Brett Lee celebrates as Australia win in Port Elizabeth

Australia kept their one-day series alive with a 24-run win over South Africa in Port Elizabeth.

Set 255 to win, South Africa were all out for 230 in the 48th over in the third match of the five-match series.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting returned to the team after missing the first two games through injury and he top-scored for the tourists with 62.

Veteran all-rounder Shaun Pollock hit 69 for South Africa but his knock was in vain as Brett Lee took 4-47.

In a must-win match for Australia, South Africa captain Graeme Smith won the toss and put the tourists into bat.

And they notched up 254-6 in their 50 overs, thanks largely to Ponting, Damien Martyn (51) and Simon Katich, who was run out on 49.

Ponting targets series comeback

Pollock was the pick of their bowlers with 2-45 in his 10 overs - and he top-scored with the bat, too.

South Africa always seemed to be behind the run-rate and slumped to 69-5, although, with AB de Villiers (68) and Pollock at the crease, victory was never out of reach.

They put on 119 for the sixth wicket before Pollock was bowled by Shane Watson and De Villiers fell four runs later to part-timer Michael Clarke.

Roger Telemachus' 28 from 13 balls gave South Africa a glimmer of hope of wrapping up the series but he was last man out, plumb lbw to Nathan Bracken.

The teams now have five days off before the fourth ODI in Durban on Friday.

South Africa: G Smith (Capt), B Dippenaar, H Gibbs, A B de Villiers, J Kemp, M Boucher (Wkt), S Pollock, R Peterson, A Hall, R Telemachus, M Ntini, Sub: A Prince.

Australia: A Gilchrist (Wkt), S Katich, R Ponting (Capt), D Martyn, M Clarke, M Hussey, S Watson, B Hogg, B Lee, N Bracken, S Clark, Sub: M L Lewis.