Justin Langer was forced to retire hurt after facing just one ball in his 100th Test as Australia went to lunch at 1-47 on the second day of the third cricket Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.

Langer tried to duck a bouncer from South African paceman Makhaya Ntini the first ball of the innings but only managed to get hit flush on the back of the head.

The 35-year-old slumped to his knees then rolled over onto his back before team physio Alex Kountouri and acting 12th man Shaun Tait assisted a wobbly Langer from the field, blood dripping onto his shirt.

Soon after fellow opener Matthew Hayden was dismissed for three, caught at gully off Ntini to leave Australia 1-12 in the third over in reply to South Africa's first-innings total of 303.

The dismissal of Hayden brought No.4 Damien Martyn to the crease who promptly hooked Ntini into the stands at mid-wicket for a towering six that almost went out of the stadium.

Martyn was 21 not out from 12 balls at lunch with skipper Ricky Ponting on 10.

Paceman Brett Lee took two of the four South African wickets to fall in the morning.

Resuming on 6-238, the Proteas lost Shaun Pollock (8) to the bowling of the in-form Stuart Clark (3-81) before Lee pumped his fist in celebration at claiming Ashwell Prince for 93. Both were caught in slips.

Tailender Nicky Boje blasted nine fours in his 43 but received little support from Andre Nel, who played a ridiculous pull shot and was out to Lee's bowling for a duck at 9-303.

Lee (3-57) then pointed his finger at the pavilion as the pair continued their running battle following plenty of banter in the second Test in Durban.

Boje was last out as Michael Kasprowicz claimed his second wicket of the innings, 46 minutes before the scheduled lunch break.

South Africa controversially lost Jacques Rudolph (25) caught at first slip by Hayden off the bowling of leg-spinner Shane Warne on day one, leaving the hosts 5-161.

Rudolph stood his ground as Hayden claimed the catch but New Zealand umpire Tony Hill gave it out after consulting with West Indian counterpart Steve Bucknor.

A video replay on the scoreboard suggested the ball may have bounced, prompting boos from the crowd.

"At the time, I thought he'd got it," Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist said.

"I believe there has only been one replay of it and it's a little bit inconclusive but Haydos's reaction was that he had it and my gut feeling at the time was that it was there.

"All we do then is just ask the question. It's like a caught behind or an lbw.

"Steve Bucknor obviously confirmed that it was up so we can only take it on that value."

Vice-captain Gilchrist said the team's view as presented by skipper Ricky Ponting's had been well-documented.

"The world over has turned us away from trying to make it become a player's decision," Gilchrist said.

"I know at the captains' meeting (before the Super Series against the World XI in Australia last October) Ricky was turned away by most, if not all, the captains.

"So this issue will keep (surfacing), it's part of cricket. Players could have taken ownership of it but the leaders of world cricket didn't want to be a part of it."

Jacques Kallis, captaining South Africa in the third Test because of Graeme Smith's finger injury, said the television replay of the Hayden catch was "inconclusive".

"When a fielder catches a ball and says he caught it you tend to take his word for it. The guys have accepted it," said Kallis.

Andrew Hall had claimed a catch at mid-wicket in the second Test in Durban but Hayden refused to walk and was given not out, advancing from 27 to a match-winning 94 in a low-scoring game.

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