South Africa look down the barrel

DURBAN// A 164-run stand between Phillip Hughes and Ricky Ponting helped Australia get a vice-like grip of the second Test against South Africa. The pair put the visitors on the fast track with two more days of play left as Australia finished the day on 292-3, an imposing lead of 506. Hughes, who made 115 in the first innings, was going strong at 136 not out while Ponting made 81 but was out soon after tea. Michael Clarke was keeping Hughes company at the close after Michael Hussey made 19. Peter Siddle had earlier claimed the final two wickets without the Proteas adding to their overnight total of 138-7, leaving them a massive 214 runs behind. Graeme Smith did not return after breaking a finger while batting on Saturday. Resuming after lunch at 91-1, Hughes brought up his third consecutive Test fifty from just 78 balls when he sliced Morne Morkel through the gully region for four. Ponting followed in even quicker time with his fifty raised in just 60 balls, before the pair brought up the 100-run stand when the captain guided Makhaya Ntini past the slips for a well-placed four. The Tasmanian also overtook Steve Waugh's 10,927 career runs to become the fourth highest run scorer. In the morning, Siddle had followed on the good work done by Mitchell Johnson and Andrew McDonald, who had taken three wickets each, by removing the last two batsmen within three deliveries of the start. The Victoria paceman struck with just the second delivery when he tempted Steyn to chase a wide delivery that took the toe end of the bat through to Brad Haddin for eight. It was a crucial blow to the South Africans, especially after Steyn showed incredible concentration in his hour-long stay yesterday to help JP Duminy move to within 17 runs of his century. And his dismissal was followed by that of Ntini with the very next delivery when Siddle's angled delivery trapped him in front for a duck, leaving Duminy unbeaten on 73 having not faced a ball on day three. * With agencies

*AP