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South Africa complete stunning win

South Africa completed a stunning victory in the first Test with a brilliant run-chase to knock off the 414 required for victory in Perth. The win will do masses for their confidence in the rest of the three-Test series, but Australia will now have to go



AB de Villiers helped to seal an amazing victory with a brilliant unbeaten hundred © Getty Images

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South Africa completed a stunning victory in the first Test with a brilliant run-chase to knock off the 414 required for victory in Perth. The win will do masses for their confidence in the rest of the three-Test series, but Australia will now have to go back to the drawing board.

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In the end, they did it easily, chasing down the second-highest winning total by six wickets.

All credit must go to AB De Villiers and JP Duminy, who batted superbly and kept their concentration brilliantly. But something else is up here - Australia, once the best bowling side in the world, took just one wicket on the final day.

In the match preview, we highlighted the difference between Australia of 18 months ago and today - the loss of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath has ripped the heart out of their attack.

To put it into perspective, it is the first time Australia have lost a series opener at home since 1988, when they lost to West Indies in Brisbane, and only the second time they have lost to South Africa since their reintroduction to world cricket in 1992.

South Africa are now odds-on to win the series, at 4/7 with bet365 to Australia's 7/2, with the draw a 3/1 chance. In the correct score markets, a 2-1 win for the tourists is the favourite at 5/2, just ahead of a 1-1 draw, which is 3/1. It's 12/1 that the last two matches are drawn.

The second Test begins in Melbourne on Boxing Day and it will be interesting to see what Australia do in terms of selection. Something has to change in their bowling department and if Stuart Clark is not fit again, then they could be in real trouble once more.

Bet365 make South Africa 13/8 to win the match and seal the series in the process, while the Aussies are 13/10 and the draw is 11/4.

Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.

Simon Cambers is Cricinfo's betting correspondent