Cricket 1st Test: Australia open huge lead over SA

Page last updated at 16:33 GMT, Saturday, 28 February 2009

Australia open huge lead over SA

First Test, Johannesburg (day three, close): Australia 466 and 51-1 v South Africa 220 Dates: 26 February-2 March Start time: 0830 GMT Coverage: Scorecard and reports on BBC Sport website. Live on Sky Sports Match scorecard Bad weather brought an early end to proceedings in Johannesburg Australia had opened up a 297-run lead in their second innings when bad light stopped play on day three of the first Test against South Africa. Having bowled out the home side for 220 the tourists were 51-1 when play was halted with debutant Phillip Hughes and Ricky Ponting at the crease. AB de Villiers' 104 was the highlight of South Africa's innings, with only three players scoring over 20 runs. Mitchell Johnson (4-25) and Peter Siddle (3-76) were the star bowlers. Having started the day on 85-3, South Africa were in desperate need of some stability, and De Villiers provided it, spending nearly five hours at the crease before running out of partners. Opener Neil McKenzie was soon back in the pavilion, trapped leg-before by Siddle for 36, unsuccessfully challenging umpire Steve Bucknor's decision and using up one of his team's appeals. Two overs later it was Australia's turn to call on the third official when they thought JP Duminy had clipped a Siddle delivery to Brad Haddin, but the camera had failed. Duminy did not hang around long, however, being caught behind off Johnson for 17, and three balls later South Africa used their last first-innings referral when Mark Boucher edged a Johnson delivery to Haddin. Morne Morkel and Paul Harris both made brief cameo appearances before lunch as the home side's plight grew more desperate. But Dale Steyn contributed 17 in a 52-run ninth-wicket stand with De Villiers to at least spare them the ignominy of not reaching 200. Once he was gone, last man Makhaya Ntini stayed at the crease for 10 minutes and only contributed one run, but prolonged the innings long enough for De Villiers to reach his hundred. Simon Katich was the Australian out before the close, caught by Boucher off the bowling of Morkel, but Australia looked comfortably in control when play ended for the day.