Lee spoils Kallis's South African fightback

CAPE TOWN, Mar 17 (Reuters) Fast bowler Brett Lee claimed two wickets in three balls to give Australia the upper hand on the second day of the first test against South Africa today.

All rounder Jacques Kallis had appeared to bowl South Africa back into contention by restricting the visitors to a 103-first innings lead but Australia were quick to retaliate.

After being bowled out for 308, Australia reduced the hosts to 70 for three in the second innings at the close. South Africa trail the world champions by 33 runs.

Australia last five wickets tumbled for 36 runs as Kallis took three for 51 to lead the fightback.

Matthew Hayden (94) and captain Ricky Ponting (74) looked set to lead Australia to a huge total before Kallis snapped the 154-run second-wicket partnership with the last ball of the morning session.

Ponting drove uppishly to be caught by Andrew Hall at short cover. His knock included eight fours and a six.

South Africa, though, did not help their own cause by squandering several chances to get the Australian captain out.

Ponting escaped when he edged a delivery from medium pacer Hall past wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who was slow to react to the chance. He survived a strong lbw appeal on 60 and had another life when he hoisted a ball from Hall to fine leg, where Andre Nel dropped the catch.

Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini struck after lunch when Hayden hooked a delivery to midwicket where Jacques Rudolph took the catch. The opener hit 14 fours and a six during his innings which took him past 7000 runs in tests.

Seven overs later Hall had Michael Hussey caught behind off the inside edge for six and Australia were 236 for five when Damien Martyn, who scored 22, edged Kallis to Boucher.

Kallis reduced the visitors to 272 for six when Adam Gilchrist steered a catch to Graeme Smith at first slip to be dismissed for 12.

Andrew Symonds batted aggressively for his 55, which he scored off 47 balls with three fours and four sixes.

Symonds reached his 50 with a driven six off Boje but out next ball when another attempt to hoist a six was caught by Nel.

Michael Kasprowicz, unbeaten on six, was also dropped on nought by Boje.

South Africa suffered a torrid start to their second innings when Lee had AB de Villiers caught behind for seven before bowling Herschelle Gibbs out for a duck in the fifth over with just 20 runs on the board.

Smith and Kallis settled the innings with conservative batting but the South African captain was flummoxed by a spinning delivery from Shane Warne and was trapped for 16.

Kallis was 31 not out with Ashwell Prince unbeaten on 14.

REUTERS PG KP2301