We are a fair way behind: Australia coach

Ashwell Prince and Jacques Kallis scored centuries Friday to take South Africa to 404 for three wickets at stumps on the second day of the third Test for a lead of 195 runs over Australia. 

Prince smashed 19 boundaries and two sixes to hit 150 in six hours for his 11th Test century. He was eventually out caught down the leg-side off Ben Hilfenhaus. Umpire Steve Bucknor, standing in his 128th and last Test, gave Prince not out, but the decision was overturned on referral by TV umpire Billy Bowden. 

Prince added 160 runs for the third wicket with Kallis, whose 102 not out represented his 31st Test hundred and his first since scoring 132 against India in Ahmedabad in April 2008. Kallis hit 14 fours and two sixes. 

Kallis and A.B. de Villiers (39 not out) added an unbroken stand of 82 to stumps for the fourth consecutive partnership of 65 or more in the innings. De Villiers hit five fours and a six in 64 balls. 

Australia, which leads 2-0 in the three-match series, was bowled out for 209 in its first innings at Newlands on Thursday. 

Prince said it would be ideal for the Proteas to get 300 to 350 runs ahead on the first innings. 

"But it will still take a lot of batting to get there," he said. "It is a major plus that we have seven wickets in hand, and we are looking to bat most if not all of Saturday the pitch might still be good. Hopefully, there will be deterioration on days four and five." 

Australia coach Tim Nielsen said his team would like to get the remaining wickets for about 100 runs Saturday, but admitted the bowlers had failed to exert pressure on South Africa. 

"We are a fair way behind, and we have to make sure they don't get miles ahead," Nielsen said. "It was good in a way that the Aussies' young attack had had a very hard day. It was the kind of experience they could learn from, and they needed to rebound and bowl well on Saturday." 

Prince has had an up-and-down summer. He fractured his right thumb just before the Perth Test in December and missed the entire series in Australia as replacement J.P. Duminy excelled in a 2-1 win. Prince was then left out for the first two home Tests. 

The dropping of Neil McKenzie and injury to captain Graeme Smith meant there were two places in the top six, but Prince could only be accommodated as an opener. 

And, while he may still prefer to bat in the middle-order, he showed on Friday that he cannot be left out of the Test team. 

Prince was watchful in the first hour on Friday, adding just eight runs to his overnight score of 37, but later in the day's first session he picked up a few boundaries. Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson came in for some punishment as the left-handed batsman drove, pulled and hooked him to the fence. 

Between lunch and tea, Prince added 49 to his score as he and Kallis took a liking to the leg spin of Bryce McGain. The 36-year-old Test debutant was smacked for several boundaries around the park, conceding 102 runs in 11 overs, two of which were maidens. 

Prince took five balls to move from 89 to his century and went from 93 to 105 by hitting fours to point, mid-off and midwicket off the first three balls of McGain's second spell. 

"There isn't a lot of rough out there for him, and there was not a lot of turn," Prince said of McGain. "We were just positive, and when I was in the 90s I backed myself to take a couple of blows to get there." 

Nielsen believed McGain bowled too full or too short a lot of the time. 

"When you play against quality players, it's not as simple as just running in to bowl," Nielsen said. "He must learn from today." 

Kallis began his innings slowly, and took a couple of blows to the body and one to the head from the Australian seamers early on. He accelerated with his boundary-hitting off McGain. 

The only wickets to fall Friday were debutant opener Imraan Khan in the first session, Hashim Amla just after lunch, and Prince an hour into the final session. 

Khan went to a one-handed return catch to Peter Siddle for 20 off 71 minutes. He added 65 with Prince, while Amla hit eight fours in scoring 46 to put on 97 with Prince for the second wicket. 

Siddle's economy rate was the opposite to McGain's. The fast bowler ended the day having bowled 23 overs and conceded 35 runs.