Australian batsman Darren Lehmann hopes to overcome a minor hamstring niggle before Saturday's sixth one-day clash with South Africa as the tourists try to assemble a fully fit squad for the first time.

Australia has been without at least one player for the opening five matches, including Shane Warne and Michael Bevan, but has still surged to a 4-0 series lead following last night's emphatic eight-wicket triumph in Durban.

Lehmann was the only casualty last night after failing a fitness test before the match, but he would not have figured in the batting because Australia needed just four batsmen to wipe off the victory target of 268 runs.

Ricky Ponting's team will again start short-priced favourites in Port Elizabeth on Saturday against a South African team which has exhausted almost every selection option in trying to find a way through the Australians.

South African selectors have used 16 players in the five matches, including newcomers Graeme Smith and Jon Kent as they look towards their hosting role in the World Cup in 10 months.

But captain Shaun Pollock insisted the Proteas would benefit from the series loss because they could learn more about the best team in world cricket.

"It might take until three or four weeks after the series has finished, after we step back, but we can only improve from playing against a team like Australia," Pollock said.

Pollock said Australia's more experienced bowling attack had proven the most significant difference between the teams in this series with the likes of Glenn McGrath, Warne and Jason Gillespie.

But Pollock was reluctant to say whether South Africa's most experienced bowler Allan Donald should be recalled after recovering from a hamstring injury which prompted him to retire from Test cricket.

Donald has declared his fitness and questioned whether South African selectors wanted him for the World Cup.

© 2002 AAP