Dean Elgar leads South Africa's recovery against Australia

Dean Elgar

Dean Elgar made a patient 83 to help South Africa recover from a precarious position on day one of the second Test against Australia in Port Elizabeth.

The Proteas lost captain Graeme Smith (9) and Hashim Amla (0) early on but fought back from 11-2 to reach 214-5 before bad light curtailed play.

Elgar's knock lasted 193 balls as he, Faf du Plessis (55) and AB de Villiers (51 not out) all made half-centuries.

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon picked up 2-47 on an attritional day.

South Africa's total, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, is already more than they managed in either innings during their crushing 281-run defeat by Australia in the first Test at Centurion.

The hosts made an inauspicious start though after Smith was trapped lbw by Ryan Harris in the fifth over, and four balls later Amla departed for a duck when he was struck on the pads by Mitchell Johnson.

Elgar, who opened in the absence of the ill Alviro Petersen, dug in and he and Du Plessis shared in a third-wicket stand worth 112.

Du Plessis's stay came to an end in the afternoon session when he was caught at short leg by Steve Smith off Lyon

But South Africa did not let that shake them as Elgar and De Villiers then added a further 58 runs for the fourth wicket.

Elgar looked on course for his second Test ton but he fell 17 runs short when he became the second victim for Lyon; Harris taking a skier at mid-wicket as the opener sought to add to his tally of nine fours and two sixes.

Debutant Quinton de Kock (7) was also dismissed looking to attack, the 21-year-old coming down the wicket to Smith but only lobbing the ball up to substitute Moises Henriques.

De Villiers and JP Duminy ensured there was no further loss before the light worsened and the pair will resume on 51 and two respectively.