CAPE TOWN, March 12: Australia’s Ricky Ponting pulled Paul Adams for six to reach his century and secure a series-clinching four-wicket victory in the second Test against South Africa Tuesday.

After thrashing the home side by an innings and 360 runs in the first Test, Australia’s victory has underlined their status as the best side in world cricket.

Chasing 331 to win, Australia reached 334 for six shortly before tea with Ponting finishing on 100 not out — his 10th Test hundred in 55 matches.

Matthew Hayden contributed a swashbuckling 96 as Australia scored the ninth highest fourth innings total to win a match with more than a session to spare.

Four more runs would have made Hayden the first man since Sir Don Bradman to score centuries in five consecutive Tests.

Man-of-the-Match Shane Warne, who took 6-161 in the South African second innings, was 15 not out at the end of his 100th Test. The final Test starts in Durban Friday.

Ponting rode his luck at times and, on 80, survived a confident appeal for a catch down the leg side off spinner Adams that was turned down by umpire Steve Bucknor.

He reached his 50 with three consecutive fours off Dewald Pretorius and celebrated reaching 100 with a dance which began as the ball was still flying over the boundary ropes.

South Africa briefly threatened to stage an unlikely fightback after lunch when Adams picked up two wickets in two overs. First captain Steve Waugh was bowled on 14 by a superb chinaman which spun through the gate and then Damien Martyn was trapped lbw sweeping across the line for a duck.

Adam Gilchrist then pulled a Jacques Kallis bouncer straight to midwicket but Ponting and Warne confidently collected the final 26 runs Australia required to close the game out.

Resuming on 50 not out overnight, Hayden achieved his first objective almost immediately, hitting the awkward left-arm spin of Adams out of the attack with 18 runs off his first two overs, including a six smashed high over mid-on.

South Africa have struggled to come up with a plan to deal with Hayden throughout the southern summer and he continued to blaze the ball to the boundary, pulling and driving with great power.

When he fell it was to a sucker punch. Kallis tempted him several times with deliveries wide of off stump and when he chased the widest of them all, Hayden tickled it through to Mark Boucher.

His 96 came off 141 balls and included 15 fours as well as the six.

Hayden has now scored 710 runs in his last five Tests against South Africa at average of 101.4. Bradman scored hundreds in six consecutive Tests, all against England, between 1936 and 1938.

Like his brother Steve, Mark Waugh fell cheaply. On the stroke of lunch, he was adjudged caught behind off Ntini for 14.