Australia exact revenge in series win

AB de Villiers' edge behind ended South Africa's last hope of avoiding defeat

Australia ran through South Africa's lower order to secure a 175-run victory in Durban and an unassailable 2-0 series lead over their hosts, confirming their number one Test match status.

The hosts, needing an improbable 546 to win and level the best-of-three contest, were dismissed for 370 at Kingsmead, with captain Graeme Smith unable to bat after fracturing his little finger.

The Proteas started the final day on 244 for two, but the early loss of Jacques Kallis for 93 effectively ended their hopes.

Australia have a two-match lead with only the final Test in Cape Town to come. For captain Ricky Ponting and the majority of his side, it represents sweet revenge after their rivals’ 2-1 win Down Under earlier this winter.

When South Africa resumed batting Kallis was dropped for a second time. On this occasion, vice-captain Michael Clarke was the culprit when he let a simple chance slip through his fingers at point off Ben Hilfenhaus, with the all-rounder facing only his eighth delivery of the day.

But the missed chance did not prove as costly as Kallis was out in the next over when he tried to fend off a Mitchell Johnson delivery and only succeeded in finding captain Ricky Ponting at second slip for 93.

That wicket ended a fighting 187-run partnership between Kallis and AB de Villiers and looked to have broken the hosts' resistance.

De Villiers followed soon after for 84 when he deflected an almost unplayable delivery from Peter Siddle to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

Haddin then dropped JP Duminy off the same bowler when the ball slipped through his gloves with the batsman on six.

Jacques Kallis wanders off for a valiant 93 after being snared by the ever-dangerous Mitchell Johnson

But he made amends when a Hilfenhaus bouncer forced the little left-hander to edge behind for 17.

With lunch on the horizon, Ponting threw the ball to Katich, and he struck with his second delivery.

The part-time chinaman bowler tempted Paul Harris (five) to go over the top, and his thick edge was snapped up by Siddle running back from mid-on.

Boucher and Morne Morkel showed good resistance after the resumption, batting for over an hour before Boucher tried to turn North to leg but sent a leading edge back to the bowler.

Morkel followed soon after when he edged onto his pads and Haddin behind the stumps managed to trap the ball between his legs to send the batsman back for 24.

Dale Steyn was last man out when he attempted a wild swing across the line to Katich and was stumped by Haddin leaving South Africa well short.

Surprisingly, Katich was the pick of the bowlers with 3-45.