Cape Town - South Africa lost first-innings hero Dean Elgar cheaply, but they remain in a strong position in the third Test against Australia at Newlands. 

At lunch on day three on Saturday, the Proteas were 65/1, giving them a lead of 121 with nine second innings wickets remaining. 

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Aiden Markram survived a dropped catch in the first over to go into the break 36*, while Hashim Amla (15*) was at the other end.

Australia had resumed on 245/9, but they only lasted 13 minutes on the third morning before Josh Hazlewood (10) was the last man out. 

Kagiso Rabada was the man to get the breakthrough when he had the Aussie seamer caught at slip by Amla. 

With Australia 255 all out, the hosts started their second innings with a 56-run lead under cloudy Cape Town skies. 

Aiden Markram was dropped by Usman Khawaja in the first over of the innings when he was on 0. The Australian number three was late to react and ended up attempting the catch with one hand. When he put it down, Markram was spared a pair in the match having been removed for 0 in the first innings as Mitchell Starc was denied. 

Markram hit the very next ball for four with a crisp cover drive, and he was on his way. 

Elgar, meanwhile, looked like he was picking up where he left off. Full of confidence, the left-hander had moved nicely along to 14 before he looked to drive a full delivery from Pat Cummins only to edge to Steve Smith at slip.

That brought Amla to the wicket, who along with Markram got South Africa through to the end of the session.