Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers shared a defiant century stand to boost South Africa on the second day of the second Test against Australia in Durban on Saturday.
South Africa were 140 for two in reply to Australia's first innings of 369 when bad light ended play 8.4 overs early.
Kallis was 72 not out with De Villiers on 48 in a stand of 130 for the unbroken third wicket.
They started their partnership after South Africa had slumped to 10 for two in the fourth over.
Michael Hussey, who was last out for 75, shared stands of 56 with Shane Warne for the eighth wicket and 42 with Stuart Clark for Australia's 10th wicket.
Fast bowlers Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel took three wickets each for South Africa.
Scorecard:
Australia 1st innings (Overnight: 228-5)
J. Langer c Boucher b Kallis 35
M. Hayden c AB de Villiers b Ntini 0
R. Ponting c Gibbs b Boje 103
D. Martyn c Kallis b Ntini 57
M. Hussey lbw b Kallis 75
B. Lee c Boucher b Ntini 0
A. Symonds lbw b Nel 13
A. Gilchrist c Boucher b Nel 2
S. Warne c AB de Villiers b Pollock 36
M. Kasprowicz c AB de Villiers b Nel 7
S. Clark not out 13
Extras (b-9 lb-10 nb-7 w-2) 28
Total (all out, 127.1 overs) 369
Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-97 3-198 4-218 5-219 6-253 7-259 8-315 9-327 10-369
Bowling
S. Pollock 32 - 11 - 73 - 1 (nb-7 w-1)
M. Ntini 24 - 4 - 81 - 3
A. Nel 31 - 8 - 83 - 3 (w-1)
J. Kallis 21.1 - 8 - 52 - 2
N. Boje 19 - 1 - 61 - 1
South Africa 1st innings
G. Smith c Langer b Lee 0
A. de Villiers not out 48
H. Gibbs b Kasprowicz 9
J. Kallis not out 72
Extras (lb-1 nb-10) 11
Total (for 2 wickets, 39.2 overs) 140
Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-10
To bat: A. Prince, J. Rudolph, M. Boucher, S. Pollock, N. Boje, A. Nel, M. Ntini
Bowling
B. Lee 9 - 1 - 50 - 1 (nb-5)
M. Kasprowicz 7 - 0 - 29 - 1 (nb-3)
S. Warne 12 - 0 - 42 - 0
A. Symonds 10 - 2 - 16 - 0 (nb-2)
M. Hussey 1 - 0 - 2 - 0
S. Clark 0.2 - 0 - 0 - 0