It also put an extra zest into the tired limbs of the West Indies players and Powell bowled Mark Boucher off the inside edge for 28 and had Monde Zondeki caught at cover in his final spell of the day.