James Franklin after his century in Cape Town on Saturday. (Reuters)

Cape Town: New Zealand tail-ender James Franklin completed a maiden Test century and new cap Jeetan Patel took two wickets before bad light brought respite to South Africa on the Day III of the first Test in Newlands on Saturday.

South Africa were 155 for two in reply to New Zealand’s first innings total of 593 for eight declared when bad light stopped play half-an-hour after tea.

South Africa still needed another 239 to avoid the follow-on. Hashim Amla, playing in his fourth Test, led South Africa’s reply with 50 not out.

New Zealand batted on for an hour Saturday before declaring, with Franklin unbeaten on 122. Patel, who had to wait until the third morning to step on to the field in his first Test, batted confidently to make 27 not out, then captured the wicket of South African captain Graeme Smith with his third ball in Test cricket.

The off-spinner later bowled Boeta Dippenaar to have figures of two for 58. Patel and Franklin added 58 in 13 overs before the declaration.

Franklin, who resumed on 93 after sharing a record eighth wicket stand of 256 with captain Stephen Fleming on Friday, took 40 minutes and 35 balls to add the seven runs he needed for his century, reaching the landmark with an off-drive for four off Dale Steyn.

With his hundred completed, the left-handed Franklin hammered two more boundaries in the same Steyn over and lofted Makhaya Ntini, South Africa’s leading bowler, over wide mid-on for six.

Franklin, who had previously made two first-class centuries, including a double hundred, faced 268 balls in his six-hour innings, hitting 14 fours and a six.

South Africa’s bowlers largely looked powerless to stop the runs on an easy-paced pitch, although Patel on six, edged Ntini dangerously close to Dippenaar at first slip.