Andrew Symonds proved his army of critics wrong as an aggressive Australian cricket side, infuriated by beam balls from Waqar Younis, beat Pakistan by 82 runs in the World Cup match in Johannesburg.

Symonds played one of the great one-day innings, 143no from 125 balls with 18 fours and two sixes, on a difficult pitch against a trio of top-quality fast bowlers to rescue Australia from trouble at 4-86 from 15.5 overs.

Australia made 8-310.

Captain Ricky Ponting then screamed at his players as they ran out to field on the ground known as 'The Bullring', slapping them on the back and geeing them up like they were a team of footballers.

Symonds took a superb catch off Yousuf Youhana (27) at deep backward square leg during Pakistan's innings of 228, diving forward and taking the ball just above the turf, celebrating wildly with his team-mates. It had been his day.

Symonds was incensed when Waqar gave him two beam balls in an over.

The first may have slipped out of Waqar's hand but the second appeared to be less accidental, narrowly missing Symonds' head before he jumped to his feet, stormed down the pitch and expressed his displeasure.

Waqar began shouting back at Symonds before umpire David Shepherd, who clearly disapproved of the deliveries, intervened and Waqar was withdrawn from the attack.

Hounded, even ridiculed, over the last month for failing to produce a performance to justify the faith shown in him by Ponting and selectors, Symonds - only chosen today because Shane Warne, Darren Lehmann and Michael Bevan were unavailable - struck the fourth highest limited overs score by an Australian at the most opportune time.

He consistently found the middle of the bat, gaps in the field and the boundary, hugging batting partner Ian Harvey when he reached 100. He waved his bat in delight at the Australian dressing room, where Ponting and the others were giving a standing ovation.

Symonds averaged four with the bat during the tri-series at home.

The win ranked as one of Australia's best given the drama surrounding Warne's positive drug test, recent injuries to Bevan, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, last month's suspension of Lehmann for a racial remark, the quality of opposition and the loss of early wickets.

Pakistan struggled to reach 200, let alone 300.

Gillespie struck first when big-hitting Shahid Afridi gave wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist a catch behind for Pakistan to be 1-9 from four overs.

Brett Lee beat Taufeeq Umar (21) for pace with his second ball, then McGrath enticed a fine edge from Inzamam-ul-Haq (six).

Ian Harvey - another to be called up at the last minute - took a wicket with his first ball, a slower one which Saleem Elahi (30) lofted to Lee at mid-on, and Pakistan was gone at 4-81.

Younis Khan (19) tried to hit a waist-high full toss from Brag Hogg into downtown Jo'burg but succeeded only in throwing his bat to square leg and giving Ponting the simplest catch.

Rashid Latif came in and started hitting sixes all over the place and Wasim Akram slogged a few boundaries but it was all too late. They both made 33. Hogg bowled Latif with a leg-break and pointed the way to the change rooms.

Harvey took 4-58 and Hogg 3-54 while McGrath (1-39), Gillespie (1-28), Lee (1-37) shared the rest of the spoils.

Harvey almost pulled off the catch of the last two millenniums.

He dropped a blazing caught and bowled chance only to attempt to kick the ball back up in the air as he fell to the ground, only just failing to do so. McGrath took a diving catch to his left - somehow in his right hand - to finish off the Pakistanis.

Australia's next match is against India at Centurion on Saturday.

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