Australia win by two wickets with one ball to spare
A great game to close this series, which has been entertaining even if some of the play has been ragged at times. This was the close contest that the series needed. Bosch and Rabada were terrific, Markram bowled well. Earlier it was Ellis, Hazlewood, Zampa and Maxwell who kept a lid on South Africa’s batting after Brevis again threatened to blow it off. But in the end, it was Maxwell’s experience that saw Australia home with the bat. The creativity and flourish is still there, but also a player who knows this format back to front.
It’s been fun, thanks for keeping us company. We’ll be back for the one-day series in a few days.
20th over: Australia 173-8 (Maxwell 62, Zampa 0) Glenn Maxwell saves the game and the series. 62 from 36 balls tonight, eight fours, only hit a couple of sixes unlike some of his knocks. That was smart, strategic batting tonight.
19.5 overs: Maxwell wins it with a reverse! Off course he does. Another high full toss, this time at the body, arrowing in at the upper thigh, but Maxwell somehow sends it soaring down to deep third! How do those angles work? He reverses the bat, has it facing up, and deflects that ball using Ngidi’s pace. Having short third up in the circle is a bad move to Maxwell, at any time. He makes full use of it. Remarkable batting.
19.4 overs: Doesn’t take the run! Smacks it to long on but right at the fielder.
19.3 overs: Dot ball! High full toss, Maxwell slices it behind square but short third stops it with a fumble and they don’t run.
19.2 overs: Scorched through cover for four! There’s a sweeper out there but Maxwell creams the drive. Unbelievable timing under pressure. He needs four more from four.
19.1 overs: Ngidi bowling, Maxwell smacks it over long on, one bounce… but Bosch saves two runs! Leaps over the rope and slaps it back mid air.
19th over: Australia 163-8 (Maxwell 52, Dwarshuis 1) No hat-trick, but it’s a double-wicket maiden! Absurdly good bowling here, and now Maxwell needs 10 off the last over. Zampa can only block out the last two balls, which were at the stumps.
WICKET! Ellis c Rickelton b Bosch 0, Australia 163-8
He’s on a hat trick! Bosch gets two in two. The keeper diving away after Ellis drives! South Africa still in it.
WICKET! Dwarshuis b Bosch 1, Australia 163-7
It’s not over yet if they can keep Maxwell off strike. The No8 is facing the bowling to start the over, and interestingly Maxwell agrees to take the second run after a ball is squeezed away fine off the pad. Dwarshuis aims a big pull that finds the fielder, then aims a big slog that finds nothing, losing his middle stump to direct pace. He’s used up three balls in so doing.
Half century! Glenn Maxwell 50 from 30 balls
18th over: Australia 161-6 (Maxwell 52, Dwarshuis 1) Where did that come from? No-ball from Rabada, it slips out of his hand and lobs over Maxwell to the keeper on the full. Rabada stares at his palm like he’s looking for his fortune. His immediate future is going to include bowling a free hit… and Maxwell smacks it for six! Another high full toss, but just legal, and Maxwell can throw the entire kitchen at it. Dot ball to follow, but then Maxwell plays a little uppercut, backing away to get space to play the short ball, and accounting for the lack of pace by holding the bat in place rather than swinging it. That gets the angle fine for four, beating the deep third fielder. A single and his milestone comes up, and he’s played well for it, found his touch. Was that celebration Maxwell impersonating a crocodile? Is that a north Queensland reference? Bob Katter joke? We’ll find out someday.
Dwarshuis turns over strike with a bottom edge, his first run, and Maxwell clips another very deliberate two, with soft hands. That means 12 from 12 balls required.
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17th over: Australia 146-6 (Maxwell 39, Dwarshuis 0) Bosch is back. Has Maxwell miss a length ball, then after a wide, bowls two good yorkers outside off stump, and Maxi misses both. Getting quite annoyed with himself. This is good pressure-building from Bosch. Contact at last, Maxwell slices two runs. But a brilliant yorker follows, between the batter’s legs! Gets his front foot out of the way, trying to squeeze it behind square, but can’t. Sliced drive for one through point to end the over, fantastic from Bosch, only cost his team four runs.
We’re back out to 27 from 18 balls.
16th over: Australia 142-6 (Maxwell 36, Dwarshuis 0) Ngidi is back, pace off to begin, and Maxwell tries for two with a dink through square, but has to bail on the second. Ngidi fires it into the pads but Dwarshuis is easily able to get off strike with a leg bye. Maxwell waits for the slower ball… and reverse sweeps it for four! Ngidi, if you’re going to bowl like a spinner, I’ll hit you like one: that’s the message. Down on one knee, times it perfectly. Then a smart hit with the fielders right back, chips it into the midwicket gap and yells for two, makes it this time. Works the single square to end the over, and he’s reduced the equation to 31 from 24.
15th over: Australia 133-6 (Maxwell 28, Dwarshuis 0) Oooft! Lucky! Maphaka back, pace on, and Maxwell gets an inside edge for four! Past the leg stump, by very little. Then he turns down a single! Not once, but twice. That’s odd, Ben Dwarshuis can hit sixes. Has hit plenty in the Big Bash, hit a big one the other night in the second match. But maybe Maxwell wants the pace? Because he hooks the next ball for six! Clean as you like. Way back into the crowd, just behind square.
Maxwell is beaten by the fifth ball, trying to nurdle it square, but keeps strike from the sixth. They need 40 from 30. Carey, 12th man, comes out in the bib to chat to Maxwell, who nods.
14th over: Australia 122-6 (Maxwell 17, Dwarshuis 0) Two for two in the over! Rabada: quality. Dwarshuis blocks the last ball. Australia need 51 from 36. Most of it rides on Maxwell.
WICKET! Hardie c Bosch b Rabada 1, Australia 122-6
Aaron Hardie in next, who is a very clean hitter of the ball. Nearly out first ball though, another leading edge that goes through the off side. Then a few balls later he’s gone! Chips a high catch down towards long on, that was half a leading edge again, it goes much straighter than he’s intending.
WICKET! David c & b Rabada 17, Australia 121-5
And now less comfortable! Pace on from Rabada, leading edge from David as he closes the face and aims towards midwicket. Rabada dropped a return chance earlier that had velocity, but this one comes gently to him.
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13th over: Australia 120-4 (David 17, Maxwell 16) Bosch back on, and David doesn’t try anything big: drives two, clips one, Maxwell gives him the strike back. Now David is ready. Heavy swing of the bat, inside half, but the power sees it skip through backward square. Next ball, toe-ended pull shot over long on… and it just carries. Bad fielding from Stubbs, who moves around and gets hands above his head but lets the ball through. He’s a metre off the rope, and that costs them the chance.
53 from 42 looking more comfortable…
12th over: Australia 105-4 (David 3, Maxwell 15) Spin in the middle overs? Thank you, says Maxwell. Gets down for the signature lofted reverse sweep against Muthusamy, nails it to the vacant area behind point, almost carries for six. Then waits for the adjustment and drives it over cover for four! Gorgeous, that’s some series timing. He adds a couple more from the last ball, and suddenly is 15 off 5.
Australia need 68 from 48.
11th over: Australia 92-4 (David 1, Maxwell 4) Maphaka ends the over with a bad ball outside leg stump, and the new man clips it for four. Maxwell hasn’t been in great nick with the bat lately, while contributing a lot with the ball and in the field. They need 81 from 54 balls, very doable but they need one of his scores. A strange over, two wickets and 10 runs.
WICKET! Green c Brevis b Maphaka 9, Australia 88-4
Two giants felled in the over! Maphaka doing the business. Marsh out, David single, Green smokes a pull shot for four, but tries to hit the next pull for six and Brevis in the deep holds the catch.
WICKET! Marsh c Pretorius b Maphaka 54, Australia 83-3
That’s the big one. Marsh the only Aussie who’s timed a ball so far. Replaced by Tim David, who has been in top form this series where others have struggled with the surfaces. Marsh the flick off the pads well, he gets a lot of this one, but right on the rope at deep backward square, Pretorius holds it. Needed one more foot of height. Marsh just smiles in good-natured annoyance, he knows he hit that nicely.
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Half century! Mitchell Marsh 53 from 35 balls
10th over: Australia 82-2 (Marsh 54, Green 4) Brings up the milestone with a sweep behind square. Muthusamy slows up the scoring to Green, a couple of dots before he drives two and then one down the ground. Halfway point, they need 91 in the back ten.
9th over: Australia 73-2 (Marsh 49, Green 1) It’s the No4 Cameron Green to join Marsh, who continued on his merry way in that over with an impressive straight drive for four before the wicket.
WICKET! Inglis b Bosch 0, Australia 71-2
He had to wait a few balls to face, but that’s a golden duck for Inglis! He hasn’t had a happy series either: two first-ballers and one match absent sick. Good ball from Bosch, cutting in off the seam, but mostly that ball was about the angle, coming in from wide of the stumps. Right through Inglis and hitting middle, past his defensive shot.
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WICKET! Head c Ngidi b Markram 19, Australia 66-1
8th over: Australia 66-1 (Marsh 43) It’s not working at all for Travis Head. Another over of spin, and a painful one for a fast-scoring batter, as Markram comes around the wicket and Head keeps hitting the ball to off side fielders. Finally connects with a shot, but it’s a straight pull past the bowler, who dives and nearly fingertips a catch. But having taken four balls to get off strike, Head gets strike back straight away, tries a big sweep like Marsh, and is caught at short fine.
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7th over: Australia 64-0 (Marsh 43, Head 18) Sixes and dots, that’s the innings so far. Muthusamy comes on with his left-arm spin. Marsh nails the first, a delivery near the leg stump line that he can get down and slog sweep. Then he tries to repeat the shot and misses: once, twice, three times, now four in a row. The ball keeps hitting pad outside leg, Marsh in a tangle. getting frustrated as he can’t land his blow. Muthusamy has the chance to keep up that frustrated, but lets it off last ball of the over with a low full toss, and Marsh is able to lift it over long on. Six, dot, dot, dot, dot, six.
6th over: Australia 52-0 (Marsh 31, Head 18) Travis Head looks really out of nick lately. Ngidi is getting his slower deliveries to grip, he’s hard to line up, but Head wafts at a few and looks nowhere near making contact. So it goes until the final ball, when he stops hurling the bat, waits a half second, then drives with touch rather than power behind point. Still, six from the over. That’s the Powerplay, not flying with run rate, but wicketless. I repeat, wicketless.
121 runs needed from 84 balls.
5th over: Australia 46-0 (Marsh 31, Head 13) Clean as a whistle from Marsh! Fuller ball on his leg stump and he almost slog sweeps it – from Rabada. Hits it over deep backward square, another massive hit that lands on a roof somewhere out that way. That shot comes in an otherwise outstanding over: five dot balls, one wide. Rabada dropped Marsh during the over, a return catch hit back very hard, and a couple of accurate yorkers also stopped him scoring. But the one ball Marsh could get, he really got.
4th over: Australia 39-0 (Marsh 25, Head 13) Here’s Kwena Maphaka. He’s been impressive in the series, only 19 years old, but he bowls pace, and this time the Australians use it. Fours, not sixes, but they hurt when they arrive in packs. Marsh over mid off, then Head with a very inelegant jumping twisting flapping pull, his back making an awkward shape to get around onto the ball, but he does get it, over midwicket. Then pulls another finer. 15 from the over.
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3rd over: Australia 13-0 (Marsh 20, Head 3) Another six for Marsh! Absolutely massive too. Really pummels this pull shot from Ngidi, that front foot lean for a back-foot shot that is a Marsh signature. It would have carried the grandstand had it not gone between them. Then takes a very rare T20 three, behind point.
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2nd over: Australia 13-0 (Marsh 10, Head 2) Markram with the second over, part time spin but it got Head out early last time around. This time the Australians play Markram with some care, only scoring four from the over in dribs and drabs.
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1st over: Australia 9-0 (Marsh 7, Head 1) Almost does it again, Marsh! The way he got out earlier in the series, picking up a ball from his hip and hitting it straight up. But this one doesn’t go as high, and neither bowler nor keeper can reach it. That’s the sighter that Marsh needs, and after a good opening over from Rabada until the final ball, Marsh nails his pull shot for six square on the leg side.
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Australia need 173 to win
Curious innings. It lost all momentum after Brevis got out, and a possible 200 score ended up in the 170s. South Africa will have to bowl well to protect this, but the freewheeling way that Australia have been batting, the home side will offer chances.
20th over: South Africa 172-7 (van der Dussen 38, Rabada 4) Ellis does the last-over job! Rassie steals strike with a bye, tries a couple of swings that don’t connect, and eventually the only boundary comes via Rabada from the last ball, through the covers. That’s a mid range score.
WICKET! Muthusamy c Hazlewood b Ellis 9, SA 165-7
Last over, Muthusamy has to slog, and he nicks four through deep third before miscuing the bouncer, hitting top edge near the splice and dropping down at short fine leg.
19th over: South Africa 161-6 (van der Dussen 37, Muthusamy 5) Dwarshuis bowling, and Rassie is working twos. That’ll get him 12 an over if he finds one every ball… but no. Two, two, dot to midwicket. Then there’s a shot! Finally decides to go, reaches for width and slaps a shorter ball over cover, like the way Harry Brook got out at Lord’s. A couple of singles to follow, 10 from the over.
18th over: South Africa 151-6 (van der Dussen 28, Muthusamy 4) Ellis, Dwarshuis, Hardie, Maxwell are the bowlers with overs left. Ellis is let down by his captain at mid off, not anticipating a bit of spin as the ball bounces on its way to Mitch Marsh, and it gets past him and runs away for four. That aside, he concedes two runs straight and a couple of singles. Remarkable lack of attack from this batting pair so late in the game. Nine from the over with the fortuitous three extra runs from the misfield.
17th over: South Africa 142-6 (van der Dussen 20, Muthusamy 3) The frugal overs continue! Only four from Hazlewood’s last, he ends with 2 for 30 for the night after getting smeared in his last start.
WICKET! Bosch c Ellis b Hazlewood 1, SA 138-6
Caught in the deep. Nothing spectacular from Hazlewood, just bowls in at the hip, and rather than clearing the front leg to swing through that line, Bosch stays straight on and helps it square. Plenty of distance on that, times it nicely – except for the fielder waiting back.
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16th over: South Africa 138-5 (van der Dussen 19, Bosch 1) Corbin Bosch heads out, who likes to swing. 2 for 24 is Zampa’s night as he ends with a single.
WICKET! Stubbs b Zampa 25, SA 137-5
A late one for Zampa. Clever bowling. Five overs to go, they’re still just working him initially. Rassie clips two, drives one. But Stubbs wants something bigger. Sweeps over the top of a leg break, turning away from the bat. Expected the wrong ‘un maybe. Zampa toys with Stubbs, who is batting a ball behind. Moves across to the fourth ball of the over, expecting that width, and instead Zampa arrows it in at the stumps, goes behind the batter’s legs, and bowls him middle and leg.
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15th over: South Africa 134-4 (Stubbs 25, van der Dussen 16) Almost caught! Maxwell bowling, van der Dussen chips towards midwicket, but Ellis there is about three quarters of the way back, rather than on the rope. It just clears his upstretched hands! That four is the difference between a very tidy over versus one that goes for 9.
14th over: South Africa 125-4 (Stubbs 22, van der Dussen 10) Decent over from Dwarshuis as well, conceding eight including a leg bye. Can South Africa set themselves to attack the last few?
13th over: South Africa 117-4 (Stubbs 20, van der Dussen 5) Brilliant over from Zampa, getting some purchase, using some flight, beats Stubbs with one that spins past the bat, and the over concedes only four singles.
12th over: South Africa 113-4 (Stubbs 18, van der Dussen 3) Not like for like, with the far less explosive Rassie van der Dussen to the middle. He can score plenty along the carpet when he gets going but isn’t a ball-one aerialist in the modern mould.
WICKET! Brevis c Maxwell b Ellis 53, SA 110-4
Maxwell does it! Huge distance to run in the deep from a straight long on after Brevis smacks his pull shot out toward a straight midwicket. But the ball has enough hang time for Maxwell to sprint the full distance, judge the flight so that he doesn’t even break stride, then lunge forward to take the catch coming across the line of the ball. Makes that look absurdly easy. Australia escape more Brevis carnage.
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11th over: South Africa 108-3 (Brevis 52, Stubbs 17) There is one approach to Zampa from Stubbs tonight, and that’s the reverse sweep followed by the single. He scores that combination twice in the over, going aerial with the reverses, getting both of them cleanly. There’ll be plenty for the Aussies to chase later.
Half century! Dewald Brevis 50 from 22 balls
10th over: South Africa 96-3 (Brevis 50, Stubbs 7) The hits keep coming for Dewald Brevis! Three in three balls from Aaron Hardie, who came into this side but is going out of the ground! One short, two full, and Brevis sends the first in the classic T20 direction over the leg side, then pounds the next two straight. Trying the slower ones, trying to run his fingers down the ball, none of it works. Under pressure, Hardie tries the bouncer but goes too high, called wide. Looking to bowl anywhere else but where the other ones were hit, Hardie goes outside off stump, shorter, and Brevis hits him over point for six! Audacious, the full range, and that’s a whirlwind fifty for Brevis in an over that costs 27 runs.
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9th over: South Africa 69-3 (Brevis 24, Stubbs 7) Maxwell is into the fray! They went with seam up top today, even though he’s bowled his off-spin very economically in the Powerplay recently. Manages to do so again here, six runs collected here and there around the ground, although Brevis is nearly run out taking a single after a diving stop from Travis Head.
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8th over: South Africa 63-3 (Brevis 22, Stubbs 3) Brevis likes hitting Hazlewood! Did so with gusto the other night, and lays into him here, first with a scorching cut shot, then by lumping a pull. Not the most elegant version you’ll see, but it carries the rope after the previous shot sped to it. Hazlewood is probably relieved to see him get off strike.
7th over: South Africa 50-3 (Brevis 11, Stubbs 1) Here’s the pair that won the game the other night, more or less. Stubbs off the mark with one.
WICKET! Rickelton c Inglis b Zampa 13, SA 49-3
Breakthrough immediately after the Powerplay! The South Africans slotted Zampa the other night but he’s hard to hit consistently, and there’s an example of why. Gets the ball turning away from the left-hander, who also doesn’t gauge the bounce correctly, and a top edge results. The keeper tidies up.
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6th over: South Africa 46-2 (Rickelton 12, Brevis 9) SIX! Brevis picks up where he left off in Darwin as he hammers Dwarshuis ONTO THE ROOF beyond deep square.
With that, I will hand you over to Geoff Lemon to see how the Australians handle the young South African from here.
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5th over: South Africa 39-2 (Rickelton 12, Brevis 2) Nathan Ellis sends Pretorius packing just he’s starting to motor along, but his replacement is in decent touch too. Dewald Brevis clobbered South Africa’s highest T20 score with 125 not out on Sunday, and immediately looks comfortable with a glance to fine leg.
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WICKET! Pretorius c Hardie b Ellis 24 (South Africa 32-2)
Nathan Ellis comes into the attack and strikes with his second delivery just as Lhuan-dre Pretorius was laying the foundation for a big score. It’s a cheap scalp too, as Pretorius picks out Hardie at mid-wicket with a half-hearted pull shot.
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4th over: South Africa 32-1 (Rickelton 7, Pretorius 24) Another productive over for the Proteas with Pretorius leading the way. The South Africa No 3 hammers Ben Dwarshuis for three boundaries – the first goes straight over the bowler’s head, the next is a glance to a vacant fine leg, and the last is the pick of the bunch with a crunching straight drive.
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3rd over: South Africa 19-1 (Rickelton 7, Pretorius 11) A better over for South Africa as both batters find a boundary. Australia have had success with Glenn Maxwell opening the bowling in the first two matches in the series but seem to think there is a bit of life in this deck in Cairns.
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2nd over: South Africa 8-1 (Rickelton 2, Pretorius 5) Rickleton survives a huge scare after testing Marsh’s arm. The South Africa opener drives to mid-off and sets off for a single but is short of his crease as the ball bounces narrowly wide of the stumps. Pretorius adds the first boundary with a loft over mid-on off Aaron Hardie.
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1st over: South Africa 2-1 (Rickelton 1, Pretorius 0) Hazlewood takes no time to find his line and length. Markram and Rickleton pick up a single each before the Australia quick strikes with a trademark delivery outside off stump.
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WICKET! Markram c Green b Hazlewood 1 (South Africa 2-1)
Josh Hazlewood gives Australia the ideal star as the removes the South Africa captain. Markram steps onto the back foot and swings hard but a thick edge is comfortably grasped by Green at slip.
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Josh Hazlewood has the ball in hand and is at the top of his mark with South Africa skipper Aiden Markram on strike. Let’s get into it …
South Africa XI
South Africa: Aiden Markram (capt), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Senuran Mutusamy, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi
One change for the Proteas with Senuran Muthusamy coming into the XI for Nqaba Peter.
Australia XI
Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The hosts make three changes with Josh Inglis among those to return. Aaron Hardie and Nathan Ellis also come into the XI with Alex Carey, Sean Abbott and the concussed Mitch Owen making way.
Australia win the toss
Australia win the toss and elect to bowl first with captain Mitch Marsh wanting to get a look at the conditions.
South Africa skipper Aiden Markram seems pleased with the outcome and suggests that he would have batted anyway.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the third T20 international between Australia and South Africa, as the series goes down to the wire.
The three-match series is all square at one win apiece after a pair of batting powerhouses took turns to light up the fireworks for their team.
Tim David did the damage as Australia took out the first match in Darwin, but that was nothing compared to Dewald Brevis’s record-breaking century for South Africa in the second T20.
While the stakes are high between the pair of old rivals, this is also a historic occasion as the first men’s T20 played at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns.
First ball will be at 7.15pm local time / AEST. I’ll have the toss and team news for you in just a moment.
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