Day 3, close - Zimbabwe 97 for 3 (Masakadza 37*, A Flower 43*), need another 217 runs to avoid an innings defeat Andy Flower, Zimbabwe's one-man batting machine, started the day as he finished it – at the crease. Not-so-fresh from his 142 in the first innings, he was forced out again, little more than an hour later, when Craig Wishart chipped Shaun Pollock to Lance Klusener in the 13th over of the follow on, for 6 (25 for 3). Zimbabwe had already lost two wickets – one to the fifth ball of their follow on when Dion Ebrahim padded up to Shaun Pollock for a duck (0 for 1) Then, on the stroke of tea, Alistair Campbell had got an inside-edge on to his leg stump and was bowled by Jacques Kallis for 7 (18 for 2).

But anyone would have thought that Flower had spent a lazy day at the beach. He showed no sign of exhaustion and together with Hamilton Masakadza, the 18-year-old schoolboy who scored a Test-debut century against West Indies in July, put on an unbeaten 72 for the fourth wicket.

While Flower attacked – he hit slow left-armer Claude Henderson for successive fours – Masakadza defended and together they repelled all that South Africa could throw at them. But they still have a lot to do – two more days to bat out, for starters.

Earlier Zimbabwe had been dimissed for 286 in their first innings, 314 runs behind. The only man to stay with Flower, as he moved to his tenth Test century, was Travis Friend. They smashed 39 runs off the first five overs of the second new ball and shared an entertaining ninth-wicket stand of 75 before Friend was caught by Pollock at third slip for an adventurous 30. It was Andre Nel's fourth wicket, in his first Test.

Finally Flower also fell, leg-before to Pollock, for a spirited 142. During his 200-ball innings he smacked 21 fours and a six, and became the first Zimbabwean to amass 4000 Test runs.

It had been all bad news at the other end. Nightwatchman Ray Price departed to the first ball of the day, gloving a ball from Nel to fourth slip, for a duck. Grant Flower soon followed, also for a duck, also off Nel, when he chipped his seventh ball to short midwicket where Boeta Dippenaar picked up a sharp catch. Guy Whittall helped Flower add 55 before he was bowled by Jacques Kalllis for 16.

On the point of lunch their captain Heath Streak padded up to a ball from left-arm spinner Claude Henderson, another debutant. It looked as if the ball was going safely on past the off stump, but Darrell Hair, the Australian umpire, sent Streak packing for 7.

It was just the luck Zimbabwe didn't need.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd