A battered South Africa has no quarrel with Australia's world championship ranking after suffering another humiliating defeat here today.

Australia won the second Test by nine wickets to clinch the three-match series 2-0 and retain its world champion status.

South African skipper Shaun Pollock had barely a positive word to say after his team matched its 246-run loss in Adelaide with another spineless second innings batting effort today.

Trailing by 210 on the first innings, South Africa was bowled out for 219 today in 75 overs. Australia made the winning runs for the loss of Justin Langer's wicket.

South Africa came into the series as the No.2 side in the world and knowing that a drawn series would be enough for it to take over the No.1 ranking.

"Their rating of the number one team is totally justified," Pollock said.

"We had high hopes when we came to Australia (but) at the end of day we've been beaten by a better team."

Pollock didn't have an explanation for his team's woes except to say the Proteas may have put too much pressure on themselves.

"We really wanted it badly.

"We have got a talented bunch but I don't think we did ourselves justice.

"I think we did put too much pressure on ourselves.

"It was billed as the the championship of Test cricket and we've definitely been disappointing."

Pollock said Australia had "better tactics for Australian conditions" and had superior skills to the South Africans.

"We were inferior in all parts of the game."

Australian captain Steve Waugh lauded his team's ability to play at a consistently high level in a crunch Test.

"I think we played excellent cricket all the way through," Waugh said.

"The bowling was superb - it was a pretty flat wicket, there wasn't a lot in it, but the bowlers just kept going.

"I thought our catching was pretty good too.

"The intensity for the game was excellent - overall it was an excellent performance."

Waugh said it was hard to measure whether Australia over-performed or if South Africa crumbled.

"We have played good cricket, we've had them under pressure constantly and it's always hard to produce the goods in that situation.

"I'd like to think it was our good cricket that did it.

"Some of their batsmen haven't had a lot of experience at playing against this Australia side - coming up against guys like Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne at their best.

"Mentally that can wear you down a bit."

The teams now move to Sydney for the third Test with Waugh looking for a 3-0 sweep over a psychologically damaged opponent.

"This wouldn't have done them much good - this was a pretty comprehensive victory," Waugh said.

© 2001 AAP