South Africa crush Australia to clinch series

Tuesday, 4 December 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

PERTH (Reuters): South Africa ruined Ricky Ponting’s farewell with an emphatic 309-run victory over Australia in the third test on Monday to clinch the three-match series 1-0 and cement their position at the top of the ICC test rankings.

Australia, 40-0 overnight, were bowled out for 322 in their second innings and never looked getting anywhere near the victory target of 632 which would have allowed them to leapfrog the Proteas to return to the summit of the game.

Ponting made a modest eight in his 287th and final test innings but the day belonged to the Proteas, who inflicted a first test defeat on Australia in 2012.

The hosts had the better of the drawn tests in Brisbane and Adelaide but the tourists struck back with some brilliant cricket in Perth to become the first team since West Indies in the 1980s and 1990s to win consecutive series Down Under.