Australia are edging ever closer to victory over South Africa after they took three wickets in the short period before tea after their declaration on day four of the third and final Test.

Following a second innings inspired by David Warner's second century of the match, Australia declared with a second-innings lead of 510 runs and a little over four sessions to bowl the hosts out.

South Africa lost their first wicket in the third over when Alviro Peterson (9) was trapped lbw by Ryan Harris.

Then came the moment that the Cape Town crowd was dreading when Proteas captain Graeme Smith (3), in his last ever international innings, lost his wicket by chipping up Mitchell Johnson's delivery to short-leg.

Johnson then added insult to injury by taking out Dean Elgar's off-stump with the final ball before tea, leaving South Africa on 15-3, 496 runs short of the Aussies' total.