Majestic Temba Bavuma gives Proteas a sniff at Test victory at St George's Park

Bavuma was eventually dismissed for a majestic 179 and stood tall when his team were deep in a hole as the Proteas declared on 425-9, with Simon Harmer also reaching 81, a maiden Test fifty, while Marco Jansen struck a brisk 85.

Kagiso Rabada, on his return to international cricket following a hamstring injury, the rocked Australia by removing Nic Maddinson in the first over the tourists went to stumps on 3-1 after facing four overs.

The day however belonged to Proteas skipper Bavuma, who watched on his team was reduced to 40-4 and then 110-6 on rain-shortened previous two days, but showed the required technical application on what was initially a difficult pitch and overcast conditions.

Resuming on the third day under bright sunshine, and the surface better for batting, Bavuma lost his overnight partner Wiaan Mulder, who got into an awkward position when facing a short-ball from Mitchell Starc, and gloved =it to first slip.

Jansen then provided the perfect foil for his captain, the lanky allrounder going on the counter-attack to transfer the pressure back on the Australia attack that saw Starc reach the milestone of 450 Test wickets when dismissing Mulder.

Bavuma though was all locked in at the other end, while Jansen reached his fifty from 43 deliveries while his skipper's by contrast came off 140 balls, as the pair took the home side to lunch on 216-6.

After the interval Jansen was caught at mid-wicket going for another big shot off the bowling of Scott Boland, who completed his third five-wicket haul in just his 20th Test appearance, breaking the 132-run stand.

Bavuma was standing firm though and was joined in the middle by Harmer, and the pair shared a record 183-run partneership for the ninth wicket with the home captain going to his century in the process.

The duo batted well into the final session with Bavuma reaching the magical three-figure milestone, and then beat his previous best score of 172 before being last man out and declaring the innings.

The Proteas will now hope their bowling attack come to the party on the penultimate day, as they are still 1-0 down in the series with a final Test at Newlands to come next week.