Morne Morkel took two wickets off successive balls to end a promising start to the West Indies’ first innings on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at St George’s Park on Sunday.

The West Indies were 2-59 at tea in reply to South Africa’s 8-417 declared.

Kraigg Brathwaite and Devon Smith put on 55 for the first wicket before the tall Morkel had the left-handed Smith caught by Hashim Amla at first slip for 22.

Fellow left-hander Leon Johnson edged the first ball he faced low to Faf du Plessis at third slip.

Brathwaite was 37 not out at tea.

With South Africa seeking to make quick runs after most of the second day was rained off, the West Indies fought back by taking four wickets before lunch, including the prize scalps of Amla and AB de Villiers, who were dismissed in successive overs.

Only 80 runs were scored during the morning but Dale Steyn went on the rampage after the interval, thrashing 58 off 28 balls with six fours and five sixes. Amla declared when Steyn was caught attempting another big hit off left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn.

Amla hit two fours in the first over of the day, bowled by Jerome Taylor, but only added ten to his overnight score of 23 before he was trapped leg before wicket by a ball from Jason Holder which nipped back off the pitch.

New cap Temba Bavuma scored a boundary off his first ball, when a defensive shot flew to third man off a thick edge from Holder but De Villiers was out in the next over, bowled by Taylor.

De Villiers survived a failed review after a leg before appeal was turned down by umpire Paul Reiffel but was bowled next ball when he tried to work a full-length delivery to leg.

The scoring rate slowed as Bavuma and the similarly inexperienced Stiaan van Zyl, playing in his second Test, could only add 21 in 10.2 overs before Bavuma (10) gloved a bouncer from Shannon Gabriel to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

Van Zyl made 29 before he was caught behind, playing a loose drive against the left-armed Kenroy Peters.

Steyn transformed the tempo of the innings as he launched a brutal assault on fellow fast bowler Taylor immediately after lunch. He reached his second Test fifty off 26 balls, the joint fourth fastest in Test history.