Cape Town
Opener Dean Elgar carried his bat for an unbeaten century as South Africa were bowled out for 311 on the second morning of the third Test against Australia.
Seamer Morne Morkel claimed his 300th wicket as South Africa took control when they reduced Australia to 254 for nine when bad light stopped play.
Opener Cameron Bancroft was out for 77 from the ball before the interval after mounting a lone rally for the tourists, trapped leg before wicket by Vernon Philander.
Morkel (3-43) reached his landmark 20 minutes before tea when Shaun Marsh (26) slashed at a wide delivery and was comfortably caught by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.
The tall fast bowler, who has announced he will retire from all forms of international cricket after this series, has been the chief destroyer for the home side, having earlier removed Usman Khawaja (5) and claimed the key wicket of Australia captain Steve Smith (5).
Khawaja was caught at fine leg by Kagiso Rabada attempting a hook, a poor choice of shot, while Smith played at a rising delivery well-outside his off-stump and edged to Dean Elgar in the gully.
It continued a poor series for Smith, who is averaging just 27 from five innings, and he looked out of sorts having been roughed up by some fierce fast bowling from Rabada.
Rabada (1-60 in 12 overs) has been expensive as Australia took the attack to him, particularly opener David Warner, who raced to 30 off only 13 balls. Yet the paceman got his revenge with a superb delivery that cannoned into the top of off-stump. Nathan Lyon offered a glimmer of hope for the tourists with a valiant 47.
Earlier, Elgar equalled a world record when he carried his bat through a completed innings for the third time. Elgar batted for 434 minutes, faced 284 balls and hit 20 fours and a six.
Elgar finished unbeaten on 141 — only Desmond Haynes of the West Indies had previously batted unbeaten through a Test innings on three occasions.
Smith also equalled a world record when he caught South Africa’s last two batsmen for a total of five catches.
South Africa 1st Innings
D Elgar not out 141
A Markram c Smith b Hazlewood 0
H Amla c Cummins b Hazlewood 31
AB de Villiers c Warner b Cummins 64
F du Plessis c Smith b Cummins 5
T Bavuma c Smith b Cummins 1
Q de Kock c Paine b Cummins 3
V Philander c Paine b Marsh 8
K Maharaj c Bancroft b Starc 3
K Rabada c Smith b Lyon 22
M Morkel c Smith b Lyon 4
Extras: (b13, lb11, nb3, w2) 29
Total: (97.5 overs, all out) 311
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-92, 3-220, 4-234, 5-236, 6-242, 7-254, 8-257, 9-307, 10-311
Bowling: M Starc 21-3-81-1, J Hazlewood 23-4-59-2, N Lyon 19.5-6-43-2, P Cummins 26-6-78-4, M Marsh 7-2-26-1, S Smith 1-1-0-0
Australia 1st Innings
C Bancroft lbw b Philander 77
D Warner b Rabada 30
U Khawaja c Rabada b Morkel 5
S Smith c Elgar b Morkel 5
S Marsh c de Kock b Morkel 26
M Marsh c de Kock b Philander 5
T Paine not out 33
P Cummins c de Villiers b Rabada 4
M Starc c de Villiers b Rabada 2
N Lyon c Elgar b Morkel 47
J Hazlewood not out 1
Extras: (b1,lb5, nb4) 10
Total: 245/9 (67 Overs)
Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-61, 3-72, 4-150, 5-150, 6-156, 7-173, 8-175, 9-241
Bowling: V Philander 15-5-26-2, K Rabada 19-1-81-3, M Morkel 20-6-87-4, K Maharaj 12-3-35-0, T Bavuma 1-0-10-0.
