Australia are losing their grip on world supremacy in one-day cricket after crashing to a 25-run loss in the third game of the series against South Africa in Cape Town.
South Africa hold a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with game four to be played in Port Elizabeth on Monday.
The series winner will claim the top ranking.
South Africa won the toss and Mitch Johnson's 4-34 couldn't prevent the Proteas scoring 6-289 in front of 19,094 fans.
Australia slumped to 5-114 in reply before Callum Ferguson and James Hopes added 97 for the sixth wicket. Ferguson's 63 from 83 balls was his highest ODI score and his second successive half-century.
Ferguson was spinner Roelof van der Merwe's third victim (3-37), caught at cover in the 45th over.
Johnson was run out for eight, while Hopes hit 63 not out to equal his best ODI score and Brett Geeves was unbeaten on 10, batting with a runner.
The tourists had struggled early with opener Brad Haddin run out for 15 and Ricky Ponting falling to spinner Johan Botha for 20.
Michael Clarke lost patience on 35 and was bowled by Van Der Merwe and Mike Hussey (1) fell lbw in the same over at 4-83.
Hussey appeared angry with South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, 60, who didn't see or hear the batsman edge the ball onto his pads.
David Hussey (20) was caught at long on from the bowling of spinner JP Duminy in the 31st over at 5-114.
Earlier, Australia's seam bowlers Nathan Bracken (1-58), Brett Geeves (1-67) and James Hopes (0-64) all proved expensive.
South Africa's Jacques Kallis scored a stylish 70, adding 114 for the third wicket with AB De Villiers, who was next man out for 80.
Mark Boucher (28 not out) and Albie Morkel (29) smashed 53 runs in five overs before Morkel was bowled by Johnson in the final over.
With Indian Premier League's Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne looking on approvingly from his team's corporate box, Australia had begun well in the field.
Graeme Smith was first out for South Africa, caught behind off Johnson for eight.
Bracken lured Herschelle Gibbs (26) into a slog to mid-wicket at 2-50.
Kallis fell to Geeves at 3-164 and Johnson removed the dangerous De Villiers in the 41st over but the Proteas scored 94 runs in their final 10 overs.
"Tonight we ended up not doing much right and losing the game by 25 runs. We just need to lift our standards a little bit," Ponting said.
Kallis was named man of the match for his 70 runs off 88 deliveries.
"We were really fortunate that Jacques and AB got some momentum in their partnership," Smith said.
"Everything worked out perfectly. We just want to finish the season on a high note."
SCOREBOARD
< p>South Africa Innings Mins Balls 4s 6s
G SMITH c Haddin b Johnson 8 25 14 1 0
H GIBBS c Hopes b Bracken 26 60 47 3 0
J KALLIS c Hopes b Geeves 70 111 86 5 0
AB de VILLIERS c Hauritz b Johnson 80 98 87 7 0
JP DUMINY c M Hussey b Johnson 32 36 26 2 1
A MORKEL b Johnson 29 39 25 2 1
M BOUCHER not out 28 26 15 1 2
R VAN DER MERWE not out 6 1 4 0 1
Sundries (4lb 2w 4nb) 10
Six wickets for 289
Fall: 28 (Smith), 50 (Gibbs), 164 (Kallis), 198 (de Villiers), 230 (Duminy), 283 (Morkel).
Bowling: M Johnson 10-2-34-4, N Bracken 10-0-58-1 (1w), B Geeves 10-0-67-1 (1w 4nb), N Hauritz 8-0-37-0, J Hopes 8-0-64-0, D Hussey 4-0-25-0.
Batting time: 207 mins. Overs: 50.
Australia Innings Mins Balls 4s 6s
B HADDIN run out (Duminy) 15 38 34 1 0
M CLARKE b van der Merwe 35 88 49 2 0
R PONTING c & b Botha 20 34 35 2 0
D HUSSEY c Steyn b Duminy 20 40 33 0 0
M HUSSEY lbw van der Merwe 1 2 4 0 0
C FERGUSON c de Villiers b van der Merwe 63 78 68 6 0
J HOPES not out 63 83 60 5 0
M JOHNSON run out (Duminy) 9 4 6 0 1
B GEEVES not out 10 18 11 1 0
Sundries (5b 14lb 9w) 28
Seven wickets for 264
Fall: 30 (Haddin), 66 (Ponting), 80 (Clarke), 83 (M Hussey), 114 (D Hussey), 211 (Ferguson), 226 (Johnson).
Bowling: D Steyn 10-0-44-0 (3w), W Parnell 9-0-47-0, J Kallis 4-0-19-0, A Morkel 5-0-33-0, J Botha 10-1-59-1 (1w/5), R van der Merwe 10-0-37-3 (1w), JP Duminy 2-0-6-1.
Batting time: 202 mins. Overs: 50.
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (RSA), Asoka de Silva (SRI).
Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI).
Third Umpire: Brian Jerling (RSA).
Result: South Africa won by 25 runs
Series: South Africa lead five match ODI series 2-1
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