49 overs Australia 330 for 7 (Ponting 92, Lehmann 91, Gilchrist 52) beat South Africa 326 for 3 (Smith 84, Kallis 80*, Rhodes 71*) by three wickets
scorecard

The Waughs? Who are they? Australia proved that the future of their one-day side is bright, with a shatteringly comprehensive victory over South Africa - their fifth in six matches this series. Set a world-record 327 to win, after Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes had added 132 in 92 deliveries, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden responded with a partnership of 81 in the first eight overs, before Darren Lehmann (91) and Ricky Ponting (92) guided Australia to the brink of victory with five balls to spare. A flurry of wickets towards the end gave the impression that this one went down to the wire, but, frighteningly, the result was never in doubt.

And yet it should have been, after South Africa had put together their finest performance of the series – and arguably one of their finest batting efforts of all time. Not only was their 326 for 3 the highest one-day total recorded at St George's Park, it was also South Africa's highest-ever score against Australia. What at first promised to be a pleasing footnote to a traumatic season, ultimately added to the misery of the defeat.

Australia treated the record as a personal affront, and Gilchrist made their intentions clear from the word go. Shaun Pollock's second delivery was barely back of a length, but Gilchrist pulled it mightily for six, followed up with consecutive boundaries off Ntini, and had raced to 15 before his partner, Hayden could get off the mark.

Hayden soon made amends though, crashing Pollock for successive sixes in his second over, a premeditated slog over long on, and a fast, flat pull through square leg. Gilchrist retorted with another six, off Ntini, before dabbing Pollock to third man to bring up the 50 in just 26 deliveries.

The introduction of Roger Telemachus brought South Africa back into contention, but when Gilchrist holed out to a sprawling Ntini at midwicket for 52 (81 for 1), Australia needed just 246 runs in 41 overs – exactly a run a ball – and the mountain had become a molehill.

Telemachus struck again in his next over, as Ian Harvey edged a simple catch to Mark Boucher for 4 (93 for 2), and Hayden fell to a scorching catch at mid-on by Shaun Pollock, leaping full-length to his right (103 for 3). But Ponting and Lehmann were content to trot towards the finish, and the pair added 183 for the fourth wicket without breaking sweat. Between overs 18 and 27, they did not score a single boundary, but when it came, the acceleration was emphatic. Lehmann took to Nicky Boje, lifting him over midwicket for four and sweeping him sweetly for six, and Ponting crashed John Kent to the mid-on boundary to keep well ahead of the run-rate. And though Australia lost four quick wickets with victory in sight – including Shane Watson, run out with the scores level – Warne sealed a famous victory by nudging the winning boundary off Ntini in the final over.

It was a devastating turnaround for South Africa, who had earlier compiled the perfect one-day innings – a rapid start, a solid middle and a blistering finish. Graeme Smith provided the platform, scoring a fine 84 from 103 balls, his highest one-day score to date.

Savage on any width, though slightly fortunate to survive a penchant for the inside edge, Smith added 74 for the first wicket with Herschelle Gibbs – who once again fell when well set, this time for 37 off 40 balls – and 83 for the second wicket with Nicky Boje, who missed a slog at Lehmann and was bowled for 47 (157 for 2). When Smith miscued a full toss from Warne and top-edged to Lehmann at backward square, South Africa were 194 for 3 in the 35th over.

Cue the Jacques and Jonty show. Kallis (80 from 59 balls) and Rhodes (71 from 50) cavorted their way to a fourth-wicket partnership of 132 off only 92 balls, as Australia's bowlers were creamed to all parts of the park, and their fielders went ragged at the edges.

Kallis provided the power, Rhodes provided the placement. Warne, whose first over had disappeared for 15 runs, was not allowed to settle, and even Glenn McGrath, who returned to tie the innings down with his full-pitched inswingers, could not escape punishment. His margin for error was minimal as Rhodes latched onto anything short, and against Gillespie, Rhodes indulged a series of infuriating premeditated sweeps to the vacant backward square boundary.

Kallis dealt exclusively in off drives. He crashed McGrath for a straight-driven four to bring up his 50 off just 44 balls, and then he really let rip, adding a further 30 in 15, wielding his bat like a revolving door outside off stump. The famous Port Elizabeth band was so moved it even changed its tune from "Abide with me" to something more upbeat, and even the hard-done-by players must have expected a consolation victory after this effort.

Oh well, there's always next time …

Teams

South Africa 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Neil McKenzie, 5 Jonty Rhodes, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Shaun Pollock (capt), 8 John Kent, 9 Nicky Boje, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Roger Telemachus

Australia 1 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Michael Bevan, 6 Darren Lehmann, 7 Ian Harvey, 8 Shane Watson, 9 Shane Warne, 10 Jason Gillespie, 11 Glenn McGrath

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