Brian Lara completed a brilliant double century on the fourth day of the first Test against South Africa on Monday but his team ended the day staring defeat in the face.

At the close of play, the tourists were languishing on 31 for three after South Africa had declared their second innings on 226 for six to set an unlikely victory target of 378.

Ramnaresh Sarwan was six not out with Lara yet to score after a three-wicket burst by fast bowler Makhaya Ntini who had taken five for 94 in the first innings.

West Indies started the day on 363 for six but ended their first innings on 410 soon after Lara was out for 202.

The captain batted more than seven hours, hitting two sixes and 32 fours in his sixth Test double century.

In the penultimate over on Sunday he had struck a world-record 28 in one over from left-arm spinner Robin Peterson.

On Monday, Lara drove paceman Andre Nel square through the covers for four to reach his double century but was caught by Martin van Jaarsveld at extra cover off the next delivery.

When South Africa batted, captain Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs faced some hostile early overs.

The bowlers' aggression paid off five overs after the interval when Gibbs missed an attempted pull at a short delivery from Vasbert Drakes. He suffered a broken nose and retired hurt.

But Smith, Jacques Rudolph and Jacques Kallis, who remarkably each scored 44, did enough to help set up a challenging victory total before Smith unleashed Ntini in an uncomfortable session of 10 overs before the close.

Ntini clean bowled Wavell Hinds and Drakes for a duck apiece and trapped Daren Ganga lbw for 10 to leave the West Indies in disarray.

Looking ahead to the final day, Ntini said: "We don't really have a plan to bowl to Lara. Brian is a world-class batsman and we know every mistake we make will count against us."

But he added: "We saw Andre Nel intimidate him in the first innings and we need to make sure he isn't in a comfort zone. We need to make sure no batsman is welcome out there."

Scoreboard

South Africa (1st innings): 561 (J.Kallis 158, G.Smith 132, M.van Jaarsveld 73, H.Gibbs 60)

West Indies (1st innings): (overnight 363-6)
W.Hinds c Peterson b Nel 10
D.Ganga c Peterson b Ntini 60
R.Sarwan c Boucher b Pollock 21
B.Lara c van Jaarsveld b Nel 202
S.Chanderpaul b Ntini 34
R.Jacobs c Boucher b Ntini 4
V.Drakes lbw Kallis 21
M.Dillon b Ntini 13
C.Gayle c Kallis b Ntini 8
F.Edwards c McKenzie b Nel 0
C.Collymore not out 1.

Extras: (b-12, lb-15, nb-5, w-4) 36.

Total: (all out, 133.5 overs) 410

Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-94, 3-141, 4-266, 5-278, 6-314, 7-380, 8-405, 9-405.

Bowling: Pollock 30-7-65-1 (nb-3), Ntini 32-9-94-5 (nb-2 w-2), Nel 32.5-11-78-3 (w-1), Kallis 22-6-53-1 (w-1), Peterson 13-2-76-0, Smith 4-0-17-0.

South Africa (2nd innings):
G.Smith c sub (Smith) b Drakes 44
H.Gibbs retired hurt 6
J.Rudolph c Sarwan b Hinds 44
J.Kallis lbw Hinds 44
M.Boucher st Jacobs b Sarwan 18
M.van Jaarsveld run out (Sarwan) 15
S.Pollock b Collymore 10
N.McKenzie not out 9
R.Peterson not out 18.

Extras: (b-2, lb-3, nb-7, w-6) 18.

Total: (for six wickets, declared, 63 overs) 226

Fall of wickets: 1-72, 2-145, 3-158, 4-180, 5-188, 6-206

Bowling: Edwards 13-0-60-0 (nb-5 w-6), Dillon 10-0-26-0 (nb-2), Drakes 10-2-21-1, Collymore 9-3-19-1, Sarwan 10-0-40-1, Hinds 11-0-55-2

West Indies (2nd innings):
W.Hinds b Ntini 0
D.Ganga lbw Ntini 10
V.Drakes b Ntini 6
R.Sarwan not out 6
B.Lara not out 0.

Extras: (b-5, lb-1, nb-3) 9.

Total: (for three wickets, 10 overs) 31

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-18, 3-25.

Bowling: Pollock 3-1-6-0 (nb-2), Ntini 5-2-12-3 (nb-1), Nel 2-0-7-0.