South Africa seal ODI series against Australia with Wanderers victory

South Africa sealed a sixth successive bilateral ODI series win over Australia with one match still to play, defeating the tourists at the Wanderers in the Pink Day fixture to clinch the series. The win was built on a career-best 142 from David Miller and a century from captain Temba Bavuma, who put on a 156-run fourth-wicket partnership to set South Africa up for a commanding total. Australia were bowled out two balls short of their allotted overs in the chase, falling short of the target as South Africa’s spinners and seamers combined to dismantle the middle and lower order.

South Africa have now won 10 of the 14 Pink Day fixtures at the Wanderers. Australia’s only positive from the match was a five-wicket haul by Jack Edwards, playing just his second ODI, which was the first five-for of his List A career. However, a side strain suffered by Nathan Ellis during his bowling spell and the team’s continued vulnerability against spin left Australia with significant concerns heading to Potchefstroom for the third match.

How did South Africa build their total?

Mitch Marsh won the toss and chose to bowl, and Australia made an early impression when Josh Hazlewood found extra bounce to dismiss Aiden Markram first ball, with Cooper Connolly taking a catch at cover-point. Quinton de Kock hit two leg-side sixes off Hazlewood in the seventh over before nicking off, leaving South Africa at 36 for 2. Matthew Breetzke, who had scored a century in Durban in the first ODI, added 57 with Bavuma before edging an Edwards delivery behind to give the New South Wales seamer his first international wicket.

Bavuma was on 45 at that point and continued to build his innings alongside Miller. Miller reached his fifty and then accelerated, hitting Adam Zampa’s short balls over the boundary. Bavuma brought up his century off 112 balls, his first ODI hundred at his home venue, before holing out to give Edwards a second wicket. Miller, on 98 when Bavuma departed, carved the next delivery over point to bring up his own hundred off 73 balls and gestured towards the stands in tribute to Jenny. He continued to score freely, adding 39 runs off the next 20 balls alongside Marco Jansen, who struck two sixes before skying a slower ball to end a 46-run sixth-wicket stand off just 27 balls. Duan Jansen then watched Miller reach his ODI best with a six before Miller holed out to give Edwards his fifth wicket. Duan contributed 27 off 18 balls at the close, and South Africa posted a total that represented the fifth-highest defended at the Wanderers. Australia also incurred a fielding penalty for the second successive match, this time for one over.

How did the chase unfold?

Australia began the chase in strong fashion. Marsh and Travis Head put on 130 for the first wicket in 17 overs, hitting a boundary an over between them. South Africa’s seamers struggled for control early, with Marco Jansen, Lizaad Williams and Duan Jansen all bowling too full, and Keshav Maharaj was introduced in the ninth over. The batters used their feet well against him and took 13 runs off his first over. Marsh plundered 14 runs off Marco Jansen’s fourth over before being bowled by Bjorn Fortuin, playing for turn that was not there.

Head brought up his fifty off 55 balls and continued to score, but Fortuin dropped a catch at backward point when Head was on 66. The drop cost South Africa 18 runs before Markram dismissed Head lbw with an offbreak that Head missed attempting a sweep.

Australia then lost six wickets for 121 runs between the 17th and 40th over as South Africa’s three spinners, Maharaj, Fortuin and Markram, took five wickets between them and conceded at under six runs an over. Maharaj dismissed Alex Carey lbw and then had Matt Renshaw lbw after Renshaw reviewed in vain. Cameron Green holed out to long-on as Australia’s required run-rate climbed.

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Australia needed 175 runs from the second half of their innings and 113 from the last 10 overs. A 61-run seventh-wicket stand between Edwards and Xavier Bartlett, who reached fifty off 26 balls, gave Australia hope. Marco Jansen then took two wickets in two balls, and Ellis came out to bat despite his side strain. Bartlett was dismissed lbw to a Williams yorker after a successful review from Bavuma, and Australia were eventually bowled out with two balls remaining, with Markram taking the final catch. The Aussies were bowled out for 333 in 49.5 overs, failing to chase down the target of 366.