South Africa saw their attack stall on the opening day of their warm-up match against Australia A after a strong start at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The tourists reduced the home side to 44-3 in the morning session on the first of the three-day match but a 122-run stand before tea, and another of 133 after the break, helped the Australians to 325-7 at the close of play.
Paceman Dale Steyn, the world's top ranked bowler, finished with 3-43 from his 18 overs, while uncapped Rory Kleinveldt, the fourth quick in the South African party, ended the day with figures of 2-45.
Spinner Imran Tahir was the busiest bowler and also grabbed a brace at the cost of 114 runs, but Vernon Philander, ranked second behind Steyn in the bowling world rankings, came up empty and conceded 76 runs in his 16 overs.
Former test opener Phillip Hughes, who hammered the Proteas bowlers in South Africa three years ago, did his campaign to earn a recall little good, making five runs at number three before chopping a Kleinveldt delivery onto his own stumps.
Another Australian looking for a test recall, all-rounder Steve Smith, made 67 before being trapped lbw by Tahir having shared a partnership of 122 with left-handed opener Rob Quiney (85).
Even better was to come for the hosts after tea when Alex Doolan and Glenn Maxwell dug in to put on 133 runs for the seventh wicket.
Steyn, who produced the ball of the day to clean bowl opener Liam Davis, ended the partnership just before the close of play when he had Maxwell caught behind for 64 by wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.
Doolan (76 not out) and wicketkeeper Tim Paine (one not out) will resume on Saturday barring a declaration.
Morne Morkel, the third member of the likely South Africa pace attack for next week's opening test in Brisbane, was rested for the match along with all-rounder Jacques Kallis, who has been suffering from a chest infection.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
An illegal practice
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
The biogs
Name: Zinah Madi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links
Nationality: Syrian
Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2
Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”
Name: Razan Nabulsi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links
Nationality: Jordanian
Family: Married, Mother of Yahya, 3.5
Favourite Quote: A Chinese proverb that says: “Be not afraid of moving slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”