South Africa moved into a strong position on the third day of the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park but lost one of their four specialist bowlers.
Australia were bowled out for 246 in their first innings, giving South Africa a lead of 177, which they stretched to 369 by the close of play, reaching 192-4.
Hashim Amla returned to form with a sparkling innings of 93 not out but South Africa will be without left-arm fast-medium bowler Wayne Parnell when they attempt to bowl out Australia a second time.
Parnell, who on Friday took two wickets with his first three deliveries of the match, pulled up with a groin injury after bowling three balls in his ninth over.
Team manager Mohammed Moosajee said Parnell had a strain, not a tear, but would nevertheless be unable to bowl in the second innings.
It left South Africa with three specialist bowlers after bringing in a batsman for an all-rounder after losing the first Test in Centurion by 281 runs.
Australia found themselves in unfamiliar territory in a dominant southern hemisphere summer, during which they have won six successive Tests, all by wide margins.
South Africa, though, looked more like the team that has surged to the top of the international Test rankings as they followed up a solid first innings with aggressive bowling to put Australia under pressure.
Morne Morkel was particularly hostile, peppering the Aussie batsmen with short deliveries as he took three wickets for 63 runs while Vernon Philander claimed 3-68.
South Africa were on top from the fifth over of the day when Philander had top-scorer David Warner caught at slip for 70.
Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon, after standing up to a bumper barrage from Morkel, chopped a ball from the tall fast bowler onto his stumps in the next over.
Steve Smith and Brad Haddin both survived chances as they added 40 for the seventh wicket before Haddin was bowled by Dale Steyn.
Mitchell Johnson then hit a quick-fire 27 before he was bowled in the over before lunch by off-spinner JP Duminy an over after Johnson had his helmet rattled by a bouncer from Morkel.
Smith made 49 before he was eventually accounted for on review having offered a faint edge behind off Morkel.
Australia struck back at the start of South Africa’s second innings by dismissing both opening batsmen cheaply, including captain Graeme Smith falling once again to Johnson.
But it was Amla, who suffered a dislocated left ring finger in dropping a difficult chance from Haddin at gully off Philander, who restored the Proteas' superiority in this Test. Strucking the ball with superb timing Amla made his first Test half-century in eight innings off 53 balls.
He and Faf du Plessis steadied the innings with a third wicket stand of 70 before AB de Villiers helped Amla add 55 for the fourth wicket.
Amla's innings, coming from 126 balls and including 12 fours, ensures that the home side head into day 4 369 runs ahead of Australia with six wickets remaining and the very real prospect of levelling the three Test series.
