Australia 226 for 8 (Maher 95; Pollock 4-42) beat South Africa 181 (Klusener 59; Gillespie 4-43) by 45 runs
scorecard

For the second match running South Africa crumbled in the face of a handy Australian total. For the second match running Lance Klusener's beefy bat inspired a recovery – but for the second match running it wasn't quite enough. Australia won by 45 runs in front of a capacity 19,500 crowd at Centurion, and now lead the seven-match one-day series 2-0.

The result continued the dream start for Ricky Ponting, Australia's new one-day captain. After falling for a duck – to a stunning return catch by Nicky Boje – Ponting clearly thought he owed his team something, and atoned in style with two good catches and two great run-outs. First he swooped to clasp a fast-travelling edge from Gary Kirsten (21) at second slip, and then – two balls after installing himself at an unusual short extra-cover – caught a low push from Jacques Kallis (14) as a ball from Glenn McGrath popped a little.

Ponting then turned to run-outs. First he changed direction and threw down the middle stump at the bowler's end from midwicket to send back Boeta Dippenaar for 21. Later on, when Klusener and Shaun Pollock were threatening a recovery, Ponting threw in as he fell, and Pollock was a yard short.

It had looked all over when South Africa slumped to 45 for 4 in the face of Australia's 226 for 8 on a sluggish pitch. After a partial recovery it was only 110 for 7 when Pollock departed, but that was the cue for Zulu to break loose.

Klusener's mighty bat was unsheathed to club Nathan Hauritz, Australia's new offspinner, for two sixes, one of them flying dangerously close to McGrath on the long-off boundary. Klusener celebrated by swatting the next ball through midwicket for a flashing four. Klusener kept it up when the debutant Shane Watson returned: successive balls, one a waist-high full-toss, disappeared into the stands, and Klusener roared past fifty in 48 balls.

Klusener and Boje put on 67, and South Africa entered the last six overs needing 50 to win. But that was as close as they got: Boje touched Jason Gillespie to Adam Gilchrist. Ponting bravely kept on Darren Lehmann, with his left-arm roundarm rollers, and was rewarded when Klusener drop-kicked one straight to Matthew Hayden on the midwicket boundary and was out for 59 at a run a ball.

Gillespie took his fourth wicket in the next over, trapping Roger Telemachus right in front, and Australia had made it 2-0.

Earlier Australia themselves had stumbled, losing Gilchrist to Pollock in the third over. Hayden and Jimmy Maher, Queensland left-handers both, took the score to 99, but then Boje struck twice in his first over. Boje may have lost his Test place to Paul Adams, but he showed he is still a one-day force by removing Hayden for 38 with his third delivery and Ponting with his fourth. Ponting on-drove his first ball firmly back past the non-striker, but Boje somehow flew across, evaded the other batsman, and grabbed the missile in his right (wrong) hand.

Maher, playing only his third ODI, didn't panic. He and Damien Martyn (42) accumulated 93 in 18 overs. Maher, whose footwork sparkles, drove and deflected well – he hit ten fours and also banged Boje for a resonant six over long-off – and was unlucky not to become a Centurion centurion when he chipped Telemachus to Kallis as wickets tumbled in the slog overs. His 95 was enough to secure the Man of the Match award.

Pollock returned to restrict the late scoring, and finished with four wickets, a tally later matched by Gillespie. Both bowled fast and straight, almost always the ideal recipe at the death.

It was an unfamiliar-looking Australian side, not just because of the black armbands they sported in memory of Ben Hollioake. Michael Bevan and Ian Harvey had joined Shane Warne on a crowded treatment table, but that only meant a first cap for the highly rated Watson (although on this showing his bowling is not as rapid as the hype had it), and another chance for Maher, who played his other two ODIs over four years ago.

No Warne, no Bevan, no Waughs? No worries.

Teams
South Africa 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Gary Kirsten, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Boeta Dippenaar, 5 Jonty Rhodes, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Lance Klusener, 8 Shaun Pollock (capt), 9 Nicky Boje, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Roger Telemachus.

Australia 1 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Jimmy Maher, 4 Ricky Ponting (capt), 5 Damien Martyn, 6 Darren Lehmann, 7 Shane Watson, 8 Andy Bichel, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Nathan Hauritz, 11 Glenn McGrath.

Steven Lynch is database director of Wisden.com.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd