Starc 'near impossible' to play as Australia wreaks havoc on Proteas

"We’ve given our batters a good night off and hopefully can build on that total."

Reverse swing was once again a dangerous weapon for Starc.

“We saw how quick the South Africans got the ball to reverse. It’s such an abrasive wicket," he said. "It obviously didn’t swing too much with the new ball for either side but once the wicket starts to chew up the ball we can get the ball moving if we keep it in good nick.

"Once you move it off the straight you are in the game. We just bowled enough good balls to break them up and get through them."

Marsh said of Starc: "In my opinion, when its reversing like that he's the best in the world. I think reverse-swing bowling, when you're bowling at that sort of pace, is near impossible to play and we saw that today."

Watching the carnage from the other end was AB de Villiers, who wound up unbeaten on 71 when he ran out of partners. He insists the Proteas are not out of the hunt here.

"With some good intensity and aggression we can still pull off something special," de Villiers said. "We still have that belief. We've done it against this team before a few times. Bad position, yes, but we're not out of it."

Lyon, with two balls in his first over after being brought into the attack in the eighth over by captain Steve Smith, was the chief destroyer early on.

There was a suspicion he might enjoy a day out after South Africa's Keshav Maharaj took 5-123 in the Australian innings and that proved right on the money.

With his second ball Lyon had opener Dean Elgar caught and bowled for seven and three balls later Hashim Amla fell to him as well for nought, leaning forward and edging a ball to Cameron Bancroft at short leg.

Within the space of a minute or so Lyon had joined Craig McDermott on 291 Test wickets and gone past him, edging ever closer to the 300 club, whose only Australian members are Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Dennis Lillee, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson.

Pat Cummins, back in the country where he spectacularly launched his Test career as a teenager in 2011, then joined the party right on tea, using speed and steep bounce to have Aiden Markram (32) also caught by Bancroft close to the bat.

Having bludgeoned a quick-fire 35 with the bat earlier on Friday it was not long before Starc, with his deadly late movement, got in on the act. He had captain Faf du Plessis caught behind for 15, and then all-rounder Theunis de Bruyn out in the same fashion for six.

Lyon collected a third from around the wicket when Quinton de Kock (20) missed a straight ball and was bowled.

Another late-swinging gem from Starc saw him match Lyon's tally as Vernon Philander (8) became the latest batsman to edge a ball to Tim Paine.

Josh Hazlewood picked up the wicket of Maharaj, bowling him without scoring, but it was Starc's afternoon.

Fourth and fifth wickets arrived as, true to form, he cleaned up the tail, trapping Kagiso Rabada leg-before and denting the off stump of Morne Morkel.

With a little assistance from Starc and the lower order, Marsh earlier took his fine Ashes form with the bat to the east coast of South Africa.

The performance, leading Australia to 200 runs beyond where they were when Smith departed a day earlier, rammed home just how far he has come since his previous stint in the Test side and it was nearly capped by a third Test century.

That feat was denied him only four runs short of three figures when he tried unsuccessfully to take on Philander and clear Morkel at mid-on.

"The confidence he’s got now is great for him," Starc said of Marsh. "He’s put a lot of big scores on the board in the last six months and it showed across the last two days.

"He’s got confidence in his defence and he hits the ball harder than anybody in the world. It’s a joy to watch. I’m glad I don’t have to bowl to him because he smacks the ball that hard."