PERTH, Dec 17: Simon Katich led the way with a gritty 83 as Australia recovered from a dreadful start to reach a competitive 341 for nine on the opening day of the first Test against South Africa at the WACA Ground here on Wednesday.

Seeking their first series win in Australia, the No 2-ranked South Africans put the early pressure on the world champions by the home side to 15 for three but Michael Clarke (62), Andrew Symonds (57) and Brad Haddin (46) all played key roles in Australia’s resurgence.

However, all three will be cursing their missed opportunities on a WACA pitch offering some assistance to the quicks.

Makhaya Ntini took 3-66 while Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and spinner Paul Harris claimed two wickets each.

Australia’s Ricky Ponting won the toss but South Africa dominated the opening 30 minutes, shocking the crowd of 13,679.

Ntini dismissed the out-of-form Matthew Hayden for 12 and Ponting for a duck, both caught in slips off consecutive balls in the third over.

Ponting, who had labelled South Africa’s quicks “unproven” in Australian conditions, pushed hard at the ball and his exit left his side in early trouble.

Steyn — the bowler the Perth crowd had come to see — grabbed his 61st Test victim of 2008 when he had Mike Hussey caught at third slip for a duck by a diving A.B. de Villiers.

Clarke and Katich added 149 to lift Australia to 164-4 but South Africa claimed two wickets in seven balls shortly before tea.

Katich had played all around a full toss from Morkel and was lbw, missing a fifth Test hundred of 2008.

Two runs later, future Test skipper Clarke continued a worrying trend of losing concentration before the end of a session, holing out to mid-on with an undisciplined drive off Harris.

“It was a terrible shot,” the vice-captain said of his dismissal.

“It was bad timing. We had just lost Katto [Simon Katich]. I guess that’s probably why I’m so frustrated.”

Symonds, who made only 46 in three hits against New Zealand last month and missed the Test tour of India in October because of a “gone-fishing” scandal in Darwin, repaid the faith selectors had shown in him with a punishing 57 from 68 balls.

The all-rounder shared a 93-run stand with Haddin before Symonds chipped a catch to long-on from the seemingly harmless bowling of Harris.

Haddin clipped a catch off Ntini straight to deep third man from the second delivery with the second new ball, exposing Australia’s tailenders.

Brett Lee made 29 before becoming Steyn’s second victim at 8-303 and Mitchell Johnson was lbw to Morkel for 18 from the last ball of the day.

South Africa suffered a big blow before the start when their vice-captain Ashwell Prince had to withdraw after suffering a fracture to his left thumb during Tuesday’s nets. Fellow left-hander Jean-Paul Duminy was drafted into the side to make his Test debut.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings):

M.L. Hayden c Smith b Ntini 12

S.M. Katich lbw b Morkel 83

R.T. Ponting c de Villiers b Ntini 0

M.E.K. Hussey c de Villiers b Steyn 0

M.J. Clarke c Smith b Harris 62

A. Symonds c McKenzie b Harris 57

B.J. Haddin c Duminy b Ntini 29

B. Lee c Duminy b Steyn 29

J.J. Krejza not out 19

M.G. Johnson lbw b Morkel 18

EXTRAS (LB-7, W-3, NB-5) 15

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 89 overs) 341

FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-14, 3-15, 4-164, 5-166, 6-259, 7-298, 8-303, 9-341.

TO BAT: P.M. Siddle.

BOWLING (to-date): Ntini 18-1-66-3 (1nb); Steyn 18-2-71-2 (3w); Kallis 15-2-65-0; Morkel 17-1-62-2 (4nb); Harris 21-2-70-2.

SOUTH AFRICA: G.C. Smith, N.D. McKenzie, H.M. Amla, J.H. Kallis, A.B. de Villiers J.P. Duminy, M.V. Boucher, M. Morkel, P.L. Harris, D.W. Steyn, M. Ntini.

UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: P.R. Reiffel (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).—Agencies