Ponting and Clarke lay platform for Australia

Australia 96 for 1 (Ponting 40*, Clarke 29*) v South Africa
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Ricky Ponting adjusted well to his role as opener © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Matches: South Africa v Australia at Centurion Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of South Africa Teams: Australia | South Africa

Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke guided Australia into promising territory at 96 for 1 in 19 overs against South Africa when a thunderstorm forced them from the field in the first ODI at Centurion.

David Warner provided the early pyrotechnics, blazing four boundaries before having his leg stump plucked out by Dale Steyn, but it was Ponting and Clarke who rode out the new ball and played a few sparkling strokes of their own on a fair pitch and fast outfield.

Steyn's dismissal of Warner was comprehensive but South Africa's spearhead was expensive otherwise, leaving Lonwabo Tostsobe and Morne Morkel to cause a greater share of awkward moments for two batsmen who had not taken part in the Twenty20 matches.

Australia could not consider Shaun Marsh and Shane Watson due to injury, and so handed limited overs debuts to the allrounder Mitchell Marsh, a day before his 20th birthday, and the 18-year-old fast bowler Pat Cummins - yet to take a List A wicket for his state.

Warner was joined at the top of the batting order by Ponting, an occasional opener down the years, and it was the younger man who swung into early action, gliding Tsotsobe's first ball through point, then cracking a trio of boundaries from Steyn, the last two via the generous avenues of a no ball and a free-hit.

Next ball Steyn corrected, finding the ideal length and a hint of swing to beat Warner's forward prod via the inside edge. This left Clarke and Ponting to set the course of the innings against bowlers they will see plenty of throughout the next month.

Clarke's early strokes were fluent, forcing Steyn through cover then flicking easily off his pads, while Ponting used his exaggerated forward stride to cover Tsotsobe's angle.

First-change Jacques Kallis had his first ball pulled behind square leg for four by Ponting, and later in the over edged a delivery seaming into him past the outstretched glove of Mark Boucher.

Lights were employed inside 10 overs as the skies darkened, and Clarke and Ponting negotiated the odd searching delivery by Morkel while keeping the run-rate around five. Steyn swung the ball in his second spell but could not split the partnership before thunder, then rain, arrived.

The hosts had chosen their expected XI, leaving out the wrist spin of Imran Tahir and relying on Johan Botha to provide the spin option.

South Africa 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Hashim Amla (capt), 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Jean-Paul Duminy, 5 Faf du Plessis, 6 David Miller, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Johan Botha, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Ricky Ponting, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Mike Hussey, 5 Steve Smith, 6 Brad Haddin, 7 Mitchell Marsh, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Xavier Doherty, 10 Doug Bollinger, 11 Pat Cummins