BENONI, South Africa - Adam Sanford and Ravi Rampaul struck important blows in the final hour of the third day to put the West Indies on course for victory going into the final day of the four-day match against Easterns at Willowmoore Park.

Defending a target of 285 after they were dismissed for 263 in their second innings on Sunday, Sanford swooped low to have Dylan Jennings caught-and-bowled for a duck, while Rampaul bowled Zander de Bruyn for 15 to leave the home team at 28 for two when the pair of Andre Seymore (8) and Daryll Cullinan (0) quickly accepted the offer to go off in fading light with five overs left to be bowled.

Rampaul, the leading wicket-taker in the first innings, should have also accounted for Seymore but Dave Mohammed missed a regulation catch at cover.

With Brian Lara sitting out this match, Ramnaresh Sarwan avoided an embarrassing collapse by the tourists with a battling top-score of 72.

His almost three-hour occupation of the crease was vital after his side had slumped to 136 for five.

The innings, which included eight fours and six, underlined the 23-year-old's return to form as it followed scores of 114, 44 and 69 in his last three innings of the Test series against South Africa.

RESUSCITATED

The elegant Guyanese received invaluable support from Vasbert Drakes in a sixth-wicket partnership of exactly 100 that resuscitated the Caribbean side, following the dismissals in quick succession just after lunch of Daren Ganga and Ridley Jacobs.

Ganga, who added just 31 runs in the morning session, took three boundaries in one over off left-arm spinner Jacob Malao to reach fifty in 174 minutes only for the opener to be run out on 51 when called through for a single to backward-point.

He had barely reached the dressing room when Jacobs, who laboured for almost half-an-hour for just one run, lost his off-stump to an excellent yorker by Albie Morkel.

In contrast to some at the top of the order, Drakes played sensibly for more than an hour-and-a-half, surviving a caught-and-bowled chance off part-time spinner Geoffrey Toyana before he eventually fell 20 minutes after tea, lifting a drive to extra-cover to give Gareth Flusk his first wicket.

The medium-pacer then removed Mohammed for one in the same over, caught by Pierre de Bruyn at second slip, increasing the pressure on Sarwan to shepherd the tail towards a potential match-winning lead.

Sanford helped him in adding 19 runs for the eighth wicket before the tail-ender was unsettled by the pace and bounce of Morne Morkel.

CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION

The gangling medium- pacer claimed his first first-class wicket when he clipped the top of Sanford's off stump and had even more cause for celebration in the next over when Sarwan, looking for boundaries, edged a cut to first slip where Cullinan held the firm chance comfortably.

Albie Morkel then ended the innings by comprehensively bowling Rampaul for a duck to finish with three wickets in the innings and five in the match.

Coming on the heels of a career-best 132 the previous day, the South African 'A' team all-rounder is making a solid case for inclusion in his country's one-day squad for the upcoming five-match series against the West Indies.

It was Albie who claimed the first wicket of the day when Chris Gayle slashed a wide delivery unerringly to Zander de Bruyn on the cover boundary after just 15 minutes' play.

The other two wickets in the morning session also fell to loose shots, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (21) giving Cullinan his first catch of the innings at first slip, slicing a cut off Zander de Bruyn to the Easterns captain and Baugh (31) succumbing to the temptation offered by Malao for Seymore to take the catch running in off the cover fence.