Shamar Joseph enjoyed the perfect homecoming with a five-for on his international debut in Guyana until Wiaan Mulder’s career-best 4 for 18 all but stole the show on a spicy surface at Providence Stadium. In total, 17 wickets fell, the most in a day of Test cricket at this venue, albeit in a small sample size of just three matches. There was swing through the air, seam movement and decent carry which has put the series-decider in fast-forward.

In stark contrast to the slowness of the Trinidad Test, which was also pockmarked with rain interruptions, the action took place in overdrive under blue skies in Guyana. Despite both captains’ desire to bat first, it was a day for the bowlers, especially fast bowlers, who bowled 68 of 82.2 overs and took 15 wickets. Only one batter – Jason Holder – in the top six of either side scored more than 30 and it was a record 10th-wicket partnership for South Africa against West Indies of 63 between Dane Piedt and Nandre Burger that gave the visitors the advantage.

There was movement through the air and off the seam from the outset which Aiden Markram experienced when he edged the third ball of the Test past third slip, after he opened the scoring with a cover drive off Holder. At the other end, Jayden Seales repeatedly brought the ball back into the left-handed Tony de Zorzi, who left a sizable bat-pad gap and was bowled in the fourth over.

Joseph was introduced in the seventh over and started dangerously. He got appreciable inswing and then had Markram misjudge the length and leave the ball, only to knock over the off stump. That was Joseph’s first wicket on his home ground. Two balls later, he had Temba Bavuma trapped in the crease as a slightly shorter delivery hit the South African captain low in front of the stumps to dismiss him for a second-ball duck. South Africa went to the first drinks break on 20 for 3.

David Bedingham hit the first boundary off Joseph when he flayed him behind point for four but Tristan Stubbs had a much harder time getting off the mark. He faced 19 balls before he got his first run. By then, he had survived an lbw appeal off Joseph that was adjudged high and edged Seales just short of Holder at second slip. As his innings grew, Stubbs continued to keep the slips in play and West Indies in the hunt. And he wasn’t the only one who gave West Indies a glimpse into the lower order.

Bedingham flirted with danger when, on 11, he hit Jomel Warrican over mid-on. Three fielders converged on the chance but no one could get there. In the next over, Stubbs, who had reached 26, was drawn forward by Holder and edged to Warrican at slip but he fell over trying to hold on. If Holder was irritated at the missed opportunity, it did not last long. In his next over, Stubbs reached for an outswinger and was well caught by a leaping Kavem Hodge at third slip, 10 minutes before the lunch break. South Africa were 64 for 4 at the interval.

Joseph resumed after the break and was convinced he had Bedingham out in his second over with a ball that jagged in and beat the inside edge. Kraig Braithwaite reviewed but Bedingham survived on umpire’s call. Four balls later, Joseph made sure there was no doubt when Bedingham drove at a full ball and was caught behind.

West Indies were into the last recognised pair and separated them in the next over with a peach from Seales that forced Wiaan Mulder to play and found his outside edge. Kyle Verreynne could have been out off the next ball when he edged Sealed to gully but was dropped. Two balls later, Joseph beat Keshav Maharaj for pace and bowled him, then Rabada was cleaned up by Seales, and when Verreynne played on off Joseph, West Indies could celebrate for all kinds of reasons.

Joseph had completed his third Test five-for, and first at home after a tough tour of England, and celebrated by blowing kisses to the sparsely populated stands. South Africa were 97 for 9, and in danger of being bowled out for less than their lowest score against West Indies: 116.

But Piedt had other ideas. He took South Africa over 100 with a cover drive for four and tactically West Indies eased off. They brought on Gudakesh Motie, he dropped it short, and Piedt pulled him for four, then hit him down the ground for six and through the covers for four more. In frustration, West Indies reviewed two chances off Piedt in Holder’s next over: one an lbw appeal that was clipping leg on umpire’s call and another where the impact was outside the off stump. It didn’t help that Joseph left the field with a cramp and wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva gave the gloves to Tevin Imalch after suffering a finger injury. Depleted in personnel terms, the hosts seemed sapped.

Piedt and Burger took South Africa past 141 – their lowest Test score in the West Indies – as the second session was extended with West Indies in search of the final wicket. It came 17 minutes after the scheduled tea break when Burger missed a length ball from Motie and was given out lbw to give West Indies’ premier spinner his first wicket of the series.

Buoyed by the bonus runs, South Africa took to the field with wickets on their mind and believed they had one off the third ball. Rabada beat Braithwaite’ inside edge and hit him above the knee roll and Bavuma reviewed only to see the ball missing the stumps. But the wait for a breakthrough did not last long. Left-armer Burger, in his third Test, set Mikyle Louis up with a series of away-swingers and then landed one on a good length to beat the outside edge and bowl the West Indian opener.

Keacy Carty took a liking to the outswing and took three fours off Burger’s next two overs, prompting the early introduction of the third seamer, Mulder. Not often regarded as an out-and-out strike bowler, Mulder made the case for a rethink when his second ball squeezed between Braithwaite’s bat-pad gap and removed the West Indian captain. Impressive became excellent when Mulder took a stunning catch off his own bowling in the next over – a one-handed grab to the right – to dismiss Alick Athanaze and then found swing to entice a drive from Hodge, who was caught at third slip.

With only three seamers in South Africa’s XI, Burger was brought back on at Rabada’s end and struggled to get his line right as he directed the ball down leg. Bavuma put a leg slip in place and Carty hit the next ball straight to Maharaj at a shortish midwicket to leave West Indies 47 for 5.

Things could have got a lot worse in the next over when Holder was given out lbw off Mulder but reviewed successfully with ball tracking indicating it was missing leg. Mulder got his fourth anyway, when Da Silva edged him to second slip. Holder took the fight to South Africa, hit three fours in four balls and shared a 41-run stand with Motie, which could have ended the day on par. But Maharaj had the last say on the day when Motie missed a sweep and was given out lbw, to leave West Indies 63 runs behind with only three first-innings wickets in hand. Day two promises more drama.

Brief scores:
West Indies 97 for 7 in 28.2 overs  (Jason Holder 33*, Keacy Carty 26; Wiaan Mulder 4-18, Nandre Burger 2-32) trail South Africa 160 in 54 overs (Dane Piedt 38*, Tristane Stubbs 26, David Bedingham 28, Kyle Verreynne 21, Nandre Burger 23; Shamar Joseph 5-33, Jayden Seales 3-45) by 63 runs