Home side’s batsmen continue to rack up the runs.
AB de Villiers and JP Duminy hit centuries as South Africa made the Australian bowlers toil on the second day of the second Test at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
De Villiers (116) and Duminy (118 not out) posted a sixth wicket partnership of 149 as South Africa reached 413 for eight in their first innings at tea. It was the first time in 13 Test matches that Australia had conceded a total of 400 or more.
De Villiers continued his prolific run-scoring form as he notched his 19th Test century, while the left-handed Duminy ended a string of low scores to record his third Test hundred.
It was De Villiers’ sixth century during a record sequence of 12 Test matches in which he has scored a half-century or better and never been dismissed for under double figures.
De Villiers and Duminy saw off the second new ball at the start of an extended morning’s play during which 109 runs were scored off 34 overs.
Duminy, who had scored only 77 runs in his previous seven Test innings, was particularly impressive early on, hitting three boundaries in one over from Mitchell Johnson, whose pace was again negated by a slow pitch with even bounce.
De Villiers, who resumed the day on 51 not out, played himself in cautiously on another overcast morning before starting to unleash his repertoire of strokes.
Australian captain Michael Clarke tried some innovative field placings in an attempt to break the partnership, at one stage having four men in a ring in catching positions on the on-side, only for De Villiers to hit the only six of his innings over the fielders as Peter Siddle attacked his leg stump.
De Villiers reached his century with a sweep for four off Nathan Lyon. He faced 201 balls and hit 13 fours and a six. He faced 232 balls, adding another four, before being beaten in the flight by Lyon and hitting a return catch to the off-spinner.
Duminy’s half-century was scored off 108 balls with eight fours and he struck another five boundaries in reaching his hundred off 199 deliveries.
On a slow pitch, Clarke used his front-line fast bowlers sparingly between lunch and tea and made use of his part-timers, including himself, setting defensive fields.
Tea scores on the second day of the second Test between South Africa and Australia at St George’s Park on Friday:
South Africa, first innings
(overnight 214-5)
G. Smith lbw b Harris 9
D. Elgar c Harris b Lyon 83
H. Amla lbw b Johnson 0
F. du Plessis c Smith b Lyon 55
A. de Villiers c and b Lyon 116
Q. de Kock c sub (Henriques) b Smith 7
J. Duminy not out 118
V. Philander c and b Clarke 6
W. Parnell c Haddin b Lyon 10
Extras (b4, lb4, w1) 9
Total (8 wkts, 148 overs) 413
Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Smith), 2-11 (Amla), 3-123 (Du Plessis), 4-181 (Elgar), 5-200 (De Kock), 6-349 (De Villiers), 7-378 (Philander), 8-413 (Parnell)
Bowling: Harris 27-6-63-1, Johnson 25-5-70-1 (1w), Siddle 34-9-96-0, Lyon 
45-7-126-445-7-126-4, Warner 3-0-10-0, Smith 8-0-30-1, Clarke 6-2-10-1
To bat: D. Steyn, M. Morkel
Australia: M. Clarke, C. Rogers, D. Warner, A. Doolan, S. Marsh, S. Smith, B. Haddin, M. Johnson, R. Harris, P. Siddle, N. Lyon
Match situation: South Africa are 413 for eight in the first innings
Toss: South Africa
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Richard Illingworth (ENG)
TV umpire: Aleem Dar (PAK)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)
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