A heavily-strapped Morne Morkel made two breakthroughs as South Africa pushed for victory on the fourth day of the fourth Test against Australia at the Wanderers Stadium on Monday.
Australia, set an impossible 612 to win, were 88 for three when bad light ended play.
With all three of South Africa's fast bowlers carrying injuries, it was Morkel, with what had seemed the most significant injury, who made the biggest impact.
The tall Morkel, playing in his last Test, dismissed both opening batsmen in an impressive eight-over spell despite heavy strapping around his midriff.
What was initially thought to be a probable match-ending side strain had been downgraded to an abdominal strain.
"He should bowl like that more often," quipped batsman Dean Elgar of Morkel's display of tight control at close to his best pace.
"We've had quite a few bowlers who have pulled up with niggles.
"It was a concern for us if they were going to bowl in the second innings. Thank goodness they could get through quite a few overs for us and bowl quite well on a wicket which is actually assisting them quite nicely."
Morkel came on to bowl as second change and with his tenth ball trapped Matt Renshaw leg before wicket with a full-length delivery angled in to the left-hander.
Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj also won a leg before decision, when Usman Khawaja played no shot to a ball which spun sharply out of the rough, before Morkel struck again when Joe Burns played across a ball of almost yorker length.
Burns, one of three replacements for the Australian trio banned for their role in a ball-tampering scandal, made 42 off 84 balls with five fours and a six.
South Africa's other fast bowlers, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander, were struggling with a stiff lower back and a groin strain respectively. They both bowled short spells with the new ball without success.
"If we've got them running in at 60 percent it's going to be awesome for us for tomorrow," said Elgar.
