Port Elizabeth, South Africa: Australia lost four wickets before lunch on Saturday to slip to 205-8 in its first innings on the third day of the second test, 218 runs behind South Africa's 423 and 19 runs off avoiding the follow-on.
Opener David Warner was out for South Africa's first breakthrough, edging to Graeme Smith at slip for 70 after adding five to his overnight score.
Nathan Lyon was bowled by Morne Morkel, Brad Haddin had his middle stump knocked out by Dale Steyn and Mitchell Johnson missed a straight one from spinner JP Duminy after being roughed up by Morkel to end the session and keep the pressure squarely on the Australians.
South Africa also has problems, though, with bowler Wayne Parnell and batsman Hashim Amla off the field with injuries. Parnell went to the hospital for a scan on a left groin injury and Amla dislocated the ring finger on his left hand attempting a sharp catch in the gully.
Steve Smith was 49 not out in a valuable fighting innings for Australia and his 37-run partnership with Johnson had appeared to be taking the Australians to the first target of 224 and avoiding the possibility of being made to bat again. Johnson hit three fours and clubbed a straight six off Duminy, but then got hit square on the helmet by Morkel and missed a gentle delivery by Duminy in the next over to be bowled.
At lunch South Africa is in control, even with the injury problems for Parnell and Amla and another dropped catch in a shoddy fielding effort.
The bowling was good, though.
South Africa made early progress in the fifth over of the day as Warner chased a wide ball from Vernon Philander (3-52) and tickled an edge to Smith at first slip. Nightwatchman Lyon survived 42 balls and a couple of blows on the body for his 15 before running away to the leg side and hacking a Morkel delivery onto his own stumps.
Steyn, who was kept back from opening the bowling by South Africa, found movement off the seam to beat Haddin convincingly for 168-7.
Smith and Johnson kept the Australians scoring at a decent rate on the first day that sunshine has broken out for an extended period of time at St. George's Park, but Johnson's wicket right at the end of the session gave South Africa a chance at enforcing the follow on with only bowlers Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle to come.
Smith hit eight fours to be on the brink of his half-century. Parnell had 2-31 before limping off halfway through his third over to go to the hospital.
