WORCESTERSHIRE'S Andy Bichel and former New Road pace ace Glenn McGrath both played key roles as Australia clinched their Test series against South Africa in Melbourne today.

Bichel, who returns for a second season with the County next year, took a further wicket to add to his three in the first innings on his recall to the side.

McGrath weighed in with two scalps as the Aussies completed a nine-wicket win in the second Test with a day to spare.

Australia used the platform of a 210-run first innings lead to sweep to a success that guaranteed an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series.

Jacques Kallis hit a superb 99 but once again found few team-mates willing to aid him, and was tragically run out one short of a century in a bid to farm the strike.

In plunging to a second innings total of 219, the South Africans were duly a demoralised unit long before Australia's win was completed.

There were wickets for all four of Australia's bowlers, and two run-outs, as the home team again combined brilliantly in the field.

Shaun Pollock trapped McGrath (0) lbw to wrap up the Australian first innings just six balls into the day.

But in reply, Gary Kirsten quickly edged a Brett Lee outswinger to third slip, Herschelle Gibbs underedged a cut and was wonderfully caught low and to Adam Gilchrist's left, and Boeta Dippenaar was out to another stunning catch -- a reflex effort by man-of-the-match Matthew Hayden at short leg as a shot was slammed at his midriff.

Kallis reaffirmed his credentials as one of the world's foremost batsmen with another sophisticated display of defiance and received fleeting help after lunch from Pollock (18) and Neil McKenzie (12).

But McKenzie followed a Shane Warne leg-break off the pitch, Lance Klusener avoided a king pair but not a straight delivery from McGrath, Mark Boucher drove a Warne delivery off the edge to slip, and Pollock was needlessly run out from a Kallis push to cover.

Claude Henderson edged a McGrath leg cutter to second slip and Allan Donald was conquered by a wickedly deceptive yorker from Bichel, who ended with 1-52.