CAPE TOWN, March 11: A century opening partnership between Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden put Australia firmly on course for victory against South Africa at close on the fourth day of the second Test here Monday.

Set 331 to win after the Australians had ended the home side’s innings at 473 all out just before tea, Langer and Hayden tore into the Proteas attack with gusto in the final session.

At close Australia were 131 for one, needing only 200 on the final day to achieve the tenth highest winning fourth innings total in history after some brutal batting.

Langer and Hayden gave Australia an ideal start, putting on 102 in 22 overs.

It was the sixth time in nine Tests that the two left-handers had shared a century opening stand. They were particularly severe on left-arm spinner Paul Adams, who conceded 36 runs in five overs during the opening stand.

Langer was out for 58 when he was bowled off an inside edge as he attempted a back foot forcing shot off South African opening bowler Dewald Pretorius. It was the first Test wicket for new cap Pretorius.

Hayden and Ricky Ponting took Australia through to the close. Hayden was on 50 not out, reaching his half-century off the last ball of the day. He faced 94 balls and hit nine fours. Ponting was unbeaten on 17.

The pitch remained good for batting, although there were signs of wear.

Earlier South Africa had given themselves a fighting chance in their second innnings, Neil McKenzie was run out for top score of 99, one of two run-out victims within five overs.

Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, playing in his 100th Test, took six for 161 in a marathon bowling effort in which he sent down 70 overs.

Australia, who lead the three-match series 1-0, will retain their World Test Championship if they win, while a South African victory would give the hosts a chance of wresting the crown in the final Test in Durban next week.

If South Africa win or draw the series they will become champions.

Warne made some balls turn sharply and on two occasions four byes were conceded when balls spun and kept low, beating batsman McKenzie and wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist.

Warne bowled unchanged, apart from one over from his end by Mark Waugh before lunch. Warne sent down 28 of the 57 overs delivered by Australia Monday.

It was the most overs the leg-spinner has ever bowled in an innings in his long and illustrious Test career, surpassing the 55 he bowled against South Africa in Durban in 1993-94.

For the second day in succession, Australian captain Steve Waugh turned to Warne for the first over of the day, and after working through 42 overs on day three, the leg-spinner again turned in a sterling performance.

With the pitch continuing to offer prodigious turn, Warne was a constant threat. So deceptive was he at times that twice Warne beat the bat and wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist to concede four byes, crucial runs for the South Africans in the context of the game.

Warne struck with the only wicket of the morning, Ashwell Prince pushing forward on 20, the ball flying off his glove towards silly point where Ponting took an excellent one-handed catch.

McKenzie, the newly-appointed South African vice-captain, shared stands of 66 for the fifth wicket with Prince and 81 for the sixth wicket with captain Mark Boucher.

Boucher’s dismissal sparked a flurry of wickets, which brought Australia back into the game.

Boucher was lbw when he went back on his stumps against Jason Gillespie.

Four overs later first innings top-scorer Andrew Hall was run out for nought when he was called for a second run by McKenzie but could not beat a quick pick-up and throw from Brett Lee to the bowler’s end.

Then it was McKenzie who fell victim to excellent fielding. He pushed Lee into the covers and set off for the single which would have brought up his third Test century. Damien Martyn dived to stop the ball and, on his knees, threw down the stumps at the bowler’s end with McKenzie well short.

McKenzie batted for 306 minutes, faced 226 balls and hit 14 fours.

McKenzie became the second South African to be run out for 99 against Australia this summer. Jacques Kallis suffered the same fate when he was last man out in Melbourne in December. Kallis was the first South African to be run out one short of a century in Tests, although it has happened to 11 other men in Test history.

At that stage South Africa were 297 ahead. They were given a boost by some judicious hitting by Paul Adams and Makhaya Ntini as another 33 runs were added before the innings ended. Adams hit sixes off Mark Waugh and Warne in his 23 not out.