April 5, 2002	Friday	Muharram 21, 1423

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DURBAN (South Africa), April 4: Adam Gilchrist thrashed a century as Australia wrapped up their limited overs series against South Africa by winning the fifth one-day international by eight wickets at Kingsmead here on Wednesday, partly reported in Thursday’s edition.

Gilchrist made the hosts pay for Jacques Kallis dropping him on 11, hammering 105 off 104 balls as Australia easily overhauled South Africa’s total of 267 for six, the best of the series by the host nation.

Australia took a winning 4-0 lead - the other match was tied - in the seven-game series as they became only the third team, and the first since Mark Taylor’s Australians in 1996/97, to win a one-day series or tournament in South Africa.

Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden (59) put on a record 170 for the first wicket to set up Australia’s victory after the hopes of a capacity crowd of 21,500 had been raised by South Africa’s attacking batting.

Gilchrist paid tribute to the Waugh twins, former skipper Steve and his former opening partner Mark, who were dropped before the start of the series.

“The new life and energy (in the team) is great,” said Gilchrist.

“But the guys who have left the side, with the Waugh boys an obvious example, have left behind a terrific team with a lot of belief.”

Australia were lucky not to be penalised for a slow over rate.

They had completed only 45 of their 50 overs at the scheduled supper break in the day-night game but match referee Cammie Smith of the West Indies decided a break of several minutes while ground staff struggled to move a sightscreen justified the time taken by the bowlers.

Smith’s decision soon seemed irrelevant, however, as Gilchrist went on the attack.

The left-handed Australian vice-captain was lucky, though, when he was missed at slip by Kallis off South African captain Shaun Pollock and survived another chance when he was on 58 when he top-edged a pull against Mornantau Hayward and Smith slipped as he ran in from deep midwicket.

Gilchrist hit some stunning shots as he raced to 50 off 42 balls and his century came off 97 deliveries, which included 12 fours and a swept six off Boje.

Fellow left-hander Hayden was content to feed the strike to his free-scoring partner as the previous Australian first wicket record against South Africa, 105 by Mark Taylor and Michael Slater in Melbourne in 1993/94 was beaten.

Hayden made 59 off 91 balls before he was bowled off an inside edge when he played back against Hayward.

Gilchrist was out 10 runs later when new cap John Kent took a good, sliding catch at deep backward square leg off Makhaya Ntini.

But Ponting (44 not out) and Damien Martyn (47 not out) maintained a rapid scoring rate as they put on an unbeaten 91 off 89 balls to take Australia to victory with 13 balls to spare.

“It was beyond my dreams to have wrapped up the series after five matches,” said Ponting.