The Cape Cobras’ middle order collapsed on Day One of their four-day match against the Warriors in Port Elizabeth.
Proteas yster Hashim Amla and new international call-up Zubayr Hamza both got ducks after the Malan brothers, Janneman and Pieter, gave the visitors the perfect start to their first innings.
Having won the toss and opting to bat first, the Malans put on 124 runs for the first wicket before Janneman was clean bowled by Sisanda Magala with his score on 67.
Amla then fell with the first ball he faced, edging a leg-side Magala delivery into the hands of wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin.
The Cobras then went from 124/0 to 133/3 when Hamza edged a Basheer Walters delivery to Fortuin without opening his account.
When Pieter Malan eventually lost his wicket, beaten by the pace of Lutho Sipamla and clean bowled for 72, the scoreboard read 182/5.
Simon Khomari and Dane Paterson then lifted the gloom for the Capetonians at the back-end of their innings.
Khomari scored 45 runs before he was run out, while Paterson smashed six sixes in his knock of 41 off just 17 balls to get the Cobras to a decent 266 all out.
Warriors openers Gihahn Cloete (34) and Edward Moore (57*) then got their team off to the perfect reply with a first-wicket stand of 85 before Mthiwekhaya Nabe found the edge of Cloete’s bat.
At stumps the Warriors were on 105/1 - 161 runs behind the Cobras, with Colin Ackermann 8* and Moore at the crease.