With South Africa chasing 335 for victory, Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs gave their side the best possible start with a partnership that was eventually worth 142 when it was ended in spectacular fashion.

Kirsten, who had gone to his 50 with a single off Jason Gillespie in the 37th over, was the unlucky victim when Gibbs played Brett Lee to midwicket and then tried to send Kirsten back as Damien Martyn picked up and took aim at the bowler’s end. It was not a direct hit, but as Lee fielded the ball his momentum took him into the wicket, uprooting all three stumps with Kirsten nowhere to be seen.

The left-hander was out for 64 made in five minutes over three hours and the wicket had fallen at 142.

Graeme Smith, keen to make amends after scoring only 1 in the first innings, joined Gibbs to take South Africa to tea. Gibbs had 84 at the interval with Smith on 9.

When drinks were taken midway through the afternoon session, Kirsten had 48 with Gibbs on 62 with a solid foundation having been laid for South Africa’s victory target of 335.

At lunch the home team had been 54 for no wicket and on another blazing hot Durban day, the Australian bowlers found little in the pitch to encourage them on the third afternoon.

Gibbs had one anxious moment in the 26th over of the innings when a pulled four off Glenn McGrath went dangerously close to Justin Langer at mid on who did not seem to pick up the flight of the ball.

Emboldened, Gibbs went on to reach his 50 by taking four, two, four off Shane Warne three overs later, but it was Kirsten who took South Africa into three figures after 194 minutes when he pulled a McGrath bouncer over midwicket for four.

By the drinks break, Australia had got through 35 overs, but for the third day running Kingsmead was less than half-full, testimony, perhaps, to South Africa’s lack of success against the tourists this summer.

No fewer than wickets fell during an extraordinary second day on Saturday, but after the Australian second innings had closed at 186 Gibbs and Kirsten rediscovered the virtues of patience and common sense as they laid a foundation for the innings.

The only two runs to come during the first five overs were two Brett Lee no balls before Kirsten scored the first runs off the bat with a boundary driven straight back past Lee followed by a cut four next ball.

Glenn McGrath was predictably miserly during an eight-over opening burst that included five maidens and allowed South Africa only 10, but Gibbs finally produced some shots of his own, driving Lee and, when he replaced him, Jason Gillespie handsomely through the covers.

Under any circumstances, a 335 target would challenge the side batting last, but this is only a third day pitch and although Shane Warne is likely to be a key figure, he will have to rely on his own skills rather than a crumbling surface if he is to make an impact.

The pair brought up the 50 partnership in the 18th over and went to lunch two overs later with Gibbs on 32 and Kirsten on 20.

The South Africans had squandered a chance to break the ninth-wicket partnership off the eighth ball of the morning when David Terbrugge at mid off spilled a straightforward chance from Brett Lee off Jacques Kallis.

Lee had 11 at that stage with Australia 166 for eight and the mistake was to cost South Africa another 20 runs before Makhaya Ntini finally got rid off the Australian captain Steve Waugh.

Kallis had been the unlucky bowler when Lee was dropped, but now he produced a stunning one-handed catch at second slip, diving to his right as Waugh, on 42, edged Ntini.

One ball later Australia were all out as Glenn McGrath played down the wrong line at Ntini and had his off stump removed. Lee was left not out on 23.

Ntini, with three for 65 and Kallis with three for 29 were the most successful South African bowlers in an innings that lasted exactly 49 overs. With the match still to reach its halfway stage and Kingsmead bathed in sunshine, a result was certain, but if South Africa are to record their first victory of the summer over Australia, they need to bat with somewhat more resolution than was the case in their first innings on Saturday.