Johannesburg: Australia have bowled out South Africa for 266 to be in a strong position after the first day of the second Test on Thursday.
The hosts elected to bat first at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, and they made a strong start to reach 4-241 after tea.
But they lost 6-25 in the final session as Australia's bowlers cleaned up the lower-order, before bad light stopped play.
AB de Villiers (64), Jacques Kallis (54) and Ashwell Prince (50) all made half-centuries but failed to fully capitalise.
For the tourists, Peter Siddle (3-69) led the wicket-takers, while Nathan Lyon and captain Michael Clarke took two each late on.
Debutant paceman Pat Cummins (1-38) also impressed after coming in for the injured Ryan Harris, becoming Australia's youngest ever wicket-taker at 18.
There were further injury worries for Australia on day one as all-rounder Shane Watson was restricted to just 3.5 overs with the ball before suffering a hamstring injury.
After Graeme Smith chose to bat, he was the first to depart, edging a Mitchell Johnson (1-67) delivery to Clarke at second slip.
His opening partner Jacques Rudolph (30) followed soon after in similar fashion, with Brad Haddin taking an easy catch off Watson.
But an 80-run stand between an attacking Kallis and Hashim Amla put South Africa back on top.
Kallis, who became the first South African to pass 12,000 Test runs as he smashed eight fours and two sixes in his 41-ball knock, put on 80 with Hashim Amla (19) for the third wicket before departing, lofting a catch to Usman Khawaja at mid-wicket off Siddle.
Amla - having been afforded the luxury of settling in while Kallis dominated - attacked a wide half-volley from Cummins soon after, seeing Ricky Ponting take a sharp catch at second slip to hand the 18-year-old his first Test wicket.
It was Prince and de Villiers who steadied the innings, largely untroubled in adding 112 for the fifth wicket.
But just as they looked like they were getting away from the Australians, Prince lofted a Lyon delivery to Johnson at mid-on, and the end of his knock triggered a huge collapse from South Africa.
Cummins got under a skied de Villiers pull shot, Vernon Philander (0) fell fifth ball when he was trapped in front trying to play across a Lyon ball and the off-spinner took a good catch to remove Mark Boucher (three).
Reduced to four bowlers because of Watson's injury, Clarke (2-6) brought himself on and cleaned up the last two wickets as his team put themselves in a good position to level the two-Test series.
Brief scores
South Africa 266 (de Villiers 64, Kallis 54, Siddle 3-69)