Professionalism, determination and plain doggedness - these words describe the Western Province opener Gary Kirsten, probably the hardest batsman in the South African team to get out.

Never one to be worried about what is happening around him, his facial expression seldom changes if he is out for 12 or 112. Kirsten comes from that old mould of opening batsmen whose method is to bat, bat, and then bat some more.

While not always exciting, no one could fault his efficiency, effectiveness and absolute usefulness. These were all evident in his seven-and-a-half hour stay at the crease as he realised his highest Test score against the West Indies, making 150 to help his team claw their way to a small, but probably invigorating, lead over the West Indies.

Said Kirsten of his Herculean effort: "It was one of those sort of grafting innings, the pitch having made it that way. It was not easy for stroke-making, and the bowlers were bowling rather well. It was nice to spend some time at the crease and get a big one. The only way I can get to scores of 150 is to spend at least seven hours at the crease. It was really nice to spend a good time at the crease and to allow the team to get 300 plus. I think that we probably would have liked another 100 additional runs, but at least we had a small lead. Hopefully, we can get some advantages on day four."

For once, Kirsten was smiling, obviously pleased with the effort as he watched his team go from 171-1 to just 28 ahead of the West Indies 304.

"Look, a Test century is a Test century, and it is always nice to do it against the West Indies. It is certainly a happy time, so I would be strange if I were not pleased to be able to do it against these guys."

Kirsten has a Test average of just over 41, which proves real consistency. He also changed his batting as his innings evolved. Firstly he was careful, watchful, then slightly more adventurous, then openly aggressive and expansive, especially after losing his Western Province team-mate Jacques Kallis, who had batted well for 50.

"We always try to bat at about 3 to 3.5 runs per over, but today, I thought that the West Indians stuck to their task, bowling really well, especially Courtney Walsh, and they really did not give us much to hit, and we could not get to that three runs per over. The pitch played in such a way that it was difficult to play a natural scoring game. It was simply a question of not taking too many risks."

Kirsten agrees that with two full days to go in this game, this game is finely balanced, even though the West Indies have already erased the small lead through some very aggressive batting from their openers.

He said: "I think that this is developing into a fantastic Test match, and could still go either way. With this pitch, anything can happen. It is still very evenly poised.

"I would not say that this was my most fluent innings, but in the context of the game, and this being our first Test match of the series, I was very pleased with it, especially since I was here in 1992, for the first Test between the two sides, but only as a tourist. Now, I have much more work to do, so not as many beaches."

At least the West Indies bowlers showed too that they will not just lay down and die. From them, Merv Dillon and Courtney Walsh (now with 496 Test wickets), to a lesser extent Nixon McLean and especially Dininath Ramnarine, the effort was commendable.

Maybe professionalism is catching. Maybe, just hopefully, the West Indies will have learned a bit of that from the tough Australians and now South Africa. Maybe, possibly even, the South Africans could have learned from the West Indies on day three.

© CricInfo