Smith century sinks Australia

Centurion: Graeme Smith hit an unbeaten century to lead South Africa to victory in the first one-day international at Centurion Park on Sunday.

Continuing a resurgence of form which started when he made 89 not out in a Twenty20 international in Johannesburg on Friday, Smith made 119 not out in a South African total of 207 for four in 37.3 overs as the home side won by six wickets according to the Duckworth-Lewis method.

They had been set a target of 233 in 47 overs, which was revised to 204 in 41 overs after a rain break which came immediately after Smith reached his century.

Batting with renewed confidence after a miserable sequence of scores on a recent tour of Australia, the left-handed Smith reached his fifty off 51 balls and his century off 110 deliveries with ten fours and a six.

He faced 124 balls in all, adding two more boundaries.

South Africa had the upper hand for most of the match against an injury-hit Australian team, with the tourists forced to field their only 11 fit players after captain Ricky Ponting withdrew because of an abdominal strain.

Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey shared a century partnership and Brett Lee hit out powerfully to enable Australia to reach 229 for eight in an innings reduced to 47 overs by rain.

Clarke (53) and Hussey (56) rescued the side from a shaky start and Australia were 162 for six when rain stopped play after 40 overs.

When play resumed more than an hour later, Lee hit an unbeaten 38 off 28 balls as Australia hit 67 runs off the remaining seven overs.

Ponting suffered an abdominal strain while batting in the nets on Saturday and withdrew Sunday morning, joining all-rounder Andrew Symonds (thigh) and Stuart Clark (rib) on the sidelines and leaving the tourists with just 11 fit players.

Australian physiotherapist Errol Alcott said Ponting had suffered a low grade strain which made movement painful.

"He will undergo intensive treatment and will be reassessed late next week," said Alcott.

Symonds had been expected to play Sunday but Alcott said it had been decided to the player five more days to be fully fit for the second match of the five-game series in Cape Town Friday.

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Clark is also expected to be fit by Friday.

Stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist decided to bat after winning the toss but his side were soon in trouble as South African opening bowlers Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini took advantage of helpful, overcast conditions.

Australia slipped to 25 for three before Clarke and Hussey put on exactly 100 for the fourth wicket.

Clarke and Hussey were starting to get on top, taking 43 runs in seven overs of spin from Robin Peterson and Smith, when Smith brought back Pollock.

With the second ball of his new spell, Pollock had Clarke superbly caught by a diving AB de Villiers at cover.

He followed up with the wicket of Hussey, caught at deep midwicket, in his next over.

Pollock finished with three for 23 from 10 overs.

Lee and Shane Watson added 51 for the seventh wicket as Australia finished strongly.

Andre Nel, in his first match since suffering a foot injury in early January, conceded 21 runs off his final over, which included two sixes by Lee and three wides.

Ntini gave an improved performance after conceding 44 runs in three overs in a 20-overs international in Johannesburg on Friday in his first match since suffering a knee injury in Australia in December. He had figures of two for 25 off eight overs but his ninth and final over cost 17, including two sixes by Nathan Bracken.

With rain a constant threat, South Africa were quickly ahead of the required rate despite losing Boeta Dippenaar and Herschelle Gibbs early.

Gibbs fell to a sensational run-out by Clarke at short midwicket, with the fielder flinging himself to his left to stop a powerful shot by Smith and flicking the ball in one movement, hitting the stumps at the bowler's end with Gibbs, backing up, unable to get back to his crease.

Smith and AB de Villiers put on 83 off 62 balls with De Villiers playing a dazzling innings of 43 off 30 balls before Smith and Justin Kemp took South Africa to victory with an unbeaten fifth wicket stand of 73.