Bloemfontain, November 21:

Determined batting and heavy rain stopped South Africa’s push for victory on the third day of the first Test against Bangladesh at Springbok Park on Friday.

Bangladesh were 67 for three in their second innings when the umpires took the players off the field 26 minutes before the scheduled lunch break because of a rapidly approaching electrical storm. Play for the day was abandoned just over three hours later.

Bangladesh were still 221 short of avoiding an innings defeat but they showed far more resolve than in the first innings when their top order crumbled against the South African pace attack.

Only two wickets fell after Bangladesh resumed at 20 for one. It took South Africa 50 minutes to make the first breakthrough of the day when Tamim Iqbal flashed at a wide, lifting delivery from Makhaya Ntini and was caught behind for 20. Junaid Siddique fell for 27 shortly before play was halted when he was forced onto the back foot by Jacques Kallis and was caught behind off an attempted cut. Both men had batted solidly before their dismissals.

South Africa were without left-arm spinner Paul Harris, who was flown to Cape Town to see a specialist after suffering a fracture to the base of his left thumb before play Wednesday.

He is expected to be out for three to four weeks. He will miss the second and final Test. Harris will also miss the inaugural Champions League tournament in India next month but is expected to be fit for the three-match series against Australia which starts in Perth on December 17. Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim received a reprimand from ICC match referee Alan Hurst for showing dissent when he was dismissed in the first innings.