Langer was 89 at this stage and well set for his first century of the tour while Mark Waugh was on 17 with Darren Lehmann (60) and Ricky Ponting (40) having lost their wickets during the session.

Lehmann, who had always been the agressor during a century opening partnership, showed his intentions immediately after lunch when he pulled Gulam Bodi for six over wide mid-on before reaching his 50 off 76 deliveries and he took Australia into three figures in the 31st over of the innings when he thrashed Dewald Pretorius past point for his seventh boundary.

Pretorius switched from over to around the wicket for his next ball and, a little surprisingly, won an lbw decision from umpire Rudi Koertzen to dismiss Lehmann at 103 for one.

Ricky Ponting replaced Lehmann and was quickly into his stride as both batsmen went after the South African A spinners. Robin Peterson, in particular, came in for punishment as the pair took 15 off an over from him which saw Langer reach his 50 after 149 minutes at the crease and Ponting hit him straight for six.

Ponting was in punishing mood and it came as something of a shock when he mishit a pull against Charl Willoughby and lobbed a simple catch to Justin Kemp at mid-off. His 40 had come off 50 balls and he and Langer had put on 77 for the second wicket in just 50 minutes.

When tea came, the Australians had scored 148 off 28 overs during the session.

Lehmann, in particular, was responsible for a number of thunderous drives at anything pitched too full at him as the Australians replied to the A team’s 301 all out.

The home team rotated three seamers during the session before introducing spin shortly before the break, but only Dewald Pretorius, the 24-year-old Free State fast bowler, troubled the visiting batsmen, occasionally causing the ball to kick up awkwardly off a length.

For the most part, though, the Australian pair played contained, controlled cricket as they laid the platform for a substantial first innings total.

Charl Willoughby, the tall left-arm seamer from Western Province, had one half-hearted appeal against Langer when the batsman played and missed and Lehmann slashed Justin Kemp high down to third man as lunch approached, the ball going first bounce to the fielder, but there were no clear chances as Lehmann progressed to 39 at the interval with Langer on 26.

After Andy Bichel had bowled a wayward first over at Robin Peterson, Lee struck with his first ball of the morning as Peterson wafted loosely at a wide one to give Adam Gilchrist a catch at the wicket.

Peterson had added three to his overnight 3 and the eighth wicket fell at 294.

Dewald Pretorius lasted no longer than one ball as Lee took out his off stump and then Charl Willoughby, perhaps South Africa’s worst first-class batsman, managed to miss his first ball and avoid the hat-trick.

Willoughby, in fact, was to last 11 deliveries, scratching out a four in his 7 before he was caught behind off Bichel to end the innings. Thami Tsolekile, the not out batsman on 0 overnight, had still not opened his account when the innings closed.

Lee ended with four for 37 and the last six South African A wickets had added only 18 to the total.