MELBOURNE, Dec 30: South Africa made history on Tuesday when they won a Test series in Australia for the first with a nine-wicket rout of Rickey Ponting’s men on the final day of the second Test at the MCG.

South Africa also became the first team in 16 years to beat the Aussies on home soil since the all-conquering West Indies won here in 1992-93.

Resuming on 30-0 in search of 183, they needed 42 more overs with skipper Graeme Smith blasting 10 fours in a commanding innings of 75. Neil McKenzie made an unbeaten 59 and Hashim Amla (30) hit the winning runs.

If South Africa win the final Test in Sydney they would seal Australia's first whitewash since 1984 and replace them as world number one.

Australian cricket’s iconic MCG was awash with empty seats, but there was a sprinkling of South Africans in attendance to see their team take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series 15 overs into the afternoon session.

Inspirational skipper Smith, who became South Africa's youngest captain at the age of 22 in 2003, looked set to be there at the finish, but after recording his 24th Test fifty he succumbed to a quicker ball from off-spinner Nathan Hauritz.

There was a hint of rain in the air when play resumed after lunch, with the Proteas requiring just 51 further runs for victory, but it did not materialise.

McKenzie had struggled for form earlier in the series with 12 runs in three previous innings and was bowled off a no-ball when on just two by Brett Lee.

But he stepped down the pitch to launch Hauritz back over his head for a superb six, and having surviving some confident lbw appeals from Lee and Mitchell Johnson, he recorded his 16th Test fifty. There was a stroke of good fortune about the boundary off Johnson that did it, however, Matthew Hayden fumbling a difficult low chance to his right at first slip.

By that stage only 31 were needed in any case, and less than 10 overs later it was all over, Amla clipping Michael Clarke through mid-wicket for two.

Smith praised his team's collective effort, but gave special mention to Jean-Paul Duminy.

“Everyone has contributed and made it count,” he said. “Who could have said we would have batted so well at eight, nine and ten the other day, and JP's knock was an incredible achievement for such a young guy.”

Dale Steyn, who took 10 wickets in the game and scored 76 in the first innings was deservingly named Man-of-the-Match.

Australia had seemed in a commanding position during the opening match in Perth, before a remarkable fight-back by South Africa saw the visitors chase down an unlikely 414.

Smith's side came from behind equally strongly at the MCG, where they ended the second day at 198-7 – nearly 200 runs behind.

But a ninth-wicket partnership of 180 between Duminy and Steyn helped turn the game around, and Steyn's five-wicket haul in the second innings reduced Australia to 247.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 394 (R.T. Ponting 101, M.J. Clarke 88 not out, S.M. Katich 54, B.J. Haddin 40; D.W. Steyn 5-87).

SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 459 (J.P. Duminy 166, D.W. Steyn 76, G.C. Smith 62; P.M. Siddle 4-81).

AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings) 247 (R.T. Ponting 99, M.G. Johnson 43 not out; D.W. Steyn 5-67).

SOUTH AFRICA (2nd Innings, overnight 30-0):

G.C. Smith lbw b Hauritz 75

N.D. McKenzie not out 59

H.M. Amla not out 30

EXTRAS (LB-9, W-2, NB-8) 19

TOTAL (for one wkt, 48 overs) 183

FALL OF WKT: 1-121.

BOWLING: Lee 10-0-49-0 (6nb); Siddle 14-5-34-0; Johnson 11-1-36-0 (1nb, 2w); Hauritz 10-0-41-1 (1nb); Clarke 3-0-14-0.

RESULT: South Africa won by nine wickets.

UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and B.R. Doctrove (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: B.N.J. Oxenford (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Dale Steyn.

FIRST TEST: Perth, South Africa won by six wickets.

THIRD TEST: Sydney, Jan 3-7.—Agencies