Brett Lee said it was a special moment to pass his hero Jeff Thomson, grabbing his 200th Test wicket as Australia took a lead of 227 over South Africa on the third day of the second Test in Durban.

Australia was 1-125 at stumps, an overall lead of 227.

First-innings century-maker Ricky Ponting was on 48 not out and opener Matthew Hayden moved slowly to 35 not out in 160 minutes. Justin Langer made 37.

South Africa was bowled out at tea for 267 in reply to Australia's first-innings total of 369.

It was a fiery end to the innings with Lee and tailender Andre Nel trading glares in what was mostly a light-hearted contest, although television also picked up Shane Warne hurling abuse at Nel.

"I haven't really even sat down and thought about what it's like to take 200 Test wickets yet but it's a pretty special moment," Lee said.

Lee has taken 202 wickets in 51 matches, while his idol Jeff Thomson claimed exactly 200 in the same number of Tests.

"I knew before I came into this Test match that that was definitely on the cards," Lee said.

"You look at guys like Jeff Thomson growing up, you look at them as being heroes. To go past a guy who has achieved so much, it's a pretty special thing."

Australia started the day with a battle on two fronts, with Andrew Symonds named in a South African newspaper over a nightclub incident and Jacques Kallis edging towards his 24th Test century.

Paceman Stuart Clark, who bowled only two balls in South Africa's 2-140 from 39.2 overs on Saturday, picked up the prize wicket of Kallis for 114.

Kallis had laboured for 15 minutes short of six hours for his runs and his demise was the start of a Lee-inspired collapse of 5-12 against the second new ball.

Clark had earlier removed opener AB De Villiers for 50, breaking a 134-run stand for the third wicket with Kallis.

Warne (2-80) dismissed Ashwell Prince (33) and Jacques Rudolph (13) either side of the lunch break.

It was the 10th time Warne had claimed Prince's wicket in eight Tests involving the pair.

Kallis fell at 6-255 after making his 24th Test hundred as Clark claimed the former world No.1-ranked batsman for the third time this series.

Lee took his seventh five-wicket haul in his 51st Test, running through the tail to dismiss Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Nel and Makhaya Ntini, the last two in successive balls.

When Boucher played on to his stumps at 8-257, Lee threw both arms in the air to celebrate becoming the 12th Australian to reach 200 wickets.

A witness to the nightclub incident involving Symonds said the dreadlocked Queenslander had voluntarily left the Hemisphere nightclub on March 18, the night of Australia's win in the first Test in Cape Town, after having an argument with a drinking companion of Smith's.

An Australian team spokesperson said it was unlikely Symonds would face any disciplinary action.

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