Australian paceman Brett Lee claimed the crucial wicket of Herschelle Gibbs just before lunch on Saturday as South Africa reached 128-2 on day two of the first Test.
The South Africans, chasing Australia’s modest first-innings 258, were cruising until Gibbs dragged a delivery from outside off-stump onto his wicket.
Just two balls earlier the Australian speedster had rattled the helmet grill of opener AB De Villiers with a bouncer.
But it was the tourists’ morning after offering little encouragement to the Australian attack on the fast and bouncy Waca track.
Opener De Villiers was on 63 and Jacques Rudolph, deputising for injured all-rounder Jacques Kallis, was yet to get off the mark.
South Africa had resumed at 38 for nought in reply to Australia’s moderate first innings of 258.
De Villiers and captain Graeme Smith looked comfortable early in the session, although Lee did give De Villiers a few hairy moments when he thick-edged a couple of deliveries wide of the slips cordon.
Lee, who bowled six no-balls off just two overs on Friday, again took time to settle with three more in the early stages of the opening session.
But it was first-change bowler Nathan Bracken who made the initial breakthrough with Smith edging an in-swinger to captain Ricky Ponting at second slip on 34 runs.
Ponting dived sharply to his right to take the ball with both hands, leaving South Africa at 83-1.
Gibbs then came to the crease but showed he was prepared to dig in and build an innings, taking 23 minutes and 14 deliveries to get off the mark.
Meanwhile De Villiers was more lively, brought up his half-century off 68 balls with eight boundaries.
The Waca wicket, renowned for its pace, was slower than usual although still offered plenty of carry for the quick bowlers.
But it was leg-spinner Shane Warne who looked most likely to cause problems, extracting considerable turn.
Speedsters Makhaya Ntini with 5-64 and Andre Nel with 3-29 both made the most of the surface on Friday, picking the right length to trouble the Australians. – Sapa-AFP