Set 183 to win and resuming at 0-30, the Proteas reached their target for the loss of just one wicket 55 minutes after lunch, to claim a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Smith hit 10 fours from 94 balls and was out lbw to off-spinner Nathan Hauritz shortly before lunch after an opening stand of 121 with Neil McKenzie who remained not out on 59. Hashim Amla made an unbeaten 30.

Paceman Brett Lee, who has been ordered to rest for six weeks after this match because of a stress reaction in his left foot, bravely opened the bowling for Australia and took 0-49 from 10 overs. Lee left the field half an hour before the game ended. Australia's woes deepened today with the news that 12th man Shane Watson will be unable to bowl for six months because of stress fractures in his back.

The Queenslander's latest injury complicates Australia's selection for the third Test. Watson had been touted as a replacement allrounder for the struggling Andrew Symonds, who is battling knee soreness. Ponting, whose captaincy tactics have been questioned during the second Test, has produced a fine double of 101 and 99 with the bat for Australia.

South Africa paceman Dale Steyn took match figures of 10-154. Steyn, who has claimed 74 wickets this year, took four of the first five wickets to fall yesterday. They included out-of-form pair Matthew Hayden (23) and Symonds (0). The 102-Test career of Hayden, 37, appears almost over.

South African veteran Jacques Kallis said he was thrilled to cap his fourth tour of Australia with a series victory. "At the MCG, what better place to want to do it," he told the Nine Network.

"I've had some individual highlights here, but lost Test matches and drawn Test matches, so this one takes the cake. "Having won a Test match here beats all those (previous) feelings ... and is an unbelievable effort."



Smith could not hide his elation after the match. "It has been such a special moment for all of us, it has been an incredible team effort," he told the Nine Network.

"I have been smiling non-stop since we hit the winning runs." Ponting commended the tourists on their fightback at the MCG, and their series triumph.

"South Africa have outplayed us in all the big moments of these two Test matches," he said. "We had them on the ropes early in this game and they have certainly been good enough to turn that situation into a very good one for themselves, and they have won the game very comfortably. "This is a series win for them that has been very well-deserved."

Complete Scoreboard Australia (1st Innings):

M HAYDEN c Duminy b Ntini 8

S KATICH b Steyn 54

R PONTING c Amla b Harris 101

M HUSSEY c Boucher b Steyn 0

M CLARKE not out 88

A SYMONDS c Kallis b Morkel 27

B HADDIN c Smith b Ntini 40

B LEE c Kallis b Steyn 21

M JOHNSON b Steyn 0

N HAURITZ c Smith b Steyn 12

P SIDDLE c de Villiers b Kallis 19

Sundries (5b, 12lb, 7nb) 24

Total 394

Fall of wickets: 21 (Hayden), 128 (Katich), 143 (Hussey), 184 (Ponting), 223 (Symonds), 277 (Haddin), 322 (Lee), 326 (Johnson), 352 (Hauritz), 394 (Siddle).

Bowling: D Steyn 29-6-87-5, M Ntini 27-7-108-2 (1nb), J Kallis 18.4-4-55-1, M Morkel 22-3-89-1 (6nb), P Harris 17-3-38-1.

Batting time: 499 mins. Overs: 113.4.



South Africa (1st Innings):

G SMITH c Haddin b Siddle 62

N McKENZIE b Siddle 0

H AMLA c Symonds b Johnson 19

J KALLIS c Haddin b Hauritz 26

AB de VILLIERS b Siddle 7

J DUMINY c Siddle b Hauritz 166

M BOUCHER c Hussey b Hauritz 3

M MORKEL b Johnson 21

P HARRIS c Johnson b Hussey 39

D STEYN b Siddle 76

M NTINI not out 2

Sundries (5b, 13lb, 15nb) 33

Total 459

Fall of wickets: 1 (McKenzie), 39 (Amla), 102 (Kallis), 126 (Smith), 132 (de Villiers), 141 (Boucher), 184 (Morkel), 251 (Harris), 431 (Steyn), 459 (Duminy).

Bowling: B Lee 13-2-68-0 (7nb), P Siddle 34-9-81-4 (4nb), M Johnson 39-6-127-2 (3nb), N Hauritz 43-13-98-3 (1nb), M Clarke 8-0-26-0, M Hussey 5-0-22-1, A Symonds 11-3-14-0.

Batting time: 594 mins. Overs: 153.



Australia (2nd Innings):

M HAYDEN c Duminy b Steyn 23

S KATICH c Boucher b Steyn 15

R PONTING c Smith b Morkel 99

M HUSSEY c Amla b Morkel 2

M CLARKE c McKenzie b Steyn 29

A SYMONDS c Kallis b Steyn 0

B HADDIN c Kallis b Ntini 10

B LEE b Kallis 8

M JOHNSON not out 43

N HAURITZ b Kallis 3

P SIDDLE c Boucher b Steyn 6

Sundries (1b, 3lb, 5nb) 9

Total 247

Fall of wickets: 37 (Hayden), 40 (Katich), 49 (Hussey), 145 (Clarke), 145 (Symonds), 165 (Haddin), 180 (Lee), 212 (Ponting), 231 (Hauritz), 247 (Siddle).

Bowling: D Steyn 20.2-3-67-5 (1nb), M Ntini 14-1-26-1, M Morkel 15-2-46-2 (4nb), P Harris 21-1-47-0, J Kallis 14-1-57-2.

Batting time: 325 mins. Overs: 84.2.



South Africa (2nd Innings):

G SMITH lbw Hauritz 75

N McKENZIE not out 59

H AMLA not out 30

Sundries (9lb, 2w, 8nb) 19

Total (1 wkt) 183

Fall of wicket: 121 (Smith).

Bowling: B Lee 10-0-49-0 (6nb), P Siddle 14-5-34-0, M Johnson 11-1-36-0 (2w 1nb), N Hauritz 10-0-41-1 (1nb), M Clarke 3-0-14-0.

Batting time: 204 minutes. Overs: 48.

Result: South Africa won by 9 wickets

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Billy Doctrove (Dominica).

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI).

Third Umpire: Bruce Oxenford (Australia).

Snapshot of the fifth and final day SCORE - South Africa reached 1-183 to beat Australia by nine wickets. - South Africa reached 1-183 to beat Australia by nine wickets. MAN OF THE MOMENT - Graeme Smith. The captain's confident batting made sure South Africa never got the wobbles in their run-chase. His 75 gave him 1656 runs in 2008, at an average of 72. More importantly, it guided the Proteas to a maiden series win on Australian soil. Pity he wasn't at the crease at the end.

KEY MOMENT - Securing victory is a moment South African fans will cherish. The honour fell to Hashim Amla, who tucked Michael Clarke to square leg for two to win the Test and the series. STAT OF THE DAY - For Australia, 16 years - that was the last time they lost a series at home. For South Africa, their maiden series victory on Australian soil came 98 years after they first toured this country.

QUOTE OF THE DAY - "It's got to be the best." - Smith rates this achievement, amid an outstanding 2008, as the greatest in South African cricket history. SUMMARY - Hail the new kings. South Africa followed their superb victory in Perth with a brilliant win at the MCG, having been on the ropes after the second day. Their series win caps a magnificent 2008. Australia remain the world's best Test side on rankings, but change is upon us. The Proteas would officially become No.1 if they can produce a series whitewash, with the third Test to start in Sydney on Saturday. Australia and South Africa in Test cricket 2008

AUSTRALIA January

Beat India by 122 runs at SCG

Lost to India by 72 runs at WACA Ground

Drew with India at Adelaide Oval

Won series 2-1 (after winning first Test at MCG in 2007)

May/June

Beat the West Indies by 95 runs at Kingston

Drew with the West Indies at Antigua

Beat the West Indies by 87 runs at Bridgetown

Won series 2-0 October/November

Drew with India at Bangalore

Lost to India by 320 runs at Mohali

Drew with India at New Delhi

Lost to India by 172 runs at Nagpur

Lost series 2-0 November/December

Beat New Zealand by 149 runs at Gabba

Beat New Zealand by an innings and 62 runs at Adelaide Oval

Won series 2-0

December

Lost to South Africa by six wickets at WACA Ground

Lost to South Africa by nine wickets at MCG

Trail series 2-0 with third Test to be played at SCG TOTAL - Played 14 Tests, won 5, lost 5, drew 4

SOUTH AFRICA January

Beat the West Indies by seven wickets at Cape Town

Beat the West Indies by an innings and 100 runs at Durban

Won series 2-1 (after losing the first Test at Port Elizabeth in 2007) February/March

Beat Bangladesh by five wickets at Mirpur

Beat Bangladesh by an innings and 205 runs at Chittagong

Won series 2-0

March/April

Drew with India at Chennai

Beat India by an innings and 90 runs at Ahmedabad

Lost to India by eight wickets at Kanpur

Drew series 1-1 July/August

Drew with England at Lord's

Beat England by 10 wickets at Headingley

Beat England by five wickets at Edgbaston

Lost to England by six wickets at The Oval

Won series 2-1

November

Beat Bangladesh by an innings and 129 runs at Bloemfontein

Beat Bangladesh by an innings and 48 runs at Centurion

Won series 2-0 December

Beat Australia by six wickets at WACA Ground

Beat Australia by nine wickets at MCG

Lead series 2-0 with third Test to be played at SCG TOTAL - Played 15 Tests, won 11, lost 2, drew 2

Where Australia's Test series defeat to South Africa ranks. * First series defeat at home since they lost 2-1 to the West Indies in 1992-93

* First series defeat to South Africa since they lost 4-0 in South Africa in 1969-70 * Only third series defeat to South Africa in 21 series, after the 3-1 defeat in 1966-67 and the 4-0 defeat in 1969-70, both in South Africa * Eighteenth series defeat at home in 131 years

* Just fifth series defeat in the past decade, after Sri Lanka 1999, India 2001, England 2005 and India 2008 (all away). Looking ahead to the third Test in Sydney:

*A South African win would make them the world's No.1 Test team



* It would be only the second time Australia has been whitewashed at home, after England won 2-0 in 1886-87 * It would be only the sixth time Australia has been whitewashed in a Test series - England won 3-0 in England in 1886, England won 2-0 in Australia in 1886-87, England won 2-0 in England in 1890, South Africa won 4-0 in South Africa in 1969-70 and Pakistan won 3-0 in Pakistan in 1982-83