A remarkable late-scoring blitz by Mike Hussey and Andrew Symonds galloped Australia to a formidable 7-281 against South Africa in the tri-series one-day cricket match at Telstra Dome.

Limited overs cricket's best two middle order batsmen did the job again by clobbering a stand of 109 from 76 balls to steer Australia out of the wobbles and into a position of dominance.

The home side was languishing at 5-167 after the Proteas launched a spin-inspired comeback, but Hussey hammered nine fours in a 44-ball 62 and Symonds thrashed 65 from 50, as Australia peeled off 98 from the final 10 overs.

Both men were out chasing quick runs in the final over from Johan van der Wath, who continually had deliveries smashed to the rope and ended up with the sore figures of 2-82 from 10 overs.

South Africa, chasing a win to seal its place in the finals against Australia, held sway for much of the innings, and was on top two thirds of the way through as captain Graeme Smith and fellow offspinner Johan Botha tied things up.

But Smith's gamble of bowling a 10th over himself backfired, as Symonds and Hussey took 19 from it.

They gorged 60 runs from the final four overs to bring the crowd to life during what had been a largely ho-hum afternoon.

Smith also could not call on his best bowler Shaun Pollock, who bowled beautifully for figures of 0-20 but was bowled out by the end of the 40th over.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting, back from a week's rest, chipped in with 53, but was gone just as he got rolling, when he smashed Botha flat and hard straight to van der Wath at deep mid-wicket.

Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath did not play after he returned home to Sydney on Thursday night for personal reasons.

McGrath's wife Jane has undergone treatment for cancer, but the bowler's manager Warren Craig would not discuss why he had returned home.

"Glenn's asked me that it remain private at the moment because it is a personal matter, so there'll be no more comment at this time," Craig said.

Brett Lee, who was initially to be rested from this match, took McGrath's place.

Ponting also declined to discuss McGrath's absence.

"He's gone home for personal reasons and that's all I want to say about it," he told Channel Nine at the toss.

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