DURBAN (South Africa), Dec 28: South Africa were two wickets and a handful of runs away from victory over Pakistan after the third day of the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead Saturday.

Pakistan, forced to follow on, were 218 for eight, just 11 runs ahead, when bad light stopped play with 18 overs still to be bowled.

Victory in the two-match series would earn South Africa the International Cricket Council World Test Championship.

As in the first innings, inexperienced openers Taufiq Umar and Salim Elahi gave the side a solid start, only for the team’s bigger-name players to fail.

Inzamam-ul-Haq went for 13, Younis Khan for 30 and Yousuf Youhana made top score of 42 in another poor performance by the tourists on a good pitch.

South Africa’s pace-based bowling attack kept the pressure on their opponents and the wickets were shared, with Jacques Kallis, Mornantau Hayward and left-arm spinner Nicky Boje taking two wickets each, while new ball bowlers Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock took one apiece.

Taufiq and Salim, who put on 77 in the first innings, took the total to 50 before Salim was caught at third slip off Ntini in the second over after lunch. He had batted for 122 minutes to score 18 runs.

The left-handed Taufiq became Boje’s 50th Test victim when he went back on his stumps and was leg before for 39.

Boje claimed the key wicket of Inzamam when Pakistan’s star batsman drove a low catch to Herschelle Gibbs at extra cover.

Pakistan were plunged into deeper trouble when Younis Khan gloved a bouncer from Kallis to Mark Boucher. He made 30.

Faisal Iqbal was bowled by Kallis for 17 before Youhana played a rash stroke to be caught at third man off Hayward.

Abdul Razzaq fell to a fine legside catch by Boucher off Hayward before Pakistan eked out a slender lead.

Pakistan were bowled out for 161 in their first innings, with their last two wickets adding 41 runs on Saturday before Hayward completed his first five-wicket haul in Tests. Hayward finished with five for 56.

Pakistan captain Waqar Younis slammed a quick 28 off 19 balls to take his team within eight runs of avoiding the follow-on before he was bowled by a slower ball by Hayward.

South Africa dropped two catches off Ntini’s first five balls of the day.

Kamran Akmal was put down by Boucher, diving to his right, before he had scored. He made 12 before he top-edged an attempted pull off Hayward to mid-off. Waqar was dropped by Kallis at second slip when he had seven.

Ntini was the main sufferer as Waqar hit four fours and a top-edged six over fine leg.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 368 (J.H. Kallis 105, G. Kirsten 56, M.V. Boucher 55; Saqlain Mushtaq 4-119).