England lost captain Alastair Cook for a duck as rain shortened the opening session of the first Test against South Africa in Durban.

After the hosts had won the toss and elected to bowl, play got underway at 11am local time as scheduled and Cook was gone in the third over to the world's best Test bowler.

Cook started with 10 dot balls facing Dale Steyn but then fell without troubling the scoreboard by edging the paceman through to Dean Elgar.

In came Nick Compton to join Alex Hales at the crease and the former almost fell first ball as Steyn's final delivery of the over just missed the stumps.

At the other end Hales was handling the bowling of Kyle Abbott, but upon Steyn's return he was again close to removing Compton as the England man's edge fell just short of first slip.

In the seventh over play had to be postponed due to rain at Kingsmead and lunch was then taken an hour early at midday, with Hales (10*) and Compton (1*) still at the crease.