Shivnarine Chanderpaul has enjoyed a tremendous year in Tests

Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the third man to hit half-centuries in seven consecutive Test innings as West Indies took control of the first Test.

The left-hander from Guyana matched the efforts of fellow West Indian Everton Weekes and Zimbabwe's Andy Flower on the second day in Port Elizabeth.

Chanderpaul was finally out for 104, with West Indies totalling 408 after being asked to bat first.

South Africa had struggled to 122-5 at the close, trailing by 286 runs.

Chanderpaul reached the landmark with a pull for four off South Africa's Dale Steyn and went on to complete a fine century.

"When you get an opportunity to get in, you want to make a big score," said Chanderpaul. "That's something I've been working on for the past couple of years."

The 33-year-old began his phenomenal run with 69 in Karachi in December 2006, before adding 74, 50, 116 not out, 136 not out and 70 in the four-match series in England.

He missed the second Test, at Headingley in May, with injury.

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West Indies started the day on 281-4 and lost Dwayne Bravo and Dinesh Ramdin early to Makhaya Ntini.

But Chanderpaul and Darren Sammy (38) added 57 for the seventh wicket to keep South Africa toiling.

Once Sammy was run out thanks to the quick thinking of AB de Villiers, the final three West Indies wickets tumbled for 47 runs.

Jerome Taylor (9) was bowled by Steyn while Nel - the pick of South Africa's bowlers - claimed the wickets of Chanderpaul and Fidel Edwards (0) to finish with figures of 3-85.

Daren Powell celebrates taking the wicket of Hashim Amla

South Africa were in trouble from the very first over of their first innings when Herschelle Gibbs was caught by Ramdin off the bowling of Daren Powell. It was the opener's 10th duck in Test cricket.

Graeme Smith (28) and Hashim Amla added 44 runs before Jerome Taylor nipped an attempted yorker into the captain's pads to dismiss him lbw.

Taylor struck again two overs later with the prized wicket of Jacques Kallis who was acrobatically caught by Bravo at third slip without troubling the scorers.

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts when Amla (29) was undone by a perfectly-pitched Powell yorker to leave South Africa on 53-3.

De Villiers and Ashwell Prince stabilised the innings, adding 33 runs, before Runako Morton comfortably caught Prince's thick outside edge from the bowling of Powell.

There were a few soft dismissals, including myself South African vice-captain Ashwell Prince

South Africa's last recognised batsmen, Mark Boucher and De Villiers, were unbeaten on 18 and 22 respectively at the close.

"The bowlers fought back nicely this morning to take the last six wickets for 127 runs," said South Africa vice-captain Prince. "Obviously, the batting didn't go according to plan.

"There were a few soft dismissals, including myself. A few guys got starts into the 20s, and I'm sure the others will feel as disappointed as I do at the moment.

"Chanderpaul was very patient, and if he didn't come at us we didn't feel we had a chance of dismissing him early.

"Maybe our guys were a bit impatient, wanting to play a few too many shots.

"We know what the Windies are like. If they get their tails up, especially if they are bowling, they've got quite a bit to say, but as soon as you get a partnership going it goes a bit more quiet. There's still a lot of cricket to be played."