Morkel Stars as South Africa Level Series

Port Elizabeth: A four-wicket haul from Morne Morkel helped South Africa defeat Australia by 80 runs in the second one-day international on Sunday.

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat at St George's Park, notching 6-303 from their 50 overs in Port Elizabeth.

In response, Australia were all out for 223, with Morkel (4-22) the chief architect of their demise.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Dale Steyn both bagged two wickets each, as South Africa levelled the three-match series 1-1.

The home side made a bad start to their innings, with danger man Hashim Amla out for a first-ball duck to Doug Bollinger.

But they responded in style, as first drop Jacques Kallis top scored with 76, compiled during a decisive 141-run partnership with Graeme Smith.

There were three other half centuries for South Africa, with Smith (57), JP Duminy (56) and David Miller (59) all making valuable contributions.

Australia lost the services of Shane Watson in the field when he suffered a back injury delivering the final ball of his fourth over.

And the tourists' remaining bowlers struggled to make any headway, with Bollinger (2-64) the only man to pick up more than one wicket.

Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty and Steve Smith had one apiece, while Mitchell Johnson (0-56) was both expensive and empty-handed for his 10 overs.

Australia's run chase suffered two early blows with the cheap dismissal of former captain Ricky Ponting and his successor Michael Clarke.

Ponting, opening in place of Watson, was caught by Faf du Plessis off Tsotsobe for 10 and Clarke fared even worse, edging Morkel to the slips after making just one run.

Their departure left Australia a shaky 2-37.

Surviving opener David Warner (74) and Michael Hussey (37) rallied with a third-wicket partnership of 71.

But when Hussey was run out by a combination of Johan Botha and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, it effectively signalled the end of the visitors' chances.

Steve Smith kept up the fight with a cameo of 26, but Morkel struck to remove Warner and the stricken Watson could only contribute 15 before falling to Tsotsobe.

The lower order offered no more than token resistance, with Brad Haddin (13), Doherty (10) and Cummins (11) merely prolonging the inevitable.

The third and final ODI takes places at Durban's Kingsmead Cricket Ground on Friday.

Brief scores
South Africa 303 for 6 (Kallis 76, Miller 59, Smith 57, Duminy 56)
Australia 223 (Warner 74, Morkel 4-22)
Result South Africa beat Australia by 80 runs
MOM Morne Morkel (South Africa)