Australia v South Africa, 5th ODI: Jimmy Faulkner hits winning runs as hosts triumph in series 4-1

James Faulkner struck the winning runs as Australia beat South Africa by two wickets via the Duckworth–Lewis method to win the ODI series 4-1.

The result at the Sydney Cricket Ground sees Australia take the No 1 ODI ranking off India.

Australia needed 281 to win originally, but that was reduced to 275 when two overs were lost after a rain break and the hosts looked to be cruising to victory thanks to 82 by Shane Watson, Aaron Finch’s 72 and a knock of 67 by Steve Smith.

But Australia suffered a wobble to slump from 264-4 to 268-8 before Faulkner struck a boundary to win the game in the final over.

Earlier, South Africa won the toss and opted to bat under cloudy skies, and though there was a short break for rain, they were able to bat out their 50 overs to post 280-6.

Quinton de Kock top-scored with 107, Farhaan Behardien notched a quick-fire 63 and Rilee Rossouw scored 51, with Pat Cummins taking three wickets. 

De Kock and Hashim Amla put on 54 before the latter was caught behind off Glenn Maxwell.

De Kock and Rossouw then built a strong partnership which passed fifty in the 22nd over.

Rossouw successfully reviewed after being given out caught behind off Smith and capitalised by bringing up his first ODI half-century, from 69 balls with five fours, but added only one more before miscuing Cummins to mid-on.

A 10-minute rain stoppage followed and from the first ball back, Faf du Plessis (2) became the second wicket to fall in Cummins' over - both caught by George Bailey.

David Miller made just five but De Kock reached a 117-ball ton with 13 fours, advancing to 107 before gloving an uppercut at Cummins (3-54) through to Matthew Wade.

Impressive

That was 206-5 but Berhardien struck fours in seven successive overs to move into the 40s and went on to an impressive 35-ball half-century.

He finished with 63 from 41 balls, adding two sixes to his boundary haul, while Wayne Parnell contributed 18 to a stand of 73 in nine overs.

In reply, Australia openers David Warner and Finch put on 37 in five overs before the former fell for 21, well caught by Robin Peterson off Parnell.

Watson got moving with back-to-back fours off Kyle Abbott before another short delay saw Australia's target revised to 275 in 48 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Finch reached 50 from 39 balls with two successive off-side fours off Peterson and after 15 overs Australia were 105-1.

Watson pulled Parnell for six but Finch was dismissed for 76 from 67 balls - appropriately via some of the tag-team boundary fielding he and Yorkshire colleague Adam Lyth specialised in last season as du Plessis teed up the catch for Rossouw.

Watson was on 36 at that stage and his half-century came up off 65 balls, with his fifth four to add to that maximum.

Australia took 30 runs from a batting powerplay in which Smith chopped an Abbott delivery onto his stumps but was reprieved by a no-ball call, and then survived when an edge to keeper De Kock was not spotted.

Watson fell for 82 from 93 balls but Smith responded with 10 runs in three balls and reached a 57-ball half-century with his fourth four, having also hit one six.

Glenn Maxwell could only manage seven and Smith's dismissal, for 67 from 74 balls to another good catch by Rossouw, sparked a collapse which saw Australia lose four wickets for three runs.

Bailey (four) chipped a fourth catch to Rossouw, Wade (three) charged Peterson and was bowled through a huge gate and the spinner also bowled Cummins without scoring as he finished with 4-32.

Eight runs were still needed but another Abbott no-ball allowed Faulkner a free hit, which yielded a single, and he held his nerve to hit the first ball of the last over for the winning boundary.