Port Elizabeth: Jacques Kallis and Morne Morkel stood out as South Africa scored a convincing 80-run win in the second one-day international against Australia at St George's Park on Sunday.
The win - the Proteas' first ODI victory under new coach Gary Kirsten - levelled the three-match series at one-all.
Kallis hit 76 and three other South African batsmen made half-centuries in an imposing total of 303 for six and Morkel bowled with pace and accuracy to take four for 22 as Australia were bowled out for 223 in reply.
Kallis became the third batsman, after India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Ricky Ponting, to reach fifty on 100 occasions in one-day internationals. He has turned 17 of those efforts into centuries.
South Africa made a bad start when captain Hashim Amla was out off the first ball of the match, pushing a simple catch back to opening bowler Doug Bollinger. But Kallis and Graeme Smith (57) put their side on top with a second-wicket stand of 142.
With Kallis in fluent touch from the start of his innings, Smith was able to play his way back into form after a poor start to the season, with his first half-century in 12 innings.
Smith and Kallis fell within a run of each other as South Africa wobbled at 157-4 in the 31st over, with Kallis run out by a superb direct hit by Aussie skipper Michael Clarke, who turned and threw in one motion after chasing down toward fine leg.
But left-handers JP Duminy (56) and David Miller (59) regained the initiative for South Africa with a fifth-wicket partnership of 107.
Doug Bollinger had 2-64 off 10 overs and left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty bowled well in a defensive effort for his 1-43. But teenage fast bowler Pat Cummins had his toughest international outing to date, returning 1-73 off 10.
Australia - who dominated the opening match but fell well short on Sunday - suffered a blow when all-rounder Shane Watson had to leave the field after bowling the fifth ball of his fourth over with what was described as a lower back spasm. Because of the time he was off the field he could not open the batting - and under new regulations, he was not allowed a runner when he eventually batted at number six.
Australia's run chase got off to a bad start when Ponting and Clarke were out cheaply, but David Warner and Michael Hussey gave the tourists some hope with a third-wicket stand of 71.
Opener Warner made a career-best 74, surviving a straightforward chance to Amla at mid-on when he was on 26, but after a rapid start he was pegged back by the South African bowlers and needed 97 balls to make his runs. He fell to a top-edged pull shot to Morkel, who finished with 4-22, starting the tourists' slide from 133-3.
Hussey survived two stumping chances to Mark Boucher off Johan Botha before he was run out after grinding out 37 off 62 balls - and before he had the chance to launch Australia's counter-attack.
By the time Watson came in, the required rate had climbed to nine an over. The batting powerplay was taken soon after his arrival and he hit Kallis for six and four in an over which yielded 14 runs. But he scored only 15 before holing out to mid-wicket off Lonwabo Tsotsobe, effectively ending Australia's challenge as the top-ranked ODI team was bowled out for 223.
Tsotsobe had 2-32 in a key partnership with Morkel, with the left-arm Tsotsobe building pressure and the lanky Morkel striking frequently.
South Africa were in top form in every department - much like Australia were in the first game in Centurion - to set up a mouth-watering finale to the one-dayers between two closely-matched teams.
The countries will also play two Tests next month to round off a month-long tour, after the Twenty20 series was drawn.
"We were outplayed," admitted Clarke. "They showed us how to bat on a slow wicket and they executed well with the ball."
Amla said: "Our batting set us up. We showed what we are capable of."
The third and final match of the series will be played in Durban on Friday, with Australia looking for their first ODI series in South Africa since 2002.
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