Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn bowled South Africa to within sight of victory on a weather-hit fourth day of the first Test against New Zealand at Centurion Park here on Tuesday.
New Zealand were 98 for seven at the close, with their victory target of 249 seemingly a distant dream.
Ntini took four for 41 and his new ball partner Steyn three for 35 as New Zealand's hopes crumbled on an unpredictable pitch under a heavily overcast sky.
Bad light and rain restricted the afternoon's play to an hour, delaying the resumption after lunch and causing the umpires to take the players off five minutes before the re-scheduled tea break. Only nine balls were bowled after tea before bad light stopped play for the day.
The weather gave New Zealand some respite after a disastrous morning in which theed a minor recovery, putting on 45 before McCullum was the only man to be dismissed during the shortened afternoon.
McCullum made 33 off 38 balls, hitting sixes off both Ntini and Steyn, before he edged Steyn to first slip.
Marshall remained unbeaten on 24 after batting for 145 minutes and facing 77 balls. It was a courageous innings because he took a heavy blow in the ribs from Ntini and was then hit on the left glove by Ntini's next ball. Ntini started the collapse when he took two wickets in his second over.
New Zealand's collapse was worse than in the first innings when they were 45 for five but recovered to make 327 and take a first innings lead. First innings century-maker Jacob Oram was among Ntini's victims, bowled for two by a fast delivery which kept low and sent his off stump flying. Ntini had Peter Fulton caught behind off the first ball of his second over.
First innings tail-ender Kyle Mills was promoted to number three but two balls later was caught by a diving Boeta Dippenaar at first slip. Steyn had New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming caught at second slip and Scott Styris caught behind before Ntini had Nathan Astle caught at third slip. Then Oram was bowled to leave New Zealand's innings in tatters. The pitch again gave the bowlers plenty of help, with uneven bounce accentuated by the new ball. Ntini took five for 94 in the first innings and needs one more wicket to complete his fourth ten-wicket haul in Tests.
He would also become the first South African to perform the feat twice in successive Tests, after taking ten for 178 in a losing cause in the third Test against Australia in Johannesburg earlier this month.
Earlier it took New Zealand 29 minutes and 7.1 overs to capture the last South African wicket, with Steyn and Ntini adding 19 runs to South Africa's overnight total of 280 for nine before left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori trapped Ntini leg before for 16 with his first ball of the day. New Zealand were required to achieve their highest fourth innings run chase in a Test away from home and their third highest of all time.
New Zealand have only beaten South Africa four times in 30 Tests.

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G. Smith lbw b Martin                   7
H. Gibbs c Styris b Franklin            2
H. Dippenaar c Fleming b Oram          16
J. Kallis c Vettori b Styris           62
A. Prince c McCullum b Franklin        11
A. de Villiers c Franklin b Oram       97
M. Boucher b Mills                     21
S. Pollock lbw b Vettori               10
N. Boje c McCullum b Astle             31
D. Steyn not out                        7
M. Ntini lbw b Vettori                 16
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EXTRAS: (B-12, LB-2, NB-5)             19
TOTAL: (all out, 98.1 overs)          299
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FALL OF WICKETS: 1-8, 2-19, 3-42, 4-73, 5-140, 6-194, 7-205, 8-270, 9-276
BOWLING: Franklin 14-2-60-2 (3nb), Martin 24-6-64-1, Mills 21-5-57-1 (1nb), Oram 17-3-44-2, Vettori 15.1-0-42-2 (1nb), Astle 5-1-15-1, Styris 2-0-3-1.

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H. Marshall not out                    24
P. Fulton c Boucher b Ntini             4
K. Mills c Dippenaar b Ntini            0
S. Fleming c Kallis b Steyn             6
S. Styris c Boucher b Steyn             2
N. Astle c De Villiers b Ntini          2
J. Oram b Ntini                         2
B. McCullum c Dippenaar b Steyn        33
D. Vettori not out                     18
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EXTRAS: (LB-2, NB-5)                    7
Total: (for 7 wkts, 30 overs)          98
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FALL OF WICKETS: 1-5, 2-5, 3-17, 4-23, 5-26, 7-73
BOWLING: Ntini 11-2-41-4, Steyn 14-4-35-3 (1nb), Pollock 5-1-20-0 (4nb).
TO BAT: J Franklin, C Martin.
UMPIRES: M Benson (ENG), D Harper (AUS).
TV UMPIRE: M Erasmus (RSA).
MATCH REFEREE: R Madugalle (SL).