SA in charge despite second essay setback

South Africa took a commanding first innings lead over Pakistan on Wednesday as Mark Boucher broke the world record for wicketkeeping dismissals...

South Africa took a commanding first innings lead over Pakistan on Wednesday as Mark Boucher broke the world record for wicketkeeping dismissals on the third day of the first cricket Test.

South Africa established a 159-run lead on the first innings, and while Pakistan8217;s spinners struck early in South Africa8217;s second innings on a dicey wicket, South Africa finished the day at 76-3 for an overall lead of 235 runs.

8220;The lead of 160 runs is like gold at the moment,8221; Boucher said. 8220;If we can get another 100 runs, say a lead around 320, it8217;s something competitive.8221;

First innings century-maker Jacques Kallis finished the day unbeaten on a patient 18 while Ashwell Prince was not out on 11. Captain Graeme Smith 25 and Herschelle Gibbs 18 put on 41 runs for the first wicket before rookie Abdul Rehman 2-25 and Danish Kaneria 1-18 struck three times in rapid succession.

Rehman had Smith caught behind, then Hashim Amla was stumped for a duck, with replays showing his foot was slightly in the air when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal dislodged the bails.

In between Rehman8217;s double strike, Gibbs 18 was caught close to the wicket off a mistimed sweep.

In Pakistan8217;s first innings, Boucher8217;s stumping of Umar Gul was his 396th dismissal 378 catches, 18 stumpings in his 103rd Test match, surpassing Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy8217;s tally of 395 dismissals 366 catches, 29 stumpings in Test cricket.

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8220;It8217;s a great feeling for me, especially to break someone like Ian Healy8217;s record,8221; Boucher said. 8220;He8217;s always someone that I used to watch on television as a schoolboy and I used to love the way he kept. If we put up a win here, it will be cherry on the top.8221;

Resuming at the overnight score of 127-5, Pakistan lost Rehman 9 in the morning session, caught behind off paceman Andre Nel, before captain Shoaib Malik and a recovered Salman Butt combined for an 84-run stand for the seventh wicket.

Malik and Butt 24 dug in for two hours before both fell in the second session to left-arm spinner Paul Harris 5-73, who took his first five-wicket haul in test matches.

Butt played a reckless cross-batted shot off his backfoot and was trapped lbw. Malik ran out of patience and was stumped after facing 170 balls in his three and a half hour knock. Malik, captain for the first time in tests, also reached 1,000 test runs in his 19th test with a straight six off Harris.

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Pakistan needed a further 13 runs to avoid the follow-on when Malik departed, but Kaneria and Gul took Pakistan past the follow-on total.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa 1st Innings: 450

Pakistan 1st Innings Overnight 127 for five: M Hafeez c Kallis b Harris 34, K Akmal lbw b Harris 42, Younis Khan b Nel 6, F Iqbal b Kallis 7, Misbah-ul-Haq c Boucher b Steyn 23, Shoaib Malik st Boucher b Harris 73, Abdul Rehman c Boucher b Nel 9, Salman Butt lbw b Harris 24, Umar Gul st Boucher b Harris 12, Danish Kaneria not out 26, Mohammad Asif b Steyn 10

Extras: 15b, 7lb, 1w, 2nb 25; Total: All out, 97.3 overs 291

Fall of wickets: 1-71, 2-82, 3-84, 4-97, 5-120, 6-149, 7-233, 8-238, 9-259, 10-291

Bowling: Dale Steyn 13.3-2-50-2 2nb, Makhaya Ntini 11-2-48-0, Paul Harris 36-13-73-5, Andre Nel 20-4-59-2, Jacques Kallis 11-3-21-1 1w, Graeme Smith 6-1-18-0

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South Africa 2nd Innings: Graeme Smith c Akmal b Rehman 25, Herschelle Gibbs c Iqbal b Kaneria 18, Hashim Amla st Akmal b Rehman 0, Jacques Kallis not out 18, Ashwell Prince not out 11

Extras: 4b 4; Total: For 3 wkts, 32 overs: 76

Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-43, 3-43

Bowling: Mohammad Asif 6-1-14-0, Umar Gul 5-1-15-0, Abdul Rehman 11-3-25-2, Danish Kaneria 10-1-18-1