Pakistan 120 for 8 (Hayward 3-29, Ntini 3-45) trail South Africa 368 (Kallis 105, Boucher 55; Saqlain 4-119) by 248 runs
Scorecard

Pakistan's batsmen crashed and burned in spectacular fashion after tea as South Africa wrested control of the opening Test at Kingsmead. Having gone into the interval handily placed at 81 for 1, they slumped to 120 for 8, losing four wickets for one run before bad light brought a premature halt to the proceedings. Makhaya Ntini was the wrecker-in-chief, picking up the crucial wickets of Inzamam ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Salim Elahi, who had batted confidently for his 39. Nantie Hayward chipped in with two late wickets as Pakistan lost their bearings in the gloaming.

Elahi and Umar had got the innings off to a slow start, with South Africa's bowlers guilty of not making them play enough. But once they saw off Shaun Pollock and Ntini, the runs came more easily. Both men played some superb drives down the ground and used the cut and pull to great effect when the bowlers erred in line. Umar, who made 39, was finally dismissed by Hayward bowling round the wicket, angling one off the face to Graeme Smith at third slip despite trying to withdraw the bat at the last minute. Elahi had been given a life earlier when Nicky Boje at first slip put down a difficult chance off Jacques Kallis. Elahi flayed at the ball and the edge flew to Boje's right. Despite a volleyball-style tip-up and dive, he couldn't hold it. The roof caved in soon after tea. First, Younis Khan, who made just one, was adjudged leg before to Pollock though the ball struck him very high on the pad (83 for 2). Moments later, Elahi launched into a hook off Ntini. Undone by the extra pace and bounce, he could only top-edge it to midwicket where Neil McKenzie took a fine tumbling catch (83 for 3). Youhana and Inzamam threatened a revival with some superb strokeplay but Ntini came back to account for Inzamam with a delivery that reared from a length faster than a wounded cobra. Inzamam's gloved fend looped up in the direction of backward short leg, but Ntini was athletic and alert enough to run and take the catch (107 for 4). When Faisal Iqbal was run out by Pollock (119 for 5) and Youhana departed, caught by Smith off Ntini's bowling (120 for 6), the game was pretty much up. Hayward rubbed it in by having Abdul Razzaq caught, fending one to McKenzie at gully, and then bowling Saqlain Mushtaq with a missile aimed at middle stump.

Earlier, Mark Boucher and Nicky Boje were instrumental in South Africa stretching their first innings to 368. Pakistan got the wicket of Jacques Kallis early but there was little for them to celebrate until much later in the session. Play started half an hour early to make up for time lost on the opening day and Pakistan made pretty much the perfect start. Mohammad Sami got one to cut back off the seam and bowl Kallis, who looked back bewildered after shouldering arms. He added just one to his overnight score of 104 (252 for 6). Boucher scratched around early on, but Pollock made a bright and breezy 21 before Waqar set him up with a bouncer. Pollock was late into the hook shot and the ball nudged the glove on its way to wicket keeper Kamran Akmal (286 for 8). South Africa's push past 300 was abetted by some awful fielding. Boje, who finished 37 not out, should have left early in his innings after slashing at one from Waqar but Youhana at point made a mess of the chance. Minutes later, Boje got a thick edge to a Saqlain delivery, only for it to evade both Akmal and first slip, who gazed at each other is dismay while the ball sped to the boundary. It was Saqlain that finally made the breakthrough. Soon after Boucher had thumped a full toss through midwicket to reach his fifty, Saqlain deceived him in flight to have him caught – via inside edge and pad - by Iqbal at forward short leg (344 for 8). Boucher made 55. Ntini then gifted Saqlain a fourth wicket, slogging one to long-on, where Umar bent over backwards to pouch an excellent catch (344 for 9). But Hayward stuck around to add 24 for the final wicket with Boje before Sami returned to bowl him minutes after the lunch interval. It seemed an imposing total but Umar and Elahi made light of it until the dramatic twist in the final session. Unless the weather intervenes, South Africa have this match firmly in their grip.

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