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A fine all-round performance by spinner Nicky Boje took South Africa to a consolation 65-run victory over Australia in a rain-shortened seventh and final one-day international.

Boje scored 49 and took five for 21 with his left-arm spin.

He was ably supported by new boy Graeme Smith, who hit 73 on his home ground in Cape Town, and a three-wicket opening burst by skipper Shaun Pollock.

Australia, for whom captain Ricky Ponting was named man of the series after leading his side with flair and hitting 283 runs at an average of 47.16, won the series 5-1 with one match tied.

But they were unable to repeat their recent heroics as they were bowled out for 185.

It gave South Africa victory by 65 runs with South Africas total adjusted to 250 under the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Opening batsman Smith hit eight fours in a 79-ball innings to spur South Africa to a highly competitive 249 for seven.

The strongly-built left-hander shared stands of 63 with Herschelle Gibbs (27) and 71 with Boje for the first two wickets.

Jonty Rhodes gave momentum to the late stages of the innings, hitting an unbeaten 39 off 24 balls which included pulled sixes off Shane Watson and Shane Warne.

Bad start

Australia's chances plummeted when opening batsmen Jimmy Maher and Adam Gilchrist were out off successive balls by Pollock in the third over.

Maher skied an attempted pull to square leg and Gilchrist was caught at slip when he top-edged a cut.

Pollock struck again when Watson, promoted to number three in the batting order, was given out lbw when he missed a drive against an in-swinger.

Only Michael Bevan, who made 55 off 63 balls with six fours, played a major innings for Australia, whose hopes were buried when Boje claimed three wickets in 12 balls with his left-arm spin.