Harmer's career-best bowling powers South Africa to a 176-run win and the Test series over Australia

South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs in the third Test at Newlands to win the three-match series 2-1. Spinner Simon Harmer took a career-best six wickets for 16 runs.

Chasing 288 for victory, Australia were bowled out for just 111. They had lost the second Test by an innings and 31 runs, so the visitors suffered two heavy defeats in a row against the hosts.

Australia captain Pat Cummins said that with the series loss, South Africa have taken over from them as the number one side in the Test world rankings. Losing two games in a row made questions fair, he said, and the team would be asking them internally as well.

Cummins said they are a very good side but need to get a little better if they want to return to number one. That might mean a change of style or a change of personnel in some instances, he said, adding that they would work it out.

Cummins made the surprise decision to bowl first after winning the toss. Since 1889, that had been done only 11 times before in Tests at Newlands. Batting last proved difficult on the wearing surface, and Australia fell to Harmer's spin; his match figures were 10 wickets for 120 runs.

Cummins said they knew it was going to be a high-scoring game and had thought the pitch would do a little more on day one. No side wins the toss expecting to bowl the opposition out for 100 or 200, he said, but they thought taking 10 wickets on day one would put them ahead in the game.

On the chase, Cummins said 280-odd was never going to be easy, but at the start of the day they saw a clear path forward and thought it was achievable. In reality, the chase was effectively over within the first half-hour.

Cummins said there were a few really poor decisions by the batters. It was a day-five wicket but not a drastic one, he said; runs were there to be scored and there were plenty of balls to face. Some decisions the players would like back, he added — the team has to get better, because this has happened a few times now.

After this series, Australia next host New Zealand.