Australia has gained some respectability with a 47-run victory over South Africa in Johannesburg in the fifth one-day international but still lost the series 3-2.
The hosts were set 304 to win after Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke helped Australia to a strong position and despite 82 from Herschelle Gibbs the Proteas crumbled in the latter half of their innings, collapsing from 4-213 to 256 all out with Mitchell Johnson taking 3-58 for the tourists.
Australia struck an important blow before skipper Graeme Smith (20 runs off 15 balls) could get fully into his stride.
The left-hander waved at a wide Nathan Bracken delivery in the eighth over and got a healthy edge which Haddin did well to hold on to high to his left.
That brought veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis to the crease and he immediately set about his task in combination with Gibbs.
The pair were untroubled as they easily kept pace with the required rate in a 104-run stand that was brought to an end by a dubious lbw decision against Gibbs.
The 35-year-old attempted to sweep Nathan Hauritz while on 82 and while the ball rapped his front pad, he had made a stride down the wicket which could have offered some doubt about the decision.
Kallis followed for 64 off 69 balls, caught by Haddin off Bracken, and there was little in the way of resistance from the lower order with only AB de Villiers (15) managing double figures outside the top four batsmen.
Earlier, Smith won the toss and inserted the Australians who were looking to earn back some respectability having already conceded the series 3-1.
The tourists had not won since the opening match, but were soon on the front foot through Haddin (64 off 66) and Clarke (66 off 60) who made full use of the early powerplays to clear the in-field with regularity in their opening 127-run stand.
Both fell in quick succession but skipper Ricky Ponting (40 off 45) and rookie Callum Ferguson (41 off 33) picked up the slack to have the Australians at one point 2-191 after 31 overs and dreaming of a total in excess of 350.
But when both fell - to soft dismissals - all momentum the Australians built was soon lost.
Ponting's dismissal, caught at mid-on as he went in search of back-to-back sixes off the part-time spin of JP Duminy, prompted a collapse of 4-23 in a four-over spell that left Australia on 7-246 and with more than 10 overs still to bat.
Instead of putting their foot on the gas the tourists were restricted to just trying to bat out their overs - a feat they achieved thanks to an unbeaten 57-run partnership between Michael Hussey (49) and Hauritz (24).
Duminy finished with figures of 3-48, while fellow spinner Roelof van der Merwe chipped in with 2-44 as the slow bowlers again restricted Australia, but its bowling attack ensured they kept the series deficit to just one.
Australia skipper Ponting said: "It's a great way for us to finish the tour."
"I'm disappointed with way we've played in the series as a group, but a few of the younger guys have had some impact on the game tonight and hopefully they can take that into the series against Pakistan."
De Villiers was named man of the series after hitting 240 runs in the five-match series and said: "I've had an awesome season but I have to say thanks to my team-mates for playing great cricket."
"I'm pretty relaxed and confident and enjoying my cricket at the moment."
Proteas skipper Smith added: "It's been a terrific summer for South African cricket, both teams deserve a lot of credit for the way the series has been played."
"It's been an interesting summer for me. There have been a lot of highs and some injuries thrown in there but I've battled through."
A fine century from Herschelle Gibbs led South Africa to a comfortable 61-run victory over Australia in the fourth one-day international in Port Elizabeth and an unassailable 3-1 series lead.
Dale Steyn was the star with the ball, claiming 4-44, and was given good support by the spinners as the visitors were dismissed for 256 in pursuit of 318.
Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting all made half-centuries, but it was not enough as they fell well short.
The Australians began their chase promisingly with a 129-run opening partnership in just over 20 overs, before the introduction of spin changed the game.
Johan Botha (1-48) was first to strike, ending Haddin's 61-ball 78 when he had the wicketkeeper caught at long-on by Wayne Parnell.
Roelof van der Merwe (3-46) then claimed a triple blow by removing Clarke (50), Callum Ferguson (three) and Michael Hussey (two) to leave the visitors limping at 4-151.
David Hussey and Ponting tried to rescue the situation, putting on 37 before the former also perished, this time caught and bowled by Steyn for 20.
The Australian skipper decided to take the batting powerplay in the 41st over and his decision initially looked like a good one as he plundered Steyn for four boundaries, whilst also raising his half-century in 66 balls.
But he went for one shot too many off the final delivery and was caught by Albie Morkel at mid-wicket for 53.
With Ponting went Australia's last chance of winning and only Mitchell Johnson and James Hopes (31) briefly threatened before South Africa dismissed its opponents in 45.5 overs.
Earlier, Gibbs made 110 and together with AB de Villiers (84) helped the Proteas tear into the visitors' bowling after Ponting had won the toss and elected to field first.
The home team started out slowly, putting on 46 before Graeme Smith (20) was out in the 11th over, chasing a wide ball from Hopes and sending a thick edge behind to Haddin.
Debutant Shane Harwood (2-57) followed that up by accounting for Jacques Kallis, caught at third man by Ferguson for 17, to leave the Proteas at 2-87.
But that was as good as it got for the tourists with Gibbs and De Villiers piling on the misery in a 136-run stand.
The pair reached their half-centuries in 62 and 51 balls respectively, followed by a run-a-ball hundred partnership.
The flamboyant opener brought up his 21st one-day ton in 106 deliveries as South Africa raced past 200 in the 36th over.
Ferguson then dropped De Villiers off Nathan Hauritz diving forward at long-on, but Gibbs perished not long afterwards when Clarke took a simple catch off Nathan Bracken at long-on, ending his 116-ball stay.
Johnson (2-59) removed Morkel (four) and De Villiers in quick succession, but the Australians did not help their chances by twice putting down JP Duminy in the deep.
The South Africa middle-order batsman was eventually out with the final delivery of the innings for 40, but he had already forged a 65-run partnership in just 44 balls with Mark Boucher (29 not out) to help the hosts end on 6-317.
Half-centuries from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers proved decisive as South Africa eased to a 25-run victory over Australia in the third one-day international in Cape Town on Friday morning.
Kallis and De Villiers shared a 114-run partnership for the third wicket to rescue the home side from early trouble to post 6-289.
The tourists struggled in their chase, with Callum Ferguson (63) and James Hopes (63 not out) only briefly threatening as outstanding fielding and Roelof van der Merwe's 3-37 restricted the visitors to 7-264.
They made a solid enough start in their response, reaching 30 before the first wicket fell - Brad Haddin run out via a direct hit from JP Duminy fielding at cover.
Ricky Ponting was then dropped twice in successive balls by Mark Boucher and Kallis, although the first chance to the South African wicketkeeper seemed to have been taken on the bounce.
Ponting had another close shave when he survived a run-out chance after running halfway down the track, only to be saved by a poor throw from Albie Morkel at mid-wicket.
But he finally perished for 20, caught and bowled after being outfoxed by a flighted delivery from spinner Johan Botha.
Van der Merwe was introduced into the attack and he struck a double blow in his third over, bowling Michael Clarke (35) and trapping Michael Hussey (one) leg before wicket, despite the batsman getting a big inside edge.
Duminy too was an instant hit when he was brought on to bowl, claiming the wicket of David Hussey (20) with his second ball, caught at long-on by Dale Steyn as Australia fell to 5-114.
But Ferguson brought up his fifty in 59 balls and shared a 97-run partnership with Hopes before he was dismissed when caught by de Villiers running back from cover off the bowling of van der Merwe.
Another brilliant piece of fielding by Duminy in the deep saw Mitchell Johnson (nine) run out as Australia fell well short of its target.
Earlier, after winning his first toss of the series and electing to bat, Graeme Smith was sent on his way in the seventh over when he walked down the track to Johnson (4-34) and edged a seaming delivery behind to Haddin.
Herschelle Gibbs was next to go when he holed out to a good catch by Hopes at deep mid-wicket off Nathan Bracken.
But in company with de Villiers, Kallis reached his fifty from 69 balls. And Kallis soon followed him to a half-century, at a marginally quicker tempo.
Brett Geeves grabbed a fortuitous breakthrough when Kallis (70) slammed a short and wide delivery straight to Hopes.
Johnson then removed de Villiers for 80 with a slower delivery that took a leading edge and was snapped up by Nathan Hauritz at mid-off.
After Duminy had smashed Johnson straight to Michael Hussey at cover, Boucher and Morkel plundered late runs.
Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn shared eight wickets to set South Africa on its way to a seven-wicket win over Australia in the second one-day international in Pretoria.
Chasing 132 for victory after the tourists had totalled 131 all out, Graeme Smith (40) led the South African charge as it eased to victory with more than 23 overs to spare.
It was all set up by career-best figures from Parnell (4-26) and Steyn (4-27), who had reduced the Australians to 5-19 before returning at the death to finish off Ricky Ponting's side in 40.2 overs.
It was Australia's third lowest total ever batting first in ODI cricket, having twice before scored 101.
Steyn began the carnage when he tempted Brad Haddin (one) to chase a wide ball in the first over that was played onto his stumps by the wicketkeeper.
After a maiden in his first over, Parnell sent in a seaming delivery to Ponting (eight), whose attempted drive took the outside edge and was snapped up by a diving Mark Boucher.
The paceman then fired an inswinger into the right-handed Michael Clarke, trapping him plumb leg before wicket for five, before a poor shot from David Hussey (one) led to his departure - the tourists' No.4 slashing at the ball outside off-stump and nicking behind to Boucher.
Parnell's late movement then saw Michael Hussey (three) caught on the crease lbw as the Australians slumped at 5-19 in just the eighth over.
James Hopes looked like he settled in quickly, striking two fours early in his innings, but he went for a shot too many attempting to cut Jacques Kallis (1-11) through point and edged to Johan Botha at first slip.
It could have been even worse for the visitors when new man Mitchell Johnson was dropped an over later by Albie Morkel - the all-rounder spurning a tough return chance diving forward.
Johnson recovered though and along with Callum Ferguson raised the half-century stand in 75 balls, before taking the score past 100 in 29th over.
But the partnership ended on 63 when Botha surprised Johnson with a turning delivery that trapped him lbw for 30.
Ferguson brought up his half-century in 82 balls, giving his side a rare moment to cheer, but then fell on the same score.
This time Steyn doing the trick with the South Australian trying to fend a bouncer that took a leading edge and AB de Villiers flew in from point to take a good diving catch inches off the ground.
Parnell then came back into the attack and claimed the wicket of Nathan Bracken (five), caught by JP Duminy running back from cover, before Nathan Hauritz was last man out when he edged Steyn straight to Boucher for 10.
The home side made a poor start to its response, losing Herschelle Gibbs (two), who was caught by Hauritz at cover while driving Johnson (2-47).
Smith and Kallis steadied the ship though, bringing up the half-century partnership in the 11th over, before their stand was ended at 69.
It was the captain who went, chipping a slower ball from Ben Laughlin straight to Clarke at mid-on.
Kallis followed five overs later for 31 when he got a faint nick off Johnson to Haddin, but Duminy (11) and De Villiers (36) helped South Africa square the series 1-1.
Nathan Hauritz claimed four wickets to help Australia post a record 141-run victory over South Africa in the first one-day international in Durban on Saturday morning.
Chasing 287 for victory, the Proteas were all out for 145 in just 33.1 overs as they suffered their worst defeat against Australia in the 50-over game.
Hauritz claimed the key wicket of Graeme Smith for 52 and looked dangerous throughout as the home side was bundled out for the paltry total after the visitors compiled 7-286, which was built around Michael Hussey's unbeaten 83.
Brad Haddin (53) also notched a half-century for the Australians, who recovered from being 4-115 just after the 20th over to post the third-highest total ever in an ODI at Kingsmead.
Like Makhaya Ntini did for the home side, Nathan Bracken struck early for the visitors when he tempted Hashim Amla to play at a wide ball that was tickled behind to Haddin for seven.
It was a bonus wicket for Australia which only appealed half-heartedly, but Amla walked off to leave his side at 1-17.
His opening partner Smith then survived a massive appeal for leg before wicket off Mitchell Johnson (2-24) that looked plumb, before helping his side fight back in a half-century stand with Herschelle Gibbs.
The South Africa No.3 was out not long after though when he was caught superbly by a diving Michael Clarke at point off James Hopes (2-24) for 33.
In the next over, AB de Villiers (two) was sent on his way, trapped lbw by Johnson, albeit through a poor decision from umpire Asoka de Silva after the ball took the bat before hitting the pad.
Smith then reached his fifty in 51 balls when he tapped Hopes for a single, before a double strike from Hauritz (4-29) saw the hosts slump from 3-110 to 5-112.
First the off-break bowler outfoxed the South African skipper with a flighted delivery that was played straight back to the bowler.
Mark Boucher then tried to sweep Hauritz but top-edged to Haddin without troubling the scorers.
Hopes and Johnson then combined to remove JP Duminy for 25 with a short ball from the former pulled via a mis-hit straight to the latter at mid-on.
And Johnson then sent in one of the deliveries of the day to get rid of Johan Botha - the ball was banged in and kicked off the pitch leaving the batsman no option but to try and fend off as it grazed the gloves and lobbed straight to Hussey at gully for eight.
Hauritz then claimed the key wicket of the dangerous Albie Morkel, stumped by Haddin for 14, before Dale Steyn (one) became Ben Laughlin's first ODI victim when he played an early shot and was caught by Hussey at short cover.
Morne Morkel (two) was the last man out caught in the deep by Laughlin off Hauritz with Ntini left not out on two.
Earlier, Michael Hussey was the star after captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat.
The scenario looked totally different at the start, after Ntini (1-67) put the tourists on the back foot when he sent in an angled delivery that Clarke tried to fend off and only succeeded in edging straight to Duminy at second slip for one.
Haddin and Ponting then dug in raising a half-century stand in just over 10 overs, before the skipper went for one shot too many and was done for by the Morkel brothers - Morne (2-61) the bowler this time and Albie taking a good catch paddling back from mid-on as the Australia No.3 failed to clear him and was on his way for 37.
Then came the first of two bizarre run-outs within the space of eight deliveries.
In the 21st over, Haddin dug out an Albie Morkel yorker towards de Villiers at backward point and took a step forward, inviting David Hussey to come charging down from the non-striker's end only to be easily run out for 18.
The Australian wicketkeeper then brought up his half-century from only 55 balls, before being himself run out.
This time new man Michael Hussey steered Botha down to Albie Morkel at third man for a single and was not interested in a second run, which did not faze his partner, who found himself way short to leave the visitors at 4-115.
Callum Ferguson then joined Hussey, putting on 50 in 71 balls, before Steyn (2-45) struck off the first delivery with the changed ball in the 35th over to end the partnership.
All-rounder Ferguson (25) was the one to go, slashing a wide delivery straight to Botha at third man.
Another half-century stand followed between Hussey and Hopes, with the former also raising his fifty from 61 balls as the tourists entered the last five overs taking their powerplay at 5-233.
But they were dealt two early blows, first losing Hopes (38), who was out caught by Steyn at short fine leg after walking across his stumps and trying to flick Morne Morkel over the fielder.
Johnson followed an over later when he swung at a widish Steyn delivery and feathered behind to Boucher for one.
But Hauritz (20 not out) offered Michael Hussey good support as they helped Australia set what proved to be a match-winning total.
Johan Botha led his team from the front to guide South Africa to a 17-run victory over Australia in the second Twenty20 international in Pretoria.
The Proteas captain took 2-16 runs and was given good support from debutants Yusuf Abdullah (1-16) and Roelof van der Merwe (1-30), while Johann Louw (2-36) also chipped in as the visitors were limited to 8-139.
Van der Merwe also made a useful contribution with the bat, slamming 48 from only 30 deliveries as the hosts posted 5-156.
In response, the tourists raced to 37 from only four and a half overs before they were pegged back by Albie Morkel, who managed to outfox David Warner walking down the wicket and yorked him for 20.
One run later, Abdullah sent a slanting delivery across Ricky Ponting, tempting him to drive, but he only managed to edge behind to Mark Boucher.
Botha brought himself on and, after going for only two in his first over, came back and bowled Michael Clarke going for a powerful sweep with the first ball of his second for 27, before hesitation between new man Callum Ferguson and David Hussey led to the former being run out.
Needing 92 from 54 balls, Hussey briefly threatened to emulate his 88 from 44 balls at the Wanderers on Friday before he was eventually out for 27.
The score was 101 at the time and only five more runs were added before the fall of the next wicket - Cameron White slogging a Botha delivery straight to JP Duminy on the boundary for 23.
Louw then came in to bowl the final over with Australia needing 27 to win and he struck with his second ball - James Hopes miscuing a slower ball to Morkel at mid-wicket for 18.
Nathan Bracken (nought) then top-edged his fifth ball, leaving Brad Haddin unbeaten on 16 and Australia 17 runs short of victory.
Earlier, Titans all-rounder Van der Merwe's innings proved the highlight in front of his home crowd at Supersport Park, thumping four sixes and two fours in his 30-ball innings to help the South Africans post a decent total after they were kept in check by the Australian bowlers.
Shane Harwood (2-21) and Hopes (1-26) were largely responsible for that after Ponting had earlier won the toss and decided to bowl.
Gibbs and Robin Peterson, who was promoted to open the batting, made a decent start, taking the score to 22 before the former was out for 20.
Seven balls later, another debutant in Ben Laughlin struck in his first over of international cricket when De Villiers went hard at a wide delivery but only managed to pick out White at short cover for a duck.
Peterson and Duminy began to build nicely thereafter with a 47-run partnership before Peterson gave himself too much room on the leg side and was bowled by Hopes for 34.
Duminy then walked across his stumps looking to paddle-sweep but completely missed the ball and was bowled by Harwood for 23.
Morkel (14 not out) and Boucher (nine not out) tried their best to up the tempo but were restricted by the Australians.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting was happy with the overall performance in the four-wicket loss to South Africa in the first Twenty20 international against South Africa, but not as pleased with the result.
The Aussies looked likely to win the match when the hosts needed 84 from 47 balls with only five wickets remaining.
However, Australia couldn't get the wickets it needed and South Africa won a thrilling encounter with just four balls to spare.
"I'm disappointed to lose the game, because we certainly got ourselves into a position in which we probably should have won," he said.
"That's what's the disappointing thing about it. If we hadn't gotten ourselves into that position then I wouldn't have been too disappointed."
"You want to win every game you play and we wanted to win tonight. We've trained well the last couple of days."
"We were a long way off our best cricket tonight, but the satisfying thing is that we had a very good chance to win the game."
Australia had several unfamiliar names in its team tonight, including Shane Harwood and Brett Geeves - who conceded 83 runs between them in 7.2 overs - and Ponting is hoping they can learn from the experience.
"Geeves and Harwood playing tonight, a couple of guys that have been the best performers in domestic cricket back in Australia, they deserved the opportunity to play," he added.
"Both would have learned a lot from the experience, they're bowling to good players on good wickets."
"It just goes to show in this game you've got to execute everything, almost perfectly as a bowler or you're going to go around the park."
"So, they'll learn a lot from that and the more games we can get into the younger guys, it's a chance for them to learn and for us it's a chance to learn more about them and the better off we'll obviously be."
Proteas captain Johan Botha was full of praise for Mark Boucher and Albie Morkel after they helped South Africa snatch the unlikely victory at the Wanderers.
Chasing 166, the Proteas looked well out of the game at 5-83 with just under eight overs remaining, before the pair put on 58 in five pulsating overs to edge the hosts closer to victory.
Morkel was eventually out for 37 off just 19 balls with the score on 141, but Boucher finished unbeaten on 36 to hand his side a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Speaking afterwards, the captain was full of praise for his wicketkeeper, who has come under intense pressure in recent months following his lack of contribution with the bat.
But Botha said: "He's done it many times before and he just showed us again tonight that he's probably our best finisher with Albie."
"He deserves his place in the team and has a lot of input off the field as well which makes him very valuable."
Reflecting on Morkel's performance, he continued: "I think he showed us all summer how good he can be."
"With 62 off 30, a lot of teams will think they're out of it, but with our two guys that were still in, we knew we were still in it."
"They showed that at the end and Albie's bowling too is important. He's a world-class all-rounder."
Botha admitted that the victory, only their second in a total of five against the Australians, was very pleasing.
"It was a really good win tonight," he added. "It got a bit tight, but with those two out there we had hope.
"That's what they get paid for, the big bucks, because they do it under pressure and they did it again tonight. But with those two in and with a long way to go, we knew we still had a chance."
The two sides have a day's rest before doing battle again on Sunday (SA time) at SuperSport Park.
A maiden career century from Mitchell Johnson was little consolation for Australia as Paul Harris grabbed six wickets to help South Africa wrap up the third Test by an innings and 20 runs in Cape Town.
The tourists, who won the opening two matches of the three-Test series, were all out for 422 on the fourth afternoon at Newlands to lose by an innings for the first time in exactly 11 years.
Harris, the slow left-armer, was the Proteas' star man in notching his best-Test haul of six for 127, but the day undoubtedly belonged to Johnson after he slammed an unbeaten 123 in just 103 balls to help his side go down fighting.
He was given superb support from Andrew McDonald, who made 68 to share a 163-run partnership for the seventh wicket, as the visitors tried their best to make the home side bat again.
But the dismissal of the Victorian all-rounder spelt the beginning of the end, which came when Harris sent Ben Hilfenhaus on his way to hand the Australians a first innings defeat since they lost to India at Calcutta in 1998.
The day began with Ricky Ponting's men playing a game of patience, which saw them score a mere 40 runs in the morning session.
They had to wait until the sixth over of the day for their first run, which came courtesy of a fine cover drive by Michael Hussey off Makhaya Ntini for four.
Simon Katich had a real let-off in claiming his first run - Dale Steyn sent in a full delivery outside off stump that was chased after by the left-hander with the ball flying straight to Harris, who failed to hold on to a simple chance at gully.
The New South Wales batsman then brought up his half-century by walking across his stumps and swatting Albie Morkel down to the fine leg boundary for four.
But he was out for 54 not long after, playing a wide and tossed up delivery off Harris straight to JP Duminy at mid-off to end a 159-ball stay.
There was still time for another scare for the tourists, which came in the final over before lunch when Michael Clarke was given out caught behind by umpire Steve Bucknor - who was standing in his last-ever Test match.
Mark Boucher took a simple catch, but the batsman referred the decision on the grounds that he failed to get an edge on the Jacques Kallis delivery and replays revealed he was correct.
Australia headed into lunch at 142 for three.
Resuming after the break, Hussey's determined innings of 39 soon came to an end when he was surprised by a Steyn ball that kicked up off the pitch and succeeded only in finding Duminy at gully.
Brad Haddin came in with a little more intent and was handed a lifeline when he was put down in a Harris over by close fielder AB de Villiers in what was a tough chance that took the bat and pad along the way.
However, the bowler had his revenge in his next over when he tempted the Australian wicketkeeper to come down the track and attempt to lift him for four.
The ball only ended up being chipped into the air and Duminy ran back from mid-on to take a fine diving catch with Haddin gone for 18.
And Steyn then removed the last of the recognised batsmen, when he sent in a full length ball that Clarke tried to play through the covers, but the ball was played on to his stumps for 47 as the visitors reached tea at 231 for six.
But any hopes by the home side had of immediately wrapping up the Australia tail were thrown out the window by McDonald and Johnson's free-flowing stand.
The pair scored 116 runs in the first hour after tea, including raising the 50 partnership in just over nine overs.
McDonald brought up his first half-century off 56 balls when he drove Kallis for a single, which was followed by Johnson bludgeoning Morkel square of the wicket for four to raise his fourth Test fifty and third against South Africa that came from 51 balls.
The hundred partnership came from 91 balls, before Harris finally managed to put the brakes on when he claimed two wickets in two balls.
The first was that of McDonald, who was caught by the close in fielder De Villiers.
However, he was not convinced and went upstairs, with TV umpire Billy Bowden confirming his fate.
The very next ball, Harris forced Peter Siddle to try and defend and he too succumbed to the same man at silly point as the hosts sensed victory.
But Johnson, who made 96 not out in the first Test at the Wanderers, kept them waiting and brought up his maiden first-class hundred by pulling Steyn for a massive six over mid-wicket reaching his ton in just 86 balls.
In the next over though, he ran out new man Bryce McGain for a duck while attempting to retain the strike - substitute Sybrand Engelbrecht the fielder.
And with the light quickly fading, Hilfenhaus was last man out when he edged Harris to Ashwell Prince at first slip for 12 leaving South Africa to cherish a consolation victory.
Harris was the pick of the bowlers with his six wickets, while Steyn claimed three for 96.
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