CAPE TOWN - The Proteas slowly exerted their dominance on the opening day of the third Test against Australia at Newlands as the hosts moved to 185/2 at the tea interval.
After the early loss of Aiden Markram in the first session for a duck, Hashim Amla followed suit in the afternoon.
The veteran Proteas batsman got sucked into a playing a loose shot to a short ball from Josh Hazlewood and only managed to hook the ball straight to fine leg. Amla did not add to his pre-interval score of 31.
Australia could have had South Africa in real trouble the next over when Dean Elgar slashed a square cut to Nathan Lyon at point, but the off-spinner could not hold on to a regulation chance.
Elgar was intent to make the Aussies pay for the lapse as he moved to 86 not out at the tea interval. AB de Villiers also continued his dominance of the Aussie bowlers by striking a breezy undefeated 46.
Hazlewood remains Australia's most successful bowler with figures of 2/23.
Earlier, the Proteas made two changes to their line-up with Temba Bavuma and Morne Morkel included in the starting line-up at the expense of Theunis de Bruyn and Lungi Ngidi.
Australia named an unchanged team from the first two Test matches.