Centurion, January 13:

Pakistan fought back on the third day of the first Test on Saturday after South Africa had threatened to take a commanding grip on the match.

Pakistan were 103-2 in their second innings, one run behind, after South Africa lost their last six wickets for 61 runs. Ashwell Prince made his sixth Test century as he and Herschelle Gibbs (94) put on 213 but Prince’s dismissal started a collapse restricting South Africa’s lead to 104. Prince made 138 before he was stumped off Danish Kaneria.

Jacques Kallis claimed the wickets of Mohammad Hafeez (15) and Yasir Hameed (9) before close but Imran Farhat (41) and Younis Khan (32) added an unbeaten 45 to get the tourists close to parity.

Earlier, Four more wickets fell quickly after the interval before Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini added 26 for the last wicket to take the lead beyond 100. Mohammad Asif finally dismissed Ntini to finish with 5-89, his third five-wicket haul in a seven Test.

Prince, who has made all his Test hundreds within the space of two years, survived a close lbw appeal by Mohammad Asif on 98 and an appeal for caught and bowled by Shahid Nazir on 126. Kaneria finished with 3-97, while Naved-ul-Hasan improved otherwise disappointing figures by taking two wickets in nine balls.