Centurion (South Africa), Dec 29 (AP) South Africa collapsed to 116-8 against Pakistan as fast bowler Mohammad Abbas ran riot on Day 4 of the first Test with the tourists closing in on their first Test win in South Africa in 18 years on Sunday.

Abbas grabbed 6-43 on his return to Test cricket after more than three years and South Africa still needed 32 runs at lunch to seal a place in next year's World Test Championship final.

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Tailenders Kagiso Rabada, unbeaten on 10, and Marco Jansen with 5 not out was fighting a grim battle for the home team against the relentless Abbas.

Captain Temba Bavuma's controversial dismissal punctuated a South Africa collapse as it lost four wickets for just three runs with Abbas grabbing three off his six balls.

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Bavuma, who made 40, surprisingly didn't request a television review when replays suggested that Abbas' ball had brushed the batter's pocket and didn't make contact with the inside edge of the bat but the South African skipper walked back to the dressing room.

Abbas bowled an unchanged marathon spell of 13 overs, but had to wait until Aiden Markram (37) and Bavuma saw off the testing first hour.

Resuming at a wobbly 27-3, with still 121 runs needed for victory, Bavuma and Markram showed plenty of patience against Abbas' probing line and length before the fast bowler finally got the breakthrough after the first drinks break.

Abbas was rewarded for his brilliant seam bowling when he beat the outside edge of Markram's bat and knocked back the off stump.

Bavuma survived a couple of close chances when he successfully overturned an on-field lbw decision against him early in the day and Naseem Shah couldn't hold onto a sharp catch at fine leg as he overstepped the boundary cushion while grabbing the ball over his head.

South Africa had controlled the game at 96-4 before Bavuma's dismissal saw Abbas finding the outside edges of David Bedingham (14) and Corbin Bosch's (0) bat off successive deliveries and in between Kyle Verreynne dragged Naseem Shah's delivery back onto his stumps to give Pakistan a chance for victory. AP

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