Albie Morkel again provided the late hitting to guide South Africa to a three-wicket win against Australia in the third one-day international in Sydney.

Morkel's heavy scoring has proved invaluable for the visitors in the final overs so far in the series, and so it proved again as the 27-year-old all-rounder blasted 40 off 22 balls to help his side reach their target of 270 with 21 balls to spare.

Opener Herschelle Gibbs top-scored for the South Africans with 64 from 52 balls to provide the platform for his side to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Earlier, a middle-order collapse restricted Australia from posting a bigger total than they may have expected.

Rookie David Warner blasted 69 from 60 balls, but the hosts lost four for 44 in the middle overs before being bowled out for 269.

The Proteas nevertheless had to fight for the win and had Mark Boucher to thank for making an unbeaten 31 after coming to the crease with the game in the balance.

South Africa skipper Johan Botha, who kept the visitors in the contest with a superb spell of bowling returning figures of three for 32 from 10 overs, fittingly struck the winning runs.

Gibbs' half-century gave South Africa the start they were craving as the veteran opener blasted 10 boundaries and a six on his way to a rapid 64 off 52 deliveries.

Both openers received a life in the first over of the run-chase as first Ricky Ponting dropped Hashim Amla, before David Hussey put down a simple chance at backward point to let Gibbs off the hook and deny Shaun Tait an early breakthrough.

Amla's stay came to an abrupt end with his score on 13 when a horrible mix-up between the wickets gifted Australia the breakthrough.

Gibbs, meanwhile, continued to look threatening, blasting Mitchell Johnson over the extra-cover fence, while Jacques Kallis was content to nudge the ball around bringing up 10,000 runs in one-day internationals on his way to hitting 60.

Momentum turned when Johnson removed Gibbs who edged to Michael Hussey at slip before Nathan Bracken continued the revival by removing AB De Villiers cheaply, also caught by Hussey at first slip.

Australia's chances were further strengthened when Nathan Hauritz bowled JP Duminy for nine, and when Tait had Kallis caught behind the Australians were right back in it.

Boucher and Neil McKenzie (27) set about rescuing the innings, putting on 46 runs before McKenzie was caught short of his ground attempting to steal a run on the arm of Warner.

But Morkel, who was not without luck as Tait dropped a diving chance with his score on 10, was up to the task.

Australia head earlier appeared on course for a mammoth total but a steady flow of wickets saw the hosts bowled out for 269 in the final over.
The opening hour of play belonged to Warner who slammed six boundaries and two sixes to set the SCG alight and hand his side a dream start.

Warner's attack began in the fifth over blasting spearhead Dale Steyn for 15 runs.

The visitors turned to Kallis to try and stem the flow of runs but Warner showed the veteran all-rounder little respect sending his first delivery to the mid-wicket fence.

With momentum on their side the hosts opted to take their batting powerplay in the 17th over forcing Botha to bring Steyn back into the attack.
Despite the loss of both Warner and Shaun Marsh (43), the hosts made good use of the powerplay but the contest quickly turned in the visitors' favour when Australia lost three wickets for 23 runs in a damaging six-over period.