Agence France Presse

Gerorgetown, April 1:

Wavell Hinds and Shivnarine Chanderpaul helped make the sponsorship row that threatened to derail the West Indies seem like a distant memory when they helped their side pile up 347-3 on the first day of the first Test against South Africa.

The 28-year-old Hinds was undefeated on 188 at stumps while new captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul was unbeaten on 102 when bad light meant play ended 8.1 overs early. Hinds and Chanderpaul batted resolutely to add 241 for a record third-wicket stand against the South Africans, who looked lacklustre for most of the day.

They helped their team put the sponsorship imbroglio behind them with some purposeful batting either side of tea, after fast bowler Andre Nel snared three wickets to put West Indies under some intense pressure early on. Hinds lofted a delivery from Graeme Smith for a boundary to reach his fifth Test hundred. He has hit 30 fours and two sixes from 248 balls in six hours.

Chanderpaul reached his 12th Test hundred when he steered his 172nd delivery, from Charl Langeveldt, to third man for his 15th boundary. For Chanderpaul, it was a fantastic first day in charge. He won the toss and, on a hard, easy-paced Bourda Oval pitch, he chose to bat. When West Indies folded to 24-2 inside the first half hour, after Nel removed Devon Smith for 11 and Daren Ganga for zero to low, sharp catches to keeper Mark Boucher, he might have doubted his decision. Hinds and Test newcomer Donovon Pagon reassured him that his decision was indeed correct when they showed the first signs of West Indies resistance in a stand of 82 for the third wicket.

The two had carried West Indies to 96-2 at lunch, but the home team suffered a set back when Pagon was caught out 35 off Nel about 20 minutes after the interval. From there, it was all Hinds and Chanderpaul. They were temporarily halted in their advance by a 35-minute stoppage for rain midway through the afternoon, but continued to plunder the wayward South Africa bowling, clearly missing Shaun Pollock.