Gillespie started the rot with three wickets

He should have had a fourth wicket, but Damien Martyn dropped a regulation catch at first slip from Boeta Dippenaar, and the bowler had to settle for figures of three for 39.

Ian Harvey rolled over the middle order, inducing Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock to drive lamely to cover in the same over as South Africa subsided to 66 for six.

Dippenaar scored the games first half century, but debutant spinner Nathan Hauritz got his wicket to claim a maiden international scalp in his first over.

Klusener and Nicky Boje put on 69 for the eighth before Boje was run-out going for a second run and Hauritz immediately had Roger Telemachus stumped to claim figures of 2-31.

That was the cue for Klusener to launch a spectacular assault, and he was particularly severe on Andrew Bichel.

But the bowler had the last laugh, taking the catch to seal the win for Australia, after Klusener had slogged a Glenn McGrath full toss straight to him in the deep.

Gilchrist had earlier launched Australia's innings with a flurry of boundaries, but they were pegged back thanks to some excellent bowling by Makhaya Ntini.

Harvey ripped out South Africa's middle order

Paceman Ntini made the initial breakthrough by dismissing Gilchrist for 37 and added the wickets of Ponting and Harvey to finish with three for 24 from his 10 overs.

Gilchrist was soon into his stride as he thumped away anything dropped short of a good length and Telemachus was withdrawn from the firing line after conceding 26 from three overs.

Ntini's extra pace forced Gilchrist to mis-hit his favourite pull shot to Boje at mid-wicket and Australia's problems were compounded when Hayden (27) and Ponting (14) went in quick succession.

Rhodes pulled off a brilliant one-handed diving catch to dismiss Hayden and followed that up by running out Michael Bevan.

Ponting went for a full blooded hook shot to another short ball from Ntini but got too far underneath it and was taken by Boje just inches inside the ropes.

Darren Lehmann and Martyn halted the slide with a stand of 63, but Telemachus returned to have Lehmann caught behind for 37, and bowled Martyn for 24.

Bevan (18) and Harvey (19) made useful contributions and Bichel hit Pollock out of the ground for an enormous six before being caught in the deep off the bowling of Kallis.

Australia fielded a new-look side that was missing the dropped Waugh brothers and the injured Shane Warne, who made way for Hauritz.

South Africa: Shaun Pollock (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Roger Telemachus, Andrew Hall, Neil McKenzie.

Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Bevan, Ian Harvey, Andrew Bichel, Nathan Hauritz, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.