South Africa were 43 for two at tea in reply to Australia's first innings total of 369.

South African captain Graeme Smith's poor form against Australia continued when Brett Lee had him caught at third slip for nought off the first ball of the innings.

Herschelle Gibbs was dropped by Australian captain Ricky Ponting at second slip off Lee two balls later but made only nine before he had his off stump knocked out of the ground by Michael Kasprowicz.

Hussey held the Australian innings together, making 75 as the world champions added a valuable 141 runs to their overnight total of 228 for five on a pitch which Ponting described as two-paced with variable bounce.

Hussey and Shane Warne added 56 for the eighth wicket, with Warne the aggressor in making 36 off 31 balls with six fours and a six, then Hussey was the dominant partner in a last wicket stand of 42 with Stuart Clark, who made 13 not out.

It took Hussey 135 balls to reach his fifty but he faced only 20 more deliveries in adding another 25 before he was last man out, leg before wicket to Jacques Kallis when he padded up just outside his off stump.

Hussey hit ten fours and a six. He seldom looked like getting out, although his hooked six off Makhaya Ntini only just cleared Shaun Pollock on the fine leg boundary.

Ntini and Andre Nel took three wickets each, with Nel dismissing overnight batsman Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist in successive overs. Symonds batted with four stitches in his upper lip after being hit by a bouncer from Ntini Friday.

The normally attack-minded Symonds took 83 minutes and 53 balls to make 13 before he was leg before wicket to Nel immediately after the morning drinks break. Only 25 runs had been added in an hour.

Gilchrist was dropped on nought at point by Ashwell Prince four balls later but the lapse was not costly, as Gilchrist flashed at a lifting ball from Nel in the next over and was caught behind by Mark Boucher for two.

Smith drove at Lee's first ball of the South African innings and edged a sharp chance to third slip where Justin Langer held the catch.

After being dropped on nought, Gibbs hit two boundaries before he went back to a ball from Kasprowicz which cut back and kept slightly low.