DURBAN: Shane Warne took six wickets as Australia defeated South Africa by 112 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in their three-match Test series on Tuesday.

The visitor won the first match of the three-Test series by seven wickets in Cape Town. The final Test starts in Johannesburg on Friday.

Warne, who had figures of six for 86, finished off the South African innings in deepening darkness, as stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist had to withdraw the fast bowlers from the attack to push for the win.

Regular captain Ricky Ponting missed the day's play with food poisoning.

"South Africa showed a lot of fight out there, and in the end we probably wanted it just a little more," Warne said.

Warne dismissed tailenders Andre Nel for a stubborn 14 and Makhaya Ntini for a duck, after he had started the day by taking the wickets of South Africa's top three batsmen. Wicket-keeper Mark Boucher scored an unbeaten 51.

"Warne was superb today," said South Africa captain Graeme Smith. "He won the game for them today."

Warne, who began his first spell unchanged from the 16th over before lunch until an hour after tea, bowled to a field that at times featured a silly mid-off, silly point, two slips, a leg slip and a forward short leg.

Earlier, South Africa resumed on 29 without loss, and A.B. de Villiers and Graeme Smith comfortably negotiated the Australian seam attack in the first hour.

Changing the complexion

Then Warne was introduced and struck with his fourth delivery when de Villiers lunged forward to smother a leg-break. He missed the ball and was stumped by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist for 46 to end an opening stand of 91.

Warne removed Smith four overs later when the left-hander swept at a leg-break and was caught off the glove by Justin Langer for 40.

Jacques Kallis, who scored 114 in the first innings, swept at a delivery from Warne that hit his back leg and trapped him in front for seven.

South Africa slumped to 122 for four when Herschelle Gibbs (17) fended a rising delivery from fast bowler Stuart Clark to Warne at slip.

Ashwell Prince and Jacques Rudolph took the side to lunch without further loss, but eight overs into the second session Prince (7) misjudged a short delivery from Clark and sent a catch looping to Michael Hussey at mid-wicket.

Left-hander Rudolph, who hit seven fours in his 36, attempted to pad away a fizzing leg-break from Warne, only for the ball to hit his gloves on its way to Langer at silly point.

Fast bowler Brett Lee ripped through Shaun Pollock's defence with an express delivery to dismiss him for four. — Agencies

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