FOR 86 of the allocated 90 overs, the opening day of the third Test at the Newlands ground yesterday followed a familiar pattern, with a few minor adjustments.
For the third time, Brian Lara called 'heads" at the toss and, for the third time, the coin landed on the opposite side so that South Africa predictably batted on an inviting pitch in warm sunshine.
One way or another, the West Indies' restructured attack got rid of South Africa's four century-makers of the first two Tests by mid-afternoon, before normal service was restored by Jacques Rudolph and Neil McKenzie, two lesser lights with uncertain immediate futures.
Rudolph, the 24-year-old left-hander, had just raised his second hundred in his tenth Test and his partnership with the right-handed McKenzie was worth 142 and bedding down for the night when the spark that was missing from the West Indies' effort since lunch was suddenly rekindled.
The transformation over the last four overs as the sun went down behind the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain was as swift as it was unexpected.
Given a final burst, Fidel Edwards found the energy and enthusiasm to charge in with the four-storey President's Pavilion at his back, crank up his speed to 150 kilometers an hour and start sending down some serious deliveries.
At the other end Dave Mohammad, the left-arm wrist spinner on debut, did the opposite, finally appreciating that he would be best served by dropping his flat trajectory and pace for more flight.
Twice in Edwards' first over back, Rudolph turned his head to spot-on bouncers and took blows on the helmet.
It was the first time he had been in genuine strife during his four hours, 35 minutes stay.
Relieved to find himself receiving Mohammed next over, he essayed a sweep inappropriate to either the googly that spun into him or the fact that only three and a half overs stood between him and resumption this morning.
He missed, umpire Srivasa Venkataraghavan raised his index finger and the elated Mohammed found himself in the embrace of his teammates, modern sport's approved celebration of success.
His first Test wicket was 18 overs in coming and the entry of Paul Adams as nightwatchman, in spite of the imposing 304 for four in the scoreboard lights, gave the West Indies' effort further impetus.
Adams, himself a left-arm bowler with similar traits, blocked the remaining three balls of Mohammed's over. As soon as he was exposed to Edwards, his defence was late and inadequate to deal with a rapid inswinger that hit his off-stump, hard.
The perfect ending to another imperfect day was complete as McKenzie, seemingly perplexed by the turn of events, offered an vague push at a straight one from Mohammed four balls later and was bowled off the inside-edge for 76.
Edwards greeted the new pair, Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock, each with a searing bouncer and Mohammed spun one past Pollock's groping edge.
But it was greedy to expect further wonders.
A few minutes earlier, the West Indies seemed mentally and physically weary and resigned to their fate.
One more wicket would have represented riches. Now they had three, among them the two who had frustrated them through the second half of the afternoon, and South Africa were 308 for six.
Even before Lara's continuing ill fortune with the toss, the West Indies' were at a disadvantage.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul's withdrawal, because of the strained thigh muscle with which he scored his wonderful 109 in the second Test, was a crippling and unforeseen setback.
It meant the exchange of an in-form, high-quality batsman of 70 Tests experience for Dwayne Smith, the untried 20-year-old Barbadian on debut.
On the field, the portents were no less promising.
Graeme Smith cut the second ball of the first over, from Vasbert Drakes, for the first of the day's 40 fours and Herschelle Gibbs replayed some of the drives that were a feature of his hundred in Durban.
Edwards was the main target but among the eight boundaries taken off the fast bowler in his opening six overs, for 39, were two from the inside edge that flashed past leg-stump.
Edwards was again the aggrieved party when Gibbs, at 22, offered a lap-high catch to gully which Mohammed let drop to ground. It was his first touch of the ball.
As Smith and Gibbs, each with a hundred in the previous Tests, took their partnership to 70, it was another missed chance that seemed costly.
It was then that Adam Sanford conjured up a quality spell of seven overs in which he found a steady lengthy and line around off-stump, lively pace and a little movement.
His rewards were the wickets of both openers.
Gibbs sparred at one that left him on pitching and touched it to Ridley Jacobs.
Yet again Smith's off-side limitations were exposed as his casual stroke produced an edge into Lara's lap at first slip.
Sanford's first ball into the second session nearly got through Rudolph who was saved from a clearcut lbw verdict by an inside edge. But he could not reproduce his pre-lunch control for the rest of the day, becoming increasingly ragged with every spell.
Although Vasbert Drakes did his assigned job of containment admirably, no other bowler could apply the same pressure.
The ground fielding was as shabby has it had been in Durban, and several venues over the past several years, and hardly a throw located Jacobs on the full or at all.
While Edwards was expensive, with too many available free-scoring deliveries, his extra pace accounted for Kallis, even if temporarily, and Kirsten, permanently.
Kallis' form was ominous as he sped to 23. He was then struck, first by Sanford on the body and then on the right forearm by Edwards, missing pull shots each time.
The cumulative effect was to send him back to the team room for examination. It revealed no break, but heavy bruising, and he would be able to continue later in the innings.
Yet his retirement removed South Africa's most prolific batsman in the series and, when the left-handed Kirsten upper cut Edwards into Sanford's lap at third man 40 minutes later at 162 for three, the innings was at the crossroads.
The West Indies could not point it in their direction.
Rudolph and McKenzie, both under pressure for their places, batted with little bother against the ordinary bowling and inept fielding for two hours, 40 minutes to comfortably add 142. Rudolph, the 22-year-old left-hander in his tenth Test, compiled a chanceless 101. Right-hander McKenzie's contribution was 76.
Rudolph's strength is driving straight and through the off-side, areas in which he stroked his 13 fours. McKenzie, certain on the backfoot and clubbing every short ball with certainty, complimented him perfectly. His main scoring shots in two hours, 35 minutes were a straight six off Mohammed and 10 fours.
Mohammed eventually had his revenge and, although the second new ball is overdue, Lara is likely to give him a chance at Boucher and Pollock this morning before taking it.