ABdV run out leaves Proteas chase in tatters

South Africa's slim chances of chasing down a record 417 suffered a major blow after AB de Villiers was dramatically run out in the morning session on day four.

De Villiers was run out for a golden duck after he was sent back by rookie opener Aiden Markram to leave the Proteas' run chase in tatters at 3-49 in the 12th over.

As Markram turned the ball into the leg-side off Nathan Lyon's final ball of his fourth over, de Villiers took off and David Warner, fielding at backward square leg, swooped on the ball, gathered in one motion and threw to Lyon standing over the stumps.

De Villiers slipped as he turned to scramble back to his crease as Lyon whipped off the bails and dropped the ball at the body of the prone batsman lying face down next to the pitch.

Warner went berserk once the run out was executed, wildly celebrating and letting Markram know just how costly the mix up could prove.

De Villiers' wicket was the third Proteas wicket to fall in the morning session after the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins all made breakthroughs.

Cummins had to wait patiently for his turn to bowl but he made an impact almost immediately when he uprooted the off-stump of the home side's skipper Faf du Plessis with just his third ball to leave South Africa at 4-49.

Nursing a dislocated right pinky finger, South Africa opener Dean Elgar earlier survived 19 balls before Starc bowled his first short-pitched ball to the left-hander, which took the glove on its way through to wicketkeeper Tim Paine.

The arrival of No.3 Hashim Amla meant the return of Hazlewood, who was taken off after just two overs for Lyon at the Old Fort End.

Having taken his wicket five times in five innings during South Africa's three-Test tour in 2016, Hazlewood missed out in the first innings when Lyon captured Amla for a three-ball duck.

But on Sunday, Hazlewood made it six from seven when he trapped the veteran lbw following a huge appeal from the bowler that threatened to burst a blood vessel.

Amla reviewed but ball tracking confirmed the ball would have gone on to take the bail of the middle and leg stump.

"Through the series they know that that bowler is always going to come straight on when they come out to bat and that's probably the hardest time to bat when you first get out there, a bit of extra pressure, you just know you've got the wood on them," Hazlewood told cricket.com.au before the series about his stranglehold on Amla.

South Africa were 4-63 at the lunch break.

Qantas tour of South Africa

South Africa squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.

Warm-up match: Australia beat South Africa A by five wickets. Report, highlights

First Test Kingsmead, Durban, March 1-5

Second Test St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, March 9-13

Third Test Newlands, Cape Town, March 22-26

Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3