Ricky Ponting made a triumphant return from injury when he captained Australia to a 24-run win over South Africa in the third one-day international at St George's Park here on Sunday.
Ponting made top score of 62 in an Australian total of 254 for six. Then he led a fired-up Australian team in the field as South Africa were bowled out for 230, with fast bowler Brett Lee taking four for 48.
South Africa crashed to 69 for five but their hopes were raised when AB de Villiers (68) and Shaun Pollock (69) put on 119 for the sixth wicket.
Lee, after struggling in the first two games, dismissed captain Graeme Smith in the third over of the South African innings and took wickets at important times to earn the man of the match award. His figures were spoilt when he conceded 15 runs in his final over, with South African number ten batsman Roger Telemachus slogging two sixes.
Australia needed the win after they lost the first two of five matches while Ponting was missing because of an abdominal strain.
Smith sent Australia in to bat because he believed the conditions would remain similar for both innings in a day game on a small ground which has yielded some high totals.
A slow pitch proved less batsman-friendly than expected, however.
The Australian batsmen struggled to time the ball against accurate bowling, while South Africa fielded well, but Australia managed to score 99 runs off the last 12 overs. Michael Hussey hammered 22 off 10 balls with two sixes and a four.
Ponting started slowly, taking 48 balls to score his first 24 runs, but accelerated to reach his half-century off 72 deliveries.
The Australian captain launched an assault against key South African bowler Pollock in the 39th over, hitting two boundaries, but he skied an attempted big hit in Pollock's next over and was caught at deep midwicket.
Pollock, who earlier had Adam Gilchrist caught behind for 25, finished with two for 45.
Ponting put on 63 for the second wicket with Simon Katich, who was run out for 49 by outstanding fielding by AB de Villiers, who dived to his left at mid-on and hit the stumps at the bowler's end from a prone position. Damien Martyn helped Ponting put on 74 for the third wicket. Martyn made 51.
South Africa were in trouble when Smith's dismissal was followed by that of the in-form Herschelle Gibbs, who was unluckily run out when bowler Stuart Clark deflected the ball into the stumps while Gibbs was backing up. Their fate seemed sealed when three wickets fell for nine runs before the stand between De Villiers and Pollock brought them back into the game. South Africa needed 67 off 46 balls when Pollock swung and missed against Shane Watson.
AUSTRALIA:
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A Gilchrist c Boucher b Pollock 25
S Katich run out (De Villiers) 49
R Ponting c Peterson b Pollock 62
D Martyn c Telemachus b Ntini 51
M Clarke run out (Boucher) 25
M Hussey c Gibbs b Hall 22
B Lee not out 6
S Watson not out 4
EXTRAS: (LB-1, NB-3, W-6) 10
TOTAL: (for 6 wkts, 50 overs) 254
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FALL OF WICKETS: 1-36, 2-99, 3-173, 4-214, 5-243, 6-244
BOWLING: Pollock 10-1-45-2, Ntini 9-0-56-1, Telemachus 8-0-59-0 (3nb, 4w), Hall 9-1-39-1, Peterson 10-1-39-0 (1w), Smith 4-0-15-0 (1w).
DID NOT BAT: B Hogg, N Bracken, S Clark.
SUPER-SUB (not used): M Johnson.
SOUTH AFRICA:
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G Smith c Gilchrist b Lee 10
H Dippenaar lbw b Watson 16
H Gibbs run out (Clark) 16
A de Villiers c Hogg b Clarke 68
M Boucher c Gilchrist b Lee 5
J Kemp c Bracken b Clark 0
S Pollock b Watson 69
A Hall c Gilchrist b Lee 5
R Peterson c Gilchrist b Lee 3
R Telemachus lbw b Bracken 29
M Ntini not out 1
EXTRAS: (LB-3, NB-3, W-2) 8
TOTAL: (all out, 47.2 overs) 230
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