Hall and Paul Adams brought a little pride back into the South African batting with an eighth wicket stand that produced 69 and frustrated the Australians who had had the home team reeling at 147 for seven at one stage.

The partnership was ended by Jason Gillespie who had got through relatively little work for the greater part of the day. He had bowled only 11 overs before coming back shortly before the second new ball was due to have Adams well caught low down to his left at first slip by Shane Warne for 35.

The eighth South African wicket fell at 216, bringing in Makhaya Ntini who almost immediately lofted a catch down to deep wide mid-on where the wind seemed to deceived Brett Lee who missed the chance.

Hall, meanwhile, had gone along to 70 before fishing at a widish one from Gillespie to provide Adam Gilchrist with his fourth catch of the innings at 229 for nine and Ntini was last man out, edging Warne to Mark Waugh at first slip for 14.

Dewald Pretorius was not out on 5 while Glenn McGrath picked up three for 42 and Gillespie three for 52 with Warne and Lee sharing the remaining four wickets.

South Africa were left to bat out eight overs before the close of play.

The pair put on 49 in the hour after tea to give the home team something to cheer about after two sessions that had belonged entirely to Australia. Hall has some claims as a batsman, having opened the batting for South Africa as a one-day player, but Adams’ technique can best be described as unusual. Together, though, they defied the Australian attack and at drinks Hall had 57 with Adams on 32.

If nothing else, the cricket was entertaining with Adams, at one point, playing an immaculate leg glance as the bowler, Glenn McGrath, tried to throw the stumps down at the strikers’ end. One or two of the Australians appeared to half appeal, but Adams was in his ground and could argue that the throw had been aimed straight at him. McGrath, though, was clearly displeased by Adams’ impudence and had more than a word or two to say about it.

Having irritated one great Australian bowler, Adams then promptly hit Shane Warne for four and six over wide mid-on before Hall went to his 50 after two hours at the crease, reaching the milestone when he tapped Brett Lee to mid-off for a single. Hall then raised the 50 partnership in the same over with a cover drive for four and a pulled four then brought up the South African 200.

At drinks the paid had added 57 for the eighth wicket.

Gilchrist, who had earlier gone sprawling full-length to his left to dismiss Ashwell Prince, this time went full length to his right to take an edge from Mark Boucher off Brett Lee and end the only stand of real substance so far in the South African innings.

In harness with Andrew Hall, Boucher had helped add 55 for the seventh wicket as the lower order provided some resistance at least to the rampant Australians.

With Glenn McGrath having picked up two wickets in the first hour after lunch, Boucher and new cap Hall fought back with some spirit, Hall raising the 50 partnership with a back foot drive through the covers for four off Lee in the 49th over of the innings.

Two overs later Boucher was gone, however, it fell to Paul Adams to bring up the South African 150 off the first ball that he faced as he scooped Lee away past point for three.

At tea Hall was unbeaten on 37 with Adams on 4.

The first of McGrath’s strikes came in the fourth over after the interval and before the South Africans had scored a run in the afternoon session. He bowled perhaps the delivery of the day to Jacques Kallis, squaring the right-hander up before the ball kicked awkardly and took the outside edge high on the bat for Adam Gilchrist to take a routine catch.

Kallis had not added to his lunchtime 23 and the wicket brought captain Mark Boucher to the crease at 73 for five.

The first runs of the session came in the next over when Ashwell Prince cheekily swept Shane Warne for three and the first four in the 34th over from Boucher, although it was an all-run effort and came as a result of a misfield from Jason Gillespie followed by overthrows.

McGrath took his second wicket of the session with the first ball of the next over, running the ball across Prince for Gilchrist to take a wonderful catch, left-handed and in front of first slip as he dived full-length. Prince had scored 10 and South Africa were 92 for six.

Andrew Hall scored his first runs in Test cricket four balls later when he whipped McGrath off his hips past square leg for the first boundary since lunch and it was Hall who brought up the South African 100 with a single off Warne.

When drinks were brought out, Boucher had 10 with Hall on 9.

Warne bowled McKenzie after he and Jacques Kallis had dug in in an attempt to rebuild a South African first innings rocked by the loss of three wickets during the first hour.

South Africa had been 25 for three at one stage as each of Australia’s three seamers had taken an early wicket, but Kallis and McKenzie kept the visitors at bay for 68 minutes as they tried to repair the early damage.

Kallis, who had a dreadful first Test match, was back to something approaching his best form as he displayed fine judgement in what to hit and what to leave while McKenzie, too, looked to have settled after a quiet start.

Kallis brought up the South African 50 in the 16th over of the innings with a square drive for four off Glenn McGrath and McKenzie showed some adventure with boundaries to backward square leg and past point off Brett Lee in the 17th over.

Warne came into the attack from the Kelvin Grove end and struck in his third over, pitching a leg break outside leg stump which spun enough to beat the bat as McKenzie played forward and hit middle stump.

McKenzie was out for 20 at 70 for four leaving Kallis (23 not out) and Ashwell Prince (0 not out) to play out the remaining nine balls before lunch.

All three wickets to fall went to catches in the slips with Mark Waugh holding two at second slip and Ricky Ponting snaffling new cap Graeme Smith at third slip. The wickets were shared by Australia’s three seam bowlers.

South Africa had chosen to bat first on a pitch expected to give something to the new-ball bowlers during the first hour and the home team’s worst fears were realised as Australia broke through quickly.

Herschelle Gibbs was the first to go after glancing and driving Jason Gillespie for successive boundaries in the fourth over of the innings. He essayed another drive to the fifth ball of the over and succeeded only in edging a low catch to the younger Waugh brother.

Gibbs was out for 12 at 15 for one and Test debutante Smith lasted only nine balls in making 3 before Glenn McGrath extracted a little extra bounce as Smith played back and the edge carried comfortably to Ponting.

At 18 for two, South Africa needed Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis to dig in, but when Brett Lee came into the attack for McGrath from the Wynberg end he struck with his fourth ball, extra bounce again causing Kirsten to play a false shot for Waugh to hold his second catch.

Kirsten had made 7 in 42 minutes and at 25 for three South Africa were already in deep trouble. At drinks Kallis had 11 and Neil McKenzie was on 1.

The Cape Town weather was perfect for the start of the match with not a cloud to be seen anywhere near Table Mountain, while the pitch was slightly darker than is usual and was expected to assist the seam bowlers in the first hour before lunch.

Australia left Stuart MacGill out of their 12, going for the four-pronged attack that bowled South Africa out twice at the Wanderers. Shane Warne will be playing in his 100th Test match.

South Africa were unchanged from the team settled upon earlier in the week after Daryll Cullinan had withdrawn and Shaun Pollock was declared unfit. Graeme Smith, Andrew Hall and Dewald Pretorius will be making their Test debuts.

Teams

South Africa: Mark Boucher (capt), Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Ashwell Prince, Andrew Hall, Paul Adams, Makhaya Ntini, Dewald Pretorius.

Australia: Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.