Australia's world-record total wasn't enough to stop Herschelle Gibbs leading South Africa to a 3-2 one-day series victory, prompting skipper Ricky Ponting to heap praise upon Gibbs.

Australia scored a world-record 4-434 before South Africa replied with 9-438 to score a miraculous win with one ball to spare in the fifth and deciding match at the Wanderers Stadium.

Ponting's electrifying 164 sparked Australia's enormous total.

But man-of-the-match Gibbs scored a remarkable 175 from 111 balls before Mark Boucher (50 not out) hit the winning boundary off the fifth ball of the 50th over with No.1 batsman Makhaya Ntini one not out at the other end.

The pair then joined their team-mates in doing a victory lap in front of a capacity crowd of 32,000.

"It was just an amazing day. You just can't fathom the sort of batting that has taken place today really," Ponting said.

Captain Graeme Smith (90) and Gibbs set up the run chase with a second-wicket stand of 187.

"We had no defence mechanisms whatsoever against the way they were hitting the ball," Ponting said while declining to share the man-of-the-match award, saying Gibbs deserved it.

"Herschelle was out in the 32nd over for 175 - that's amazing batting.

"Although we bowled obviously very, very poorly, but they certainly played exceptionally well and deserved the win."

Victorian Mick Lewis conceded 0-113, grabbing an unwanted world record from Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (0-99) for most expensive bowling in an innings.

Left-armer Nathan Bracken took a career-best 5-67 for Australia on a batting wicket as batsmen from both sides cashed in on short boundaries and a fast outfield.

Ponting's 105-ball innings, including 13 fours and nine sixes, was his 20th one-day international hundred in his 250th match.

It also beat his previous highest score of 145 against Zimbabwe in Delhi eight years ago, falling nine runs short of Mark Waugh's Australian record of 173 against the West Indies in 2000-01.

The previous team record total was Sri Lanka's 5-398 against Kenya in Kandy in 1995-96.

Adam Gilchrist (55) and Simon Katich (79) gave Australia a flying start today with a 97-run opening stand and Katich shared a 119-run partnership with Ponting.

Mike Hussey (81) put on 158 for the third wicket with Ponting.

The Proteas had little firepower after resting injured pacemen Andre Nel and Shaun Pollock for Thursday's first Test in Cape Town.

Gibbs claimed two records for South Africa against Australia.

The exciting right-hander made the highest individual score, beating Smith's 119 at Centurion last month, and shared in a record second-wicket partnership with Smith which bettered the 140 between Kepler Wessels and Hansie Cronje in Melbourne in 1993-94.

Reaching his 16th hundred in 79 balls, Gibbs also beat his own national record of fastest ton of 84 balls against Zimbabwe.

Pollock was named man of the series.

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