JOHANNESBURG, Nov 9: Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis shared an unbroken century stand to put South Africa in control of the first Test with a lead of 287 runs against New Zealand on Friday.

South Africa reached the close on 179-2 on the second day of play. Amla, who was dropped on two, was 85 not out with Kallis on 76 in a partnership of 159.

Fast bowler Dale Steyn tilted the match in South Africa’s favour when he claimed a career-best 5 for 34 to help dismiss New Zealand for 118 in their first innings, which they scored in reply to hosts’s 226.

Steyn’s previous best was the 5-47 he took against New Zealand at Centurion in 2005-06.

New Zealand resumed on 41-2, and they were dismissed 21 balls after lunch.

Steyn struck in the fifth over when he bowled nightwatchman Shane Bond for one.

Five overs after that, Stephen Fleming pushed at a delivery from paceman Makhaya Ntini and was caught by AB de Villiers at third slip for 40.

New Zealand lost their next three wickets for five runs and all of the dismissals involved Kallis.

Scott Styris, who scored 11, played an uncertain drive to a Kallis delivery and was caught by Graeme Smith at first slip.

In the next over Kallis was at second slip when he took the catch that enabled Steyn to dismiss Jacob Oram for one.

Kallis struck again in his next over when he had Ross Taylor caught in the gully by Herschelle Gibbs for 15.

Steyn completed his fourth five-wicket haul after lunch when he trapped Brendon McCullum in front for nine before having Chris Martin caught at mid-on by Paul Harris for nought.

South Africa were 20-2 in the eighth over of their second innings after fast bowler Bond had Gibbs caught by Michael Papps at third slip for eight and medium pacer Martin bowled Smith for nine.

Bond would have had two wickets had wicket-keeper McCullum not dropped a catch offered by Amla on two.

Instead, the New Zealanders toiled without reward in the final session as Kallis and Amla built South Africa’s lead.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 226 (H.H. Gibbs 63; S.E. Bond 4-73).

NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings, overnight 41-2):

C.D. Cumming lbw b Steyn 12

M.H.W. Papps c de Villiers b Ntini 2

S.P. Fleming c de Villiers b Ntini 40

S.E. Bond b Steyn 1

S.B. Styris c Smith b Kallis 11

R.L. Taylor c Gibbs b Kallis 15

J.D.P. Oram c Kallis b Steyn 1

B.B. McCullum lbw b Steyn 9

D.L. Vettori c Harris b Ntini 7

I.E. O’Brien not out 14

C.S. Martin c Harris b Steyn 0

EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-1) 6

TOTAL (all out, 41.3 overs) 118

FALL OF WKTS: 1-16, 2-40, 3-54, 4-64, 5-83, 6-84, 7-88, 8-102, 9-118.

BOWLING: Steyn 14.3-3-34-5 (1nb); Ntini 14-3-47-3; Nel 9-1-21-0; Kallis 4-0-11-2.

SOUTH AFRICA (2nd Innings):

H.H. Gibbs c Papps b Bond 8

G.C. Smith b Martin 9

H.M. Amla not out 85

J.H. Kallis not out 76

EXTRAS (B-1) 1

TOTAL (for two wkts, 55 overs) 179

FALL F WKTS: 1-8, 2-20.

BOWLING (to-date): Bond 12-1-48-1; Martin 12-3-25-1; Oram 8-1-23 0; O’Brien 10-2-38-0; Vettori 12-1-44-0; Styris 1-1-0-0.—Reuters