Superb centuries from David Miller and Temba Bavuma helped South Africa overcome an early setback to post 365/9 and seal the three-match ODI series with a game to spare. Despite a blistering opening partnership from Australia’s top order, the hosts’ spin department took charge in the second half of the match to bowl the visitors out for 333, securing a 32-run victory at the Wanderers. The spinners then shut down a fast Australian start to seal the series 2-0 with a game to spare.
After Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to field, Australia made an immediate impact on a damp morning pitch. Aiden Markram fell on the very first delivery, slicing a short ball from Josh Hazlewood to a diving Cooper Connolly at cover-point. Despite the early pressure and tight opening spells from Hazlewood and Xavier Bartlett, South African skipper Temba Bavuma broke the tension by hitting a six and a four in the third over. Quinton de Kock contributed two sixes off Hazlewood but fell shortly after, edging behind. When Matthew Breetzke was dismissed by Jack Edwards for 57, South Africa looked in trouble at 93/3. Hitting a four and a six off Hazlewood in the third over to break the shackles, bavuma was 1 off 10 balls before deciding that the best way to survive was to attack. And just like that, SA found themselves up against it at 93/3. And Hazlewood and Xavier Bartlett kept beating the bat, the new ball swung more than it had in Durban.
A massive 156-run partnership between Bavuma and Miller turned the match around. Bavuma anchored the innings, reaching his sixth ODI century to a standing ovation before falling for 103 when he holed out to deep cover. Miller then dominated the Australian attack, blasting 12 fours and 9 sixes in his explosive 93-ball knock of 142. Although Jack Edwards registered figures of 5-67 with his slower variations, a late cameo of 27 from Duan Jansen propelled the hosts beyond the 360-run mark. That’s when Miller and Bavuma got together for the mega rescue act. The pair had added 156 and set SA on course for a massive total, by the time the SA captain holed out to deep cover on 103. And went on to make 142 off 93, featuring 12 fours and 9 sixes, before he miscued one off Edwards to deep cover, the 37-year-old reached his hundred in 73 balls.
Australia started their chase aggressively on a surface that favored new-ball batting. Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head launched a fierce assault against the seamers, dispatching boundaries at will. Marsh hit five sixes as the visitors raced to 130 without loss in just 17 overs. However, the dynamics changed completely when South Africa introduced spin on a surface dried out by the afternoon sun. The home side went on to bowl 30 overs of spin, the most they have ever delivered in a home ODI.
The breakthrough came from Bjorn Fortuin, who bowled Marsh for 84 after the ball deflected off the batsman’s pad onto the stumps. Connolly departed soon after, and although Head was dropped twice off Markram’s bowling, his threatening innings of 84 ended when he was trapped leg-before trying to sweep. South Africa’s spinners then took complete control, drying up the runs on a gripping pitch. Keshav Maharaj removed Matt Renshaw for 32, while Alex Carey was trapped lbw on the crease. Cameron Green struggled to break free, eventually holing out to Fortuin for 17.
Australia’s hopes were briefly revived by Xavier Bartlett, batting at number eight, who smashed five sixes to reach a 26-ball half-century, the joint-fastest by an Australian against South Africa. However, the task proved too steep. Marco Jansen claimed two wickets in successive deliveries, Lizaad Williams ended Bartlett’s resistance with a perfect yorker, and Hazlewood chipped a catch to mid-off to end the Australian innings at 333 in 49.5 overs.
