Australia hammers South Africa by 246 runs

Australia crushed South Africa by 246 runs in the first cricket test to take a 1-0 lead in three-match world test championship showdown at the Adelaide Oval.

Set to score 375 runs for an unlikely win on deteriorating pitch, South Africa never recovered from an overnight 17 for two before being skittled out for 128 runs.

Fast bowlers Glenn McGrath (3–13) and Jason Gillespie (2–23) and legspinner Shane Warne (3–57) ripped through the second–innings batting to see Australia home for tea.

Warne, who took 5–113 in the first innings, claimed a match–haul of 7–170 for his best match figures at the Adelaide Oval in his 96–test career. He was named man of the match.

Jacques Kallis played a lone hand in a losing cause to score a skillful 65 not out in four hours while the rest capitulated meekly as the tourists crashed to its fifth biggest defeat.

With the help of tailender Makhaya Ntini, four runs in 71 minutes, Kallis ensured South Africa passed the 105 against India at Ahmedabad – its lowest score since the republic's return to test cricket.

Warne and McGrath, with a match–bag of 6–107, played a big hand in the victory to silence critics. The pair had managed just 11 wickets between them against New Zealand in the rain–marred series.

The win put Australia on course to retaining its no.1 place in the world test championship. A series defeat or a draw will promote South Africa as the new leaders.

It was a workmanlike victory by Steve Waugh's record–breaking team following its disappointment of not winning against the lowly rated New Zealand in November.

The South Africans are now in danger of losing their first series in 13 since losing to England 2–1 in England in 1998.

South Africa also faces an enormous task of winning the next two tests in Melbourne on Dec. 26 and Sydney in the New Year to claim its first series here.

Australia's win was first set up by centuries by Justin Langer (116) and Damien Martyn (124 not out) – both in the first innings' 439 – and a swashbuckling 131 by Matthew Hayden on the fourth day when Australia declared on 309 for seven.

Warne, a serial destroyer of South Africa batting over the last four series – 72 wickets in 10 tests – once again proved to be a thorn in South African batting and spun the visitors out.

In the first innings when South Africa looked like taking the attack to the Australia, Warne ran through the lower–order to claim an invaluable 65–run lead. South Africa was dismissed for 374, collapsing from 355 for six.

South Africa's hopes of salvaging a draw on a difficult pitch got off to a poor start when it lost both openers before starting the final day.

McGrath forced the visitors on the back foot when he removed Boeta Dippenaar and first innings' batting hero Neil McKenzie in the space of three balls to make early inroads on the final day.

McKenzie, who scored 87 in the first innings, was unlucky to be adjudged leg before wicket when Indian umpire Srini Venkataraghavan upheld a halfhearted appeal for leg before wicket.

Television replays showed McKenzie being hit outside the off stump.