IN what has been another miserable overseas series - and as they did against Australia in the Caribbean last season - the West Indies batsmen have repeatedly compensated for the inept bowling and slack out-cricket by stalling, if not always thwarting, South Africa's progress to victory.

When, once again, they were seemingly down and out on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test yesterday, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle, two of the young men on whom they must depend to lead them out of their present morass, joined together to restore some battered self-esteem.

Both, in their contrasting ways, scored hundreds, their second of the series and their fourth overall.

The right-handed Sarwan, small, nimble on his feet and wristy with his strokes, and left-handed Gayle, tall, imposing and powerful, had an unbroken partnership of 164 to guide the West Indies second innings to 263 for three at the premature end of another gloomy day, shortened to 64 overs by rain and dim light.

Together, they energised the small, but vocal, cheering section of West Indians who had been muted by the struggles of the first three days and drowned out by up to 17,000 vociferous South Africans. But their voices were now proud and prominent in a crowd of under 3,000.

The effect was, no doubt, the same in the dressing room and around television and radio sets back home in the Caribbean. Such encouragement has been in short supply these past couple of months.

It is not to say that the West Indies are out of the woods yet.

Following on after scoring 301 in reply to South Africa's overwhelming 604 for six declared, they are still 40 in arrears and, with the new ball immediately available, a difficult last day lies ahead if they are to prevent their third defeat in the four Tests.

Yet Sarwan, the 23-year-old vice-captain, and Gayle, the tall, 24-year-old opener, showed such resolve in their three hours together, that it is not an idle thought that they could lead the team to another draw to follow the similarly batting-inspired, last day drive to safety in the third Test in Cape Town.

In the end, the weather might determine the result. Rain that has been in the air throughout the match is forecast for today.

Sarwan, who resumed at the shaky overnight position of 44 for two, batted with the same stylish diligence that marked his second innings 114 in a losing cause in the second Test - as it did his 105 in the victorious record run chase against Australia in Antigua last April.

He was deliberate in defence but rarely let a scoring opportunity pass against bowlers who could not reproduce the movement through the air and off the pitch that had earned him 12 wickets for 341 runs on the third day.

Sarwan stroked 14 fours in the five hours, 20 minutes he has been in, the majority through the off-side with his favoured square-cuts and drives. None was more perfectly executed than the straight drive off Makhaya Ntini that raised his hundred

He had escaped a clear-cut run out chance when seven the previous day but his only further blemish was at 20 when wicket-keeper Mark Boucher missed a wicked, low, wide leg-side glance off Makhaya Ntini.

There was the occasional ball that went past an intended stroke and a kicking bouncer from Ntini that flew over gully from off the splice, not into gully's waiting hands as it did in Cape Town.

Otherwise, the bat was broad and the concentration unwavering.

Gayle's 77 was the topscore in the unsatisfactory first innings innings.

His second turn had been temporarily interrupted at 14 on the previous afternoon by a numbing blow to the groin from Ntini that forced him to temporarily retire. He returned to play as responsibly as he has ever done.

Most of his 17 fours were struck with his usual power. Three were in one over from Andre Nel to raise his 50 and another three in a later over from the same snarling fast bowler.

His last carried him to 103, a full toss from Graeme Smith, sending down uncomplicated off-spin, caressed through mid-wicket.

At 28, he edged Kallis a foot short of the keeper and at 39 he survived a roared appeal for a catch at the wicket off Nel that umpire Venkatarg-havan correctly ruled diverted from thigh, not bat.

These were minor blips in what was a more measured innings than his crash, bang, wallop 79-ball hundred in the third Test.

He had to wait until midway through the day before he could get back in.

Rain delayed the start by half-hour and, after seven overs play, took out a further chunk of two and a quarter hours.

Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, his left-handed compatriot, kept South Africa waiting for another hour on resumption, studiously carrying their stand to 67 before Chanderpaul became the lone setback of the day.

There was such a solid and determined look to his batting that the manner of his dismissal was a shock, a loose drive off Jacques Kallis finding Herschelle Gibbs' lap at cover point.

With Brian Lara already gone late Sunday, Chanderpaul's departure turned the fight over to the remaining young tyros.

Sarwan was already well established with 43. Gayle, greeted by the predictable bouncer from Kallis, quickly followed his example.

Their hundreds carried the number in the series to 20, twelve by South Africa, eight by the West Indies.

This is only one fewer than the overall record for any series, 21 in the five Tests between the West Indies and Australia in the Caribbean in 1955 that Australia won 3-0.

Sarwan and Gayle have gone a long way towards ensuring it's not 3-0 here as well.