Adelaide, Jan. 27 : Skipper Ricky Ponting has taken responsibility for Australia''s limp surrender to South Africa in this summer''s one day series, as also the preceding Test series between the two sides.

No touring side has won a Test and one-day series in Australia since Richie Richardson''s West Indians in 1992-93.

"Once again we lost wickets in clusters, our momentum went down the drain and 220 was never going to be enough,'''' the Daily Telegraph quoted Ponting as saying after his side lost by eight wickets to the South Africans in the fourth one-day international played here.

"I am as much to blame as anybody. I have got off to good starts in every game and haven''t capitalised on that. Again today, 60-odd wasn''t good enough, and as I said,
50s just don''t win you anything," Ponting added.

Ponting top scored with 63 in a lost cause.

Set only 223 to win, South Africa romped home with the help of blistering knocks from the blades of Herschelle Gibbs (38 from 29 balls), Hashim Amla (80 not out) and A B de Villiers (82 not out).

In doing so they fulfilled coach Mickey Arthur''s prediction that success in Adelaide would turn a good tour into a great one. (ANI)