Not taking the new ball Ntini struck first having Akmal caught behind for 29 after the keeper-batsman had started the day by slashing two boundaries over the cover field.

Mohammad Sami played some neat defensive shots to Ntini, before unleashing a slap that sailed over the long on fence, going high into the stands for the maximum.

Waqar Younis having a swing at most of the balls got struck painfully on the wrist when missing a pull causing a hold up in play while the magic spray came out. Receiving another short ball from Ntini he top edged the pull over Boucher and into the crowd for another six.

Pollock had Waqar caught brilliantly by Kirsten at mid wicket for 15 to end the innings and a lead of 43 runs.

Sami was the not out batsman on 11.

Razzaq had failed again with 22, three fours and a six, and Pakistan now 199/7 on the way to a loss in the first test.

Saqlain Mushtaq and Kamran Akmal took the score past the 207 needed to make South Africa bat again.

With the new ball looming Pollock came back into the attack and with the first ball had Saqlain edging to Boucher for four and Pakistan 216/8.

Two runs later, and the new ball about to be taken, with a lead of 11, the umpires offered Waqar the light and off they went.

Using the pace of the bowlers he worked the ball well into the gaps scoring most of his runs on the leg side and supplementing it with some drives and cuts.

Iqbal never looked comfortable and playing down the wrong line and walking across one from Kallis had his leg stump removed for 17 and Pakistan 156 for five.

Abdur Razzaq who has had a terrible tour of South Africa, and the last recognised Pakistan batsman, needed to get his head down and support Youhana if the hosts wanted to have any more say in the Test.

Three sparkling boundaries off the back foot from Razzaq indicated that he was up to the challenge, while Youhana had two close shaves when mistiming pulls that landed just short of the fielders.

Third time lucky for South Africa when Youhana unnecessarily cut at a short ball from Hayward to send the ball down the throat of the third man for 42 and Pakistan 184 for six. Another batsman had failed to go on to a big score.

Khan and Yousuf Youhana started out a lot more positive than those ahead of them putting on a 44-run partnership in seven overs when Khan tried to get out of the way of a Kallis bouncer, only to leave the gloves exposed and caught by Boucher for 30 including four fours.

Once again a Pakistan batsman had got into the thirties but has been unable to turn it into a big score. The short ball had again done the damage with Pakistan 132/4, still 75 runs short of making South Africa bat again.

At tea Pakistan had moved to 139/4 with Youhana on 26 and Faisal Iqbal six.

The fifty partnership had just been posted, coming off 164 balls in 114 minutes, testament of how hard the two batsmen had worked at keeping their wickets. Elahi gone for a patient 18, and Pakistan 50/1.

Umar was next to go, playing back to Boje when he should have been forward, to be struck between the pads and on his way to the pavilion after repeating his first innings score of 39, made in two and a half hours. Pakistan now 64/2, still 143 runs behind.

With the openers having done their bit by seeing off the new ball it was left to Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-Haq to continue the good work.

At drinks Pakistan had moved to 76/2 with Khan on nine and Inzamam on four.

Elahi was just not interested in playing at anything that he did not have too. Showing determination he managed to score his first boundary after receiving 66 balls.

Umar, just as sound, was slightly more adventurous having found the boundary on three occasions.

The South African pace men showed very little penetration, proving that the pitch was still a good batting strip. Kallis looked the most impressive until Nicky Boje came on twenty minutes to lunch and nearly succeeded to get the breakthrough having Elahi edge the first ball just wide of Pollock at slip.

At lunch Elahi had 17 and Umar 26, passing the first test of not losing a wicket with flying colours.

In much the same way the South African bowlers tended to bowl a bit wide of the stumps not making the batsmen play at enough deliveries.

With the temperatures rising and the humidity in the high 80’s Pollock is going to have to use his bowlers sparingly.

Together the two at the crease saw off the first hour with Umar going to 14 and Elahi on four while Pakistan moved to 23 without loss.

Ntini should have wrapped the innings up in his first two overs of the morning, but once again the early start caught the fielders napping with first Boucher dropping Akmal and then Kallis dropping Waqar.

Waqar made his intentions clear by having a go at every ball that was bowled to him. Four fours and a six later Waqar had taken Pakistan to seven runs of the follow-on total when Hayward uprooted his off stump with the slower ball. Hayward having earlier got the wicket of Akmal had finished off the tail and at 161 all out, Pakistan was forced to follow-on.

Ntini was magnificent and must rate as one of the unluckiest bowlers in world cricket. Two more catches going down left him with figures of 3-59 and Hayward bagging a 5-fer for 56.