South Africa captain Hashim Amla and batsman A.B. de Villiers shared a record unbroken double-century stand to help their side take control of the first Test against West Indies on the first day at Centurion, guiding the team to 340-3 at the end of the day.
West Indies had jostled South Africa as the tourists took three quick wickets for no runs with the score on 57, but Amla and de Villiers took the bowling apart as the hosts ended the day on 340 for three.
After coming together with the hosts teetering at 57 for three, the pair added 283 for the fourth wicket stand as West Indies bowlers toiled in favourable, overcast conditions on Wednesday, Stuff.co.nz reported.
The stand beat the previous highest mark for the fourth wicket for South Africa in Tests of 249 set by Jacques Kallis and Gary Kirsten against West Indies in Durban in 2003.
Amla, captaining the side on home soil for the first time, would resume on Thursday on 133 from 241 balls, while ODI captain De Villiers, who was more fluent, will resume on his unbeaten 141 off 211 balls.
Put in to bat, South Africa raced to 57 without loss but a fired-up Roach, denied the new ball by captain Denesh Ramdin, produced the line and length the opening bowlers had lacked.
Roach induced an edge from Petersen, on his individual score of 27, to Devon Smith at first slip, while in the next over a confident-looking Elgar smashed a wide delivery from Cottrell straight to Marlon Samuels in the gully for 28.
A poor few minutes for South Africa got worse when Faf du Plessis feathered an edge off Roach to wicketkeeper Ramdin for a duck.
From their Amla and De Villiers steered the innings towards South Africa to gain a comfortable hand over the tourists, the report added.
—ANI