Johannesburg, March 12:

Ricky Ponting and his Australian team went on a world record rampage but Herschelle Gibbs inspired South Africa to an astonishing series victory in the fifth and final one-day international at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.

Ponting slammed a career-best 164 off 105 balls as Australia thrashed 434 for four, the highest total in one-day international history. But with Gibbs hammering 175 off 111 balls, South Africa replied with 438 for nine, winning by one wicket with one ball to spare when Mark Boucher drove Brett Lee to the mid-on boundary.

It was by far the highest-scoring one-day match of all time, with the aggregate of 872 runs beating the 693 amassed between India and Pakistan in Karachi in 2003/04 season.

Both totals easily eclipsed the previous world innings best of 398 for five by Sri Lanka against Kenya in Kandy during the 1996 World Cup. A capacity crowd of 32,000 roared South Africa to a 3-2 series victory after being stunned into silence by Australia’s assault after Ponting won the toss and made first use of what proved a perfect batting pitch, with the batsmen aided by a fast outfield.

Adam Gilchrist (55), Simon Katich (79) and Michael Hussey (81) made hard-hitting half-centuries as Australia dominated the attack.

Ponting reached 50 off 43 balls, his 20th one-day international century off 71 balls and 150 off 99 deliveries. His innings included nine sixes and 13 fours.

Every partnership was scored at better than a run a ball. Gilchrist and Katich made their 97 off 93 balls, the same number that were needed for the second wicket stand of 119 between Katich and Ponting. The innings went into overdrive when Ponting and Hussey hit 158 for the third wicket off 96 balls.

South Africa lost opener Boeta Dippenaar in the second over but South African captain Graeme Smith and Gibbs launched a full-scale assault in a second wicket stand of 187 off 127 balls.

Smith was out for 90, made off 55 balls, but Gibbs went on to make the highest score by any batsman in a one-day international against Australia. He reached 50 off 46 balls, 100 off 79 balls and 150 off 100 before he chipped off-spinner Andrew Symonds to mid-off. His innings included 21 fours and seven sixes. Adding to a day of records, Australian medium-pacer Mick Lewis was hammered for 113 runs off ten overs, becoming the first man to concede 100 runs in a one-day international.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA

A Gilchrist c Hall b Telemachus 55

S Katich c Telemachus b Ntini 79

R Ponting c Dippenaar b Telemachus 164

M Hussey c Ntini b Hall 81

A Symonds not out 27

B Lee not out 9

Extras: 19 (lb4, nb10, w5)

Total: 434/4 (50 overs)

FoW: 1-97, 2-216, 3-374, 4-407

South Africa bowling: Ntini 9-0-80-1,

Hall 10-0-80-1, Van der Wath 10-0-76-0, Telemachus 10-1-87-2, Smith 4-0-29-0,

Kallis 6-0-70-0, Kemp 1-0-8-0

SOUTH AFRICA

G Smith c Hussey b Clarke 90

B Dippenaar b Bracken 1

H Gibbs c Lee b Symonds 175

A Villiers c Clarke b Bracken 14

J Kallis c & b Symonds 20

M Boucher not out 50

J Kemp c Martyn b Bracken 13

J Wath c Ponting b Bracken 35

R Telemachus c Hussey b Bracken 12

A Hall c Bracken b Lee 7

M Ntini not out 1

Extras: 20 (b4, lb8, nb4, w4)

Total: 438/9 (49.5 overs)

FoW: 1-3, 2-190, 3-284, 4-299, 5-327, 6-355,

7-399, 8-423, 9-433

Australia bowling: Lee 7.5-0-68-1,

Bracken 10-0-67-5, Clark 6-0-54-0,

Lewis 10-0-113-0, Symonds 9-0-75-2,

Clarke 7-0-49-1

Man of the match: H Gibbs (S Africa) and Ricky Ponting (Australia)

Man of the series: S Pollock (S Africa)