Ntini puts South Africa on top

Ntini (5-64) removed the Australian openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer then added the scalps of Brad Hodge, Mike Hussey and Adam Gilchrist to complete his first five-wicket haul against the world champions.

South Africa's openers Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers consolidated their team's position by surviving a hostile 34-minute spell from Australia's fast bowlers to reach the close on 38 without loss.

Smith was unbeaten on 18 and de Villiers not out 14 with the tourists 220 runs behind and in a strong position.

Paceman Andre Nel (3-29) dismissed Andrew Symonds, then Nathan Bracken and Glenn McGrath in successive balls to be on a second innings hat-trick while Shaun Pollock and Charl Langeveldt chipped in with one wicket each.

Ricky Ponting top scored with 71 from 107 balls while Hodge (41) and Langer (37) both made solid starts before the tourists rattled the Australians on a typically lively WACA pitch.

Ntini's first three victims, Hayden, Langer and Hussey, were all caught trying to pull good length balls that lifted sharply while Hodge and Gilchrist were both caught after misjudging the bounce.

Ntini broke through in the second over of the day when Hayden skied a catch to Jacques Rudolph in the slips cordon for a duck but Ponting and Langer steadied the Australian innings with a second-wicket partnership of 111.

Ponting struck 12 boundaries and Langer six to lay the foundations for a big total.

But the South Africans hit back after lunch, wiping out the last nine Australian wickets for 147 runs.

Also Read Schedule: South Africa in Australia

Hussey and Hodge guided Australia through to tea with a 63-run stand before the batting collapsed again in the final session, with the last seven wickets tumbling for just 78 runs.

Langeveldt held a spectacular diving catch behind Ntini's head after running in from mid-on to get rid of Hussey for 23 then Boucher took the first of his three catches to send Hodge on his way.

Gilchrist was caught by Herschelle Gibbs at second slip for six just three balls after Justin Kemp spilled another chance at first slip then Symonds played on against Nel for 13.

Shane Warne was trapped lbw by Langeveldt for an adventurous 24 before Nel polished off Bracken (10) and McGrath (no score) to wrap up the innings in the 76th over.

Scorecard:

Australia 1st innings                           
J. Langer       c Smith b Ntini           37
M. Hayden       c Rudolph b Ntini          0
R. Ponting      lbw b Pollock             71
B. Hodge        c Boucher b Ntini         41
M. Hussey       c Langeveldt b Ntini      23
A. Symonds      b Nel                     13
A. Gilchrist    c Gibbs b Ntini            6
S. Warne        lbw b Langeveldt          24
B. Lee          not out                   19
N. Bracken      c Boucher b Nel           10
G. McGrath      c Boucher b Nel            0
Extras          (b-4 lb-2 nb-6 w-2)       14
Total           (all out, 75.2 overs)    258

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-111, 3-117, 4-180, 5-185, 6-199, 7-210, 8-243, 9-258, 10-258      

Bowling                                 
S. Pollock      19 - 6 - 46 - 1            
M. Ntini        19 - 3 - 64 - 5            
C. Langeveldt   17 - 1 - 100 - 1 (nb-6)    
A. Nel          17.2 - 3 - 29 - 3          
J. Kemp         3 - 0 - 13 - 0 (w-2)       

South Africa 1st innings                           
A. de Villiers  not out                   14
G. Smith        not out                   18
Extras          (nb-6)                     6
Total           (for no loss, 7 overs)    38

To bat: H. Gibbs, J. Rudolph, A. Prince, J. Kemp, M. Boucher, S. Pollock, C. Langeveldt, A. Nel, M. Ntini

Bowling                                 
G. McGrath      4 - 0 - 18 - 0             
B. Lee          2 - 0 - 15 - 0 (nb-2)      
N. Bracken      1 - 0 - 5 - 0