KEY POINTS:
Australia opener Matthew Hayden smashed the fastest century in World Cup history yesterday to help propel the world champions to an 83-run win over South Africa in the key Group A match.
Hayden needed only 66 balls, one delivery less than Canadian John Davison's effort against West Indies
in 2003, to reach his century before he was caught for 101.
Captain Ricky Ponting scored 91 to bring up 10,000 one-day runs - and his two sixes gave him the most sixes in World Cups - and Michael Clarke scored 92 in Australia's 377 for six, their highest World Cup total.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers put on 160 for the first wicket but after Shane Watson brilliantly ran out de Villiers for 92 the innings lost momentum.
Smith, forced to retire hurt with cramp after scoring 72, added only two more on his return before he was caught and the innings finally closed on 294 with two overs to spare.
The win allowed Australia to carry two points into the Super Eights starting this week.
Adam Gilchrist and Hayden tore into the South African bowling and Australia reached 100 off 81 balls when Hayden drove medium pacer Andrew Hall over extra cover for six.
Fast bowler Charl Langeveldt separated the openers in the 15th over with 106 runs on the board. Gilchrist fell for 42 after steering a mistimed cut to Herschelle Gibbs at backward point.
Hayden claimed his record in the 23rd over with a straight six off Smith.
The left-hander was dismissed seven balls later when he looped a delivery from fast bowler Jacques Kallis to Gibbs at backward point.
Hayden faced 68 balls in all and hit 14 fours and four sixes in his chanceless innings.
Ponting and Clarke ensured that Australia maintained the pace with a brisk stand of 161 for the third wicket.
Ponting scored a run-a-ball 91 while Clarke hit 92 off 75 balls. Clarke was dropped on eight by De Villiers and again on 56 by Gibbs. Pollock's nought for 83 was his worst effort in his 277 one-day internationals.
Smith and De Villiers kickstarted South Africa's reply with a free flowing partnership.
None of Australia's bowlers threatened the openers, and it was left to Watson to end the stand with a stunning direct hit from the backward square leg boundary to run out De Villiers for 92 in the 21st over.
The South Africans' last real hope was snuffed out in the 41st over when Smith miscued a sweep off Brad Hogg and was caught by Gilchrist for 74.
Hogg took three for 61.
Stats
10,000 ODI Runs
* 14,847 Sachin Tendulkar (India) 384 matches 374 innings
* 11,739 Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) 378, 350
* 11,675 Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) 382, 371
* 10,632 Saurav Ganguly (India) 289, 279
* 10,217 Brian Lara (West Indies) 293, 283
* 10,125 Rahul Dravid (India) 313, 290
* 10,083 Ricky Ponting (Australia) 272, 266
Most Sixes In World Cup Careers
* 27 Ricky Ponting (Australia) from 31 matches
* 25 Saurav Ganguly (India) from 21 matches
* 22 Viv Richards (West Indies) from 23 matches
* 22 Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa) from 18 matches
* 20 Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) from 30 matches
* 19 Sachin Tendulkar (India) from 36 matches
Australia v South Africa
Australia
A. Gilchrist c Gibbs b Langeveldt 42
M. Hayden c Gibbs b Kallis 101
R. Ponting c de Villiers b Ntini 91
M. Clarke run out 92
A. Symonds b Hall 18
M. Hussey c Kallis b Hall 5
S. Watson not out 14
Extras (4lb, 9w, 1nb) 14
--Total for six wickets (50 overs) 377
Fall: 1/106, 2/167, 3/328, 4/347, 5/353, 6/377.
Bowling: S. Pollock 10-0-83-0 (6w), M. Ntini 9-0-68-1, C. Langeveldt 10-0-82-1 (3w, 1nb), A. Hall 10-0-60-2, G. Smith 2-0-14-0, J. Kallis 9-0-66-1.
South Africa
G. Smith c Gilchrist b Hogg 74
AB. de Villiers run out 92
J. Kallis c Clarke b Hogg 48
H. Gibbs st Gilchrist b Hogg 17
A. Prince c Hayden b McGrath 1
M. Boucher b Tait 22
J. Kemp lbw b Tait 1
S. Pollock b Watson 7
A. Hall not out 8
C. Langeveldt b Bracken 0
M. Ntini b Bracken 7 10 8 1 0 87.50
Extras (11w, 1nb, 5pen)17
--Total (48 overs)294Fall: 1/160, 1/184 (Smith, retired not out), 2/220, 3/223, 4/256, 5/264, 6/267, 7/277, 8/279, 9/280.
Bowling: N. Bracken 9-0-40-2, S. Tait 10-0-61-2 (1nb, 4w), G. McGrath 9-0-62-1, S. Watson 8-1-46-1 (2w), G. Hogg 10-0-61-3 (1w), A. Symonds 2-0-19-0.
- REUTERS