Shaun Pollock snatched two wickets in four balls to rock England's batting order before a storm ended play on the third day of the fifth Test at Centurion on Sunday.
England struggled to 114 for four in reply to South Africa's first innings of 247 when the weather, which had caused delays all day, finally closed in.
Graham Thorpe was 32 not out with Andrew Flintoff on nought as South Africa gave themselves a chance of salvaging a draw in the series which England lead 2-1.
South Africa resumed on 247 for nine and were dismissed just two balls into the day's play when Andrew Hall slashed a delivery from fast bowler Simon Jones to third man, where Andrew Strauss dived forward to take the catch.
Jones finished with figures of four for 47.
South Africa's new ball pair, Pollock and Makhaya Ntini, kept England openers Marcus Trescothick and Strauss under pressure with tight bowling on a responsive pitch.
However England moved to 27 without loss when, in the eighth over, Strauss pushed a ball from fast bowler Ntini to Nicky Boje at mid-off and set off for a single.
Strauss changed his mind and sent Trescothick back, but Boje's direct hit at the non-striker's end ran Trescothick out for 20.
Pollock struck twice in the 11th over when he had Robert Key caught behind down the leg side by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher for one, and two balls later captain Michael Vaughan's rash attempted pull looped to Jacques Rudolph at mid-wicket.
Strauss was joined by Graham Thorpe with England tottering on 29 for three and the pair batted carefully to share a stand of 85 before Strauss played an expansive drive to a ball from fast bowler Andre Nel and was caught behind by Boucher for 44.
Scoreboard:
South Africa first innings (247-9 overnight)
A.de Villiers lbw b Giles 92
H.Gibbs c G Jones b Flintoff
J.Rudolph c Key b Hoggard 33
J.Kallis b Flintoff 8
G.Smith c Trescothick b Flintoff 25
M.Boucher c Trescothick b S.Jones 25
S.Pollock b Flintoff 0
N.Boje c Thorpe b S.Jones 9
A.Hall c Strauss b S.Jones 11
M.Ntini c Hoggard b S.Jones 6
A.Nel not out 1
Extras (lb-1 nb-19 w-3) 23
Total (all out, 75.3 overs) 247
Fall of wickets: 1-27 2-115 3-144 4-187 5-200 6-200 7-222 8-237 9-245
Bowling: Hoggard 18-4-64-1 (nb-6), Harmison 17-2-79-0 (w-2), Flintoff 19-6-44-4 (nb-8 w-1), S.Jones 15.3-3-47-4 (nb-5), Giles 6-1-12-1
England first innings
M.Trescothick run out (Boje) 20
A.Strauss c Boucher b Nel 44
R.Key c Boucher b Pollock 1
M.Vaughan c Rudolph b Pollock 0
G.Thorpe not out 32
A.Flintoff not out 0
Extras (lb-15 nb-1 w-1) 17
Total (for four wickets, 46 overs) 114
Fall of wickets: 1-27 2-29 3-29 4-114
To bat: G.Jones, A.Giles, M.Hoggard, S.Jones, S.Harmison
Bowling: Pollock 9-4-22-2, Ntini 13-6-19-0 (w-1), Nel 12-3-29-1, Hall 7-0-22-0 (nb-1), Boje 3-2-2-0, Kallis 2-0-5-0.
