Graeme Smith has praised South Africa's "clinical" display after their 25-run win over Australia in the third ODI in Cape Town.

Jacques Kallis (70) and AB de Villiers (80) starred with the bat for the hosts, sharing a 114-run partnership that eventually proved decisive as they rescued their side from early trouble at 50 for two to post 289 for six.

Roelof van der Merwe then snared three wickets as Australia struggled to reach 264 for seven and Smith was impressed with their overall display.

"We knew the wicket was going to be slow today, so we just wanted to be nice and strong up front, set a little platform for ourselves to really finish well," he said.

"I think we kind of set ourselves the target of 240 and we exceeded that purely because Jacques and AB batted so well through the middle there.

"It was a very clinical performance."

Van der Merwe was given good support from fellow spinners Johan Botha (one for 59) and JP Duminy (one for six) as South Africa edged ahead in the five-match series with the next match set to take place in Port Elizabeth on Monday.

Smith added: "Then with the ball I thought the guys did well again, especially the spinners. We have learned to back them and they stepped up nicely.

"It was a professional evening and very happy for the guys. We're 2-1 up now, we would like to be clinical and finish on Monday. I have said to the guys that lets finish the season on a high."

Australia captain Ricky Ponting felt that his side let the game slip at the back end of South Africa's innings - the hosts scored 89 in the last 9.1 overs.

He said: "They snuck away from us at the end of the innings and I guess when you keep wickets in hand in this game, then you can do that.

"I never really felt that they had got away from us at all, until those last five or six overs. De Villiers and Kallis they obviously played beautifully, we just needed to break that partnership through the middle, but unfortunately we couldn't do that."

Only Callum Ferguson (63) and James Hopes (63 not out) offered any resistance for the Australians and Ponting knows that his side's top-order must improve in order to improve their results.

He added: "Once again today, 15, 35 and 20 from the top three, so that's some starts there.

"I thought Hopes and Ferguson played beautifully tonight, probably without being a real threat of winning the game, but we've come up 20-odd runs short.

"So there's still a lot of improvement left for the team. We got to lift our game and we'll have to win in PE."