Australia have drawn first blood in their blockbuster one-day international series with South Africa by recording a 32-run victory at Perth.
A valiant last-wicket stand of 46 still left the Proteas comfortably short of Australia's total of 300-8, which was spearheaded by George Bailey's well-paced 70.
The tourists brought the Aussies back to 144-5 after David Warner (46) and Aaron Finch (35) put on 94 for the opening partnership, before both were dismissed by Vurnon Philander.
Philander went on to record figures of 4-45, but Bailey and Matthew Wade (36) set the platform for lower-order hitters Glenn Maxwell (29) and Mitchell Johnson (13) to bludgeon Australia to a commanding score.
Johnson, who was named ICC cricketer of the year and Test cricketer of the year on Friday, got Australia off to a great start with the ball by getting rid of Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla within the first five overs.
Captain AB de Villiers, who was himself honoured as the ODI cricketer of the year, led the rebuilding process alongside Faf du Plessis (31) and Farhaan Behardien (20), and his partnership with David Miller put South Africa into a position from which they may have won the game.
Nathan Coulter-Nile returned to the attack to dismiss Miller for a run-a-ball 65 which included six boundaries, and he then had Ryan McLaren caught behind for a duck in the same over.
South Africa crumbled as Philander quickly followed for one, and when Dale Steyn became Coulter-Nile's fourth victim, moments after his error had caused De Villiers to be run out for 80 from 76 balls, the tourists had collapsed from 202-4 to 222-9.
Morne Morkel and number 11 Imran Tahir each blasted 22, but that only narrowed the margin of defeat as the leg-spinner was caught on the boundary in the penultimate over to see the innings close at 268.
The second ODI between the world's top two ranked sides also takes place at Perth, on Sunday.
Joe Fish
