Sydney, January 2:

South Africans Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince blunted Australia’s bowlers with a record century stand after the home team’s early success, supporting skipper Graeme Smith’s decision to bat in the final Test on Monday.

After losing the wickets of AB de Villiers (2), Herschelle Gibbs (27) and Smith (39) in the first session, the Proteas, trailing 1-0 in the series, ground out three runs an over to build a solid first innings foundation.

The entire morning session at the Sydney Cricket Ground was lost to rain after a New Year’s Day scorcher before Smith opted to bat first on a greenish pitch under cloudy skies conducive to swing bowling.

At stumps on a slow-moving opening day, South Africa were 230 for three, with Kallis on 80 and in sight of his 23rd Test century and Prince not out 62.

Kallis, chiselled out a risk-free innings off 181 balls in 226 minutes to work the Proteas into a strong position. Prince batted for 128 balls over 191 minutes.

The pair broke their country’s fourth-wicket partnership record at the SCG with an unbeaten stand of 144, surpassing the previous 97 by Hansie Cronje and Gibbs in 1997-98. Ponting stuck to his seamers under heavy skies, even preferring part-time medium-pacer Mike Hussey to 178-wicket leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, until MacGill came into the attack after 51 overs.

He finished the day 0-53 off 12 overs.

Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker Shane Warne bowled just seven overs for 24 runs on an unfavourable first day without any sun to help him.

Australia’s new-ball attack of Lee and Glenn McGrath troubled the South African top-order with plenty of swing and sideways movement in the delayed first session.

AB de Villiers was dropped by Ponting at second slip off McGrath on two before he was caught behind off Lee for no addition to his score in the sixth over. Gibbs was bowled by McGrath in the 11th over of a 12-over first spell.

Smith yet again failed to carry on after getting a start and fell leg before wicket to Lee for 39 in 125 minutes to leave his team on 86 for three. It was Lee’s 190th Test wicket. In the series, Smith has had scores of 34, 30, 22, 25 and 39.

SCOREBOARD

SOUTH AFRICA — 1st Innings

G Smith lbw b Lee 39

AB Villiers c Gilchrist b Lee 2

H Gibbs b McGrath 27

J Kallis not out 80

A Prince not out 62

Extras: 20 (8b, 3lb, 9nb)

Total: 230/3

FoW: 1-16, 2-69, 3-86

Australia bowling: G McGrath 20-10-39-1, B Lee 17-3-42-2, A Symonds 16-3-49-0, S Warne 7-1-24-0, M Hussey 2-0-12-0, S MacGill 12-1-53-0