South Africa and Dale Steyn, in particular, blew away the West Indies on the fourth day, Saturday December 20, 2014, of the first Test in South Africa, to win by an Innings and 220 runs. Photo: Supplied

Dale Steyn had bided his time while South Africa built a position of supremacy against West Indies, but when he stirred the effect was lethal. West Indies were blown away within 15.3 overs, their last seven wickets falling for 55 runs. It was a feeding frenzy and Steyn was the central figure, licking his lips over a morning spell of six for 31 in seven overs.

Steyn had not taken a wicket in the first innings; he groused at a niggle or two when South Africa imposed the follow-on and left the field for most of the third evening, only bowling five deliveries. But a good night's rest sustained him. He beat Leon Johnson's outside edge with the last ball of his first over, had him caught at the wicket with a rising delivery at the start of his third over and from that point restated his reputation as one of the finest fast bowlers in the history of the game.

Steyn against Chanderpaul promised a contest. Chanderpaul squeezed a boundary through third slip and gully, squared up in the stroke. Then Steyn banged one in short and Chanderpaul stooped into a ball that did not rise as much as he anticipated. AB de Villiers, deputising behind the stumps for the injured Quinton de Kock, who is out for the rest of the series, completed an easy catch.

Steyn's removal of Marlon Samuels in his next over was even nastier. Samuels' intention was to work him to the leg side but the ball bounced more from a good length and as Samuels flinched back the ball arced gently off a leading edge to cover.

And so it went on. The captain, Dinesh Ramdin, lasted two balls. He pushed blindly at the first and gained a boundary through point that he knew he did not deserve. Steyn responded with a short one, as if offended, and as the ball flew off the shoulder of the bat, de Villiers sprung in front of Amla at first slip to take the catch. When Steyn is in this mood, expectation makes men giants in the close-catching cordon.

The overs at the other end, whether propelled by Vernon Philander or Morne Morkel, had merely seemed back-up entertainment while Steyn rested. It felt like an error in the programme when Steyn went an over without a wicket, even more so when Morkel intervened, jagging one back at Jermaine Blackwood. His bottom hand flew off the handle - the West Indies looked spooked - and from the released glove the substitute, Temba Bavuma, took a good catch at short leg.

With Kemar Roach not batting, South Africa only needed two more wickets. That they would be taken quickly was never in doubt. Steyn's fifth was a regulation catch at first slip; his sixth another leading edge - Jerome Taylor and Sheldon Cottrell two tail-enders out of their depth. Somewhere amid the final throes, Sulieman Benn managed a faint riposte by whacking Morkel through midwicket. But the presentation platform was hauled out with lunch still 70 minutes away. West Indies had been dismissed twice in four sessions.