MELBOURNE, Jan 9: Damien Martyn smashed 96 off 56 balls to guide Australia to a 95-run victory over South Africa in the first full international Twenty20 game in Australia in Brisbane on Monday.

Test discard Martyn hit five sixes and seven fours to the delight of the 38,894-strong crowd at the Gabba. Andrew Symonds chalked up 54 not out off 26 balls in Australia’s 209 for three off their 20 overs.

Nathan Bracken took two wickets in South Africa’s third over and could have had a third had Martyn not dropped a simple catch from Graeme Smith, to ensure they were always behind the run rate and they were bowled out for 114 in 18.3 overs.

Smith (22), Mark Boucher (29) and Shaun Pollock (24) all got starts but pressure from Australia’s bowlers and fielders, who made some spectacular diving outfield catches, meant they were unable to capitalise.

Symonds and Martyn had put on 84 runs in 7.5 overs for Australia’s third wicket before Monde Zondeki had Martyn caught by Herschelle Gibbs with the score at 187 for three on the first ball of the final over.

Zondeki then conceded a wide and Symonds smashed 20 runs, including two sixes, off the remaining five balls to reach his half century.

Australia meet Sri Lanka in the first game of a triangular one-day series, also involving South Africa, in Melbourne on Friday.

Scoreboard

Australia

J. Hopes c Kallis b Pollock 17

D. Martyn c Gibbs b Zondeki 96

R. Ponting c Pollock b Botha 27

A. Symonds not out 54

M. Clarke not out 0

Extras (b4, lb3, w8) 15

Total (3 wkts, 20 overs) 209

Fall of wkts: 1-57, 2-104, 3-187

Bowling: Pollock 4-0-34-1 (2w), Kruger 4-0-29-0 (2w), Zondeki 3-0-41-1 (4w), Hall 4-0-38-0, Botha 4-0-43-1, Kallis 1-0-17-0

South Africa

G. Smith b Hopes 22

B. Dippenaar c Haddin b Bracken 1

H. Gibbs c Clark b Bracken 0

M. Boucher c Haddin b Clark 29

S. Pollock c Lewis b Symonds 24

J. Kallis run out 15

J. Rudolph not out 6

A. Hall c Hussey b Hopes 11

J. Botha c Katich b Symonds 2

G. Kruger c Martyn b Lewis 3

M. Zondeki b Lewis 0

Extras (w1) 1

Total (all out, 18.3 overs) 114

Fall of wkts: 1-7, 2-7, 3-38, 4-56, 5-92, 6-92, 7-106, 8-109, 9-114, 10-114

Bowling: Bracken 3-0-9-2, Lewis 3.3-0-18-2, Clark 4-0-35-1, Hopes 4-0-26-2, Symonds 4-0-26-2 (1w).—Agencies