Australia's persistence and South Africa's undue haste conspired to round up the hosts for 266. Having advanced as far as 241 for 4, South Africa lost 4 for 4 to Nathan Lyon and Peter Siddle in a frenzied 18-ball passage after tea. Australia's captain Michael Clarke nipped out the final two wickets in fading light that prevented the full quota of overs from being bowled.
Jacques Kallis' fluent and fleeting 54 had set the rhythm of the innings on a friendly pitch, its pace and impulsive shot-selection maintained by AB de Villiers and Ashwell Prince.
In the final session Prince, in particular, looked like he could be out any ball, and ultimately it was his airy drive to mid on that started the rush of wickets.
Though Lyon and Siddle took the spoils to a series of thoughtless strokes, Pat Cummins also deserved considerable credit for the quality of his bowling on debut, which reaped the wicket of Hashim Amla and was comfortably the most economical of any Australian paceman. He also claimed a ripping catch to account for de Villiers.
Concerns about Shane Watson's fitness were partially assuaged by his return to the field following an earlier hamstring complaint, but he did not move from first slip and it remains to be seen whether he can bowl again in this match.
Watson had taken the second wicket to fall, that of Jacques Rudolph, and his continued inconvenience will affect Australia's bowling options. It will also place more burden of performance on the 18-year-old Pat Cummins, who became Australia's second youngest Test debutant after Ian Craig.
Having won the toss, Graeme Smith and Rudolph walked to the middle to face Johnson and Cummins, who each gained some movement and bounce. Johnson was rewarded for a decent line when Smith fenced at a delivery that seamed away slightly and offered a catch to Clarke at second slip.
At the other end, Amla was centimetres away from falling lbw to Johnson when one straightened enough in the air to clip off stump but not strike it flush - meaning Amla eluded Clarke's DRS referral. Watson replaced Johnson, and soon had a flat-footed Rudolph touching an angled delivery on its way through to Brad Haddin.
Kallis' arrival brought a flurry of boundaries as Australia pitched up in search of swing and outside edges, but the tourists were less perturbed by that than the sight of Watson wincing and walking off before the completion of his fourth over.
Amla's more sedate stay was soon ended, flashing hard at Cummins to allow Ponting to hold a fine snare at slip. The wickets slid South Africa to 129 for 4 and brought Lyon's return to the attack, but de Villiers and Prince were soon scoring almost as freely as Kallis had done.
Prince has been dismissed many times by quality spin bowlers across his career, a level to which Lyon still aspires, and the bowler was only partly responsible for a dismissal that saw the batsman smear distastefully to mid on. After dismissal of him no one troubled the scorers and they went all out for 266.
Scorecard :1st Innings :
SA Batting :
J Rudolph 30, G Smith 11, H Amla 19, J Kallis 54, AB de Villiers 64, A Prince 50, M Boucher 3, V Philander 0, D Steyn 15*, M Morkel 6, I Tahir 0.
Australia Bowling :
M Johnson 67/1, P Cummins 38/1, P Siddle 69/3, S Watson 13/1, N Lyon 52/2, M Hussey 10/0, M Clarke 6/2.
In the final session Prince, in particular, looked like he could be out any ball, and ultimately it was his airy drive to mid on that started the rush of wickets.
Though Lyon and Siddle took the spoils to a series of thoughtless strokes, Pat Cummins also deserved considerable credit for the quality of his bowling on debut, which reaped the wicket of Hashim Amla and was comfortably the most economical of any Australian paceman. He also claimed a ripping catch to account for de Villiers.
Watson had taken the second wicket to fall, that of Jacques Rudolph, and his continued inconvenience will affect Australia's bowling options. It will also place more burden of performance on the 18-year-old Pat Cummins, who became Australia's second youngest Test debutant after Ian Craig.
At the other end, Amla was centimetres away from falling lbw to Johnson when one straightened enough in the air to clip off stump but not strike it flush - meaning Amla eluded Clarke's DRS referral. Watson replaced Johnson, and soon had a flat-footed Rudolph touching an angled delivery on its way through to Brad Haddin.
Kallis' arrival brought a flurry of boundaries as Australia pitched up in search of swing and outside edges, but the tourists were less perturbed by that than the sight of Watson wincing and walking off before the completion of his fourth over.
Amla's more sedate stay was soon ended, flashing hard at Cummins to allow Ponting to hold a fine snare at slip. The wickets slid South Africa to 129 for 4 and brought Lyon's return to the attack, but de Villiers and Prince were soon scoring almost as freely as Kallis had done.
Prince has been dismissed many times by quality spin bowlers across his career, a level to which Lyon still aspires, and the bowler was only partly responsible for a dismissal that saw the batsman smear distastefully to mid on. After dismissal of him no one troubled the scorers and they went all out for 266.
Scorecard :1st Innings :
SA Batting :
J Rudolph 30, G Smith 11, H Amla 19, J Kallis 54, AB de Villiers 64, A Prince 50, M Boucher 3, V Philander 0, D Steyn 15*, M Morkel 6, I Tahir 0.
Australia Bowling :
M Johnson 67/1, P Cummins 38/1, P Siddle 69/3, S Watson 13/1, N Lyon 52/2, M Hussey 10/0, M Clarke 6/2.
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