An injury cloud over Jacques Kallis and a century by Western Australia's Adam Voges combined to give South Africa a tough start to its Australian cricket tour at the WACA.

At stumps on day one of the three-day match the Warriors were in control at 5-306, with David Bandy not out 59 and debutant Shawn Gillies 10 not out.

Charl Langeveldt (2-76) finished as the pick of the South African bowlers, who failed to make in-roads after a promising opening session.

This is the first of three warm-up matches for the tourists before the first Test against Australia commences on December 16 in Perth.

Kallis, the No.1 ranked batsman in Test cricket, was set to captain the Proteas before being ruled out due to a re-occurrence of an old tennis elbow injury.

Joint ICC player of the year with England's Andrew Flintoff, Kallis has torn a tendon in his left elbow and has been ruled out of Friday's one-day game against a Chairman's XI.

He is also in doubt for the final warm-up match, another three-day clash with WA starting on Sunday.

But Proteas captain Graeme Smith, who was also missing with a finger injury, was "pretty confident" Kallis would be ready for the first Test.

The day began well enough for the South Africans after stand-in skipper Mark Boucher won the toss and sent the Warriors in to bat.

The Proteas attack started sharply, reducing WA to 3-67 before lunch, including the prize scalp of Test opener Justin Langer for 21.

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