South Africa on top after Rabada burst

Session times: 7pm - 9pm | 9.40pm - 11.40pm | 12am - 2am (all times AEDT)

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Kagiso Rabada lit up an overcast day one in Port Elizabeth with a brilliant five-wicket haul but the fast bowler could find himself in hot water after a run-in with Australia captain Steve Smith.

Rabada ripped apart the tourists with a spell of 5-13 in 18 balls either side of tea before Australia were all out for 243 halfway through the final session.

South Africa reached 1-39 at the close of play, trailing by 204 runs and sweating on the outcome of Rabada's brush with Smith.

Having trapped Smith stone dead lbw – posthumously confirmed by ball tracking – Rabada screamed in celebration when the umpire's finger was raised and then went again as he brushed the batsman's shoulder on his way through to his teammates.

Smith whirled around at Rabada after the paceman made the same kind of avoidable contact that resulted in him being fined 50 per cent of his match fee and handed three demerit points for a run-in with Sri Lanka's Niroshan Dickwella in February last year.

Should today's offence be deemed in the same as that incident (a level two breach of the ICC Code of Conduct), Rabada, who has already been suspended one Test and has five demerit points on his disciplinary record, would be suspended for two Tests and miss the remainder of the series.

But that will likely be determined after the Test by match referee Jeff Crowe, who has only just finished dealing with the David Warner-Quinton de Kock stairwell scuffle in Durban.

It overshadowed a dominant day by the hosts, who were asked to bowl after Steve Smith won the coin toss that was delayed 10 minutes by early morning drizzle.

Under thick cloud cover on a wicket that was deprived of Friday morning sunshine, the Proteas made the ball talk in the air and off the seam but couldn't nab an early breakthrough.

While much of the pre-match attention was focused on Warner and his regrettable emotional outburst at Kingsmead, with the bat at St George's Park he showed why he's such a vital cog in the Australian top order.

In tandem with Cameron Bancroft, Warner survived a probing new-ball examination from Rabada, Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi – the 21-year-old who replaced Morne Morkel in the towering quick's farewell series.

At drinks in the first session Australia had fought to 0-23 from 14 overs but once refreshed Warner exploded, hitting five fours as the tourists ransacked 44 runs in the next four overs.

On the stroke of lunch Bancroft fell, edging behind a sumptuous outswinger from Philander that any fast bowler in the world would have been proud of, and the teams walked off with score at 1-98.

Usman Khawaja's lean run in the series continued, out caught behind for four as Philander sniffed out another outside edge in trademark fashion.

Warner had motored to 60, his third half-century in as many innings on this ground, before Ngidi produced the ball of the day – a delivery that wobbled through the air, nipped off the seam, beat the batsman on the inside and clipped the bails.

It brought a typically animated Smith to the crease, who with Shaun Marsh added 44 for the fourth wicket before Rabada, bowling from the Park Drive End, snared the key wicket of the Australia captain and sparks flew.

The wicket triggered the collapse of 5-13 as Rabada removed the Marsh brothers – Shaun lbw (he reviewed but the decision was upheld) and Mitch caught behind – in the space of three balls to end the afternoon session.

Mitch Marsh had come in at No.7 after not feeling well, with Tim Paine elevated to No.6, as the gastro bug that has sidelined a handful of Australia's support staff appeared to have taken another victim. The allrounder did not field late in the day when it was Australia's turn to bowl.

After tea, Rabada finished off his over with the wicket of Pat Cummins first ball – caught behind – but missed his hat-trick as he dished up a full toss to Mitchell Starc, who comfortably negotiated the delivery.

Starc was out bowled by Rabada for eight shortly after to record his eighth five-wicket haul in just his 28th Test, a remarkable achievement by the young speedster.

Nigidi picked up the final two wickets but not before the tourists added 61 as Paine batted superbly with the tail to finish with 36 as the last man out.

The Proteas had until 5:30pm local time to survive and lost just one wicket – Aiden Markram for 11 lbw to Cummins – as Dean Elgar (11no) and nightwatchman Rabada (17no) thwarted the visitors with four overs left unbowled.

Australia XI: David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

South Africa XI: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis (c), Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wk), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

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 Australia won by 118 runs. Scorecard

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

Third Test Newlands, Cape Town, March 22-26. Live coverage

Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3. Live coverage