PERTH, Dec 19: Brad Hodge completed a double-century on Monday to put Australia in control of the opening Test against South Africa with one day’s play remaining. Hodge struck an unbeaten 203 to allow Ricky Ponting to declare Australia’s second innings at 528 for eight and set the South Africans a daunting target of 491 to win in just four sessions.

With no real victory prospects, the Proteas signalled their intentions to bat out a draw but lost two early wickets to slump to 85-2 when play ended early because of bad light.

A.B. de Villiers was caught by Hodge at short leg off Shane Warne for 12, having survived for 76 minutes and needing 33 balls to get off the mark.

Then captain Graeme Smith was trapped lbw by left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken for 30, leaving Jacques Rudolph (18 not out) and Herschelle Gibbs (17 not out) to battle through to the close.

South Africa had led by 38 on the first innings but Hodge put the match out of their reach with his maiden hundred in just his third Test appearance.

Dropped on 13 on the previous day, Hodge batted 469 minutes, faced 332 balls and hit 22 boundaries in a brilliant mixture of patience and aggression.

The Victorian middle-order batsman started the day on 91. He survived a loud appeal for lbw off Shaun Pollock on 98 but did not flinch or play another false shot.

He brought up his maiden Test hundred shortly in the same over when he flicked Pollock square off his pads for four then immediately raised the tempo.

The 30-year-old needed 198 balls to reach his century but took just 134 more to reach his double.

Bracken finished unbeaten on 14 but played a bigger role than his score suggested, sharing an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 77 with Hodge after Australia had lost a flurry of wickets in the pursuit of quick runs.

Mike Hussey added just four runs to his overnight score of 54 when he was poked a catch behind to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher off Pollock at the start of the day and Andrew Symonds fell for 25 before lunch when he got a thick edge off swing bowler Charl Langeveldt that went straight to Gibbs at a wide first slip.

Adam Gilchrist pounded 44 off 58 balls before throwing his wicket away in the middle session, holing out to Rudolph at deep square leg off Andre Nel, while Warne was trapped lbw by Justin Kemp for five.

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