South Africa win by 40 runs
That’s that. The game was really decided in the closing burst from Miller and du Plessis when South Africa batted. But it was a fine innings from Marsh to get Australia close, aided by Stoinis early, and with Maxwell trying to finish the job late. To no avail - South Africa win the series, but didn’t have it all their own way after thrashing Australia in Game 1. So some promising signs for the home side, and laurels for the visitors.
That’s it from us, until I’m back online in nine hours’ time to bring you Australia v Ireland at the Women’s World T20. Goodnight!
50th over: Australia 280-9 (Cummins 7) And that’s that. Rabada closes it out, and the hope that Australia had half an hour ago has disappeared rather limply.
WICKET! Zampa c du Plessis b Rabada
I feel bad even using an exclamation mark for that. Slapped to midwicket.
WICKET! Starc c&b Rabada 0
That ended about as well as you’d expect.
49th over: Australia 276-6 (Cummins 6, Starc 0) Steyn for the second-last over, bags Maxwell and finishes with 3 for 45 from his day.
WICKET! Maxwell c Hendricks b Steyn 35 (27 balls), Australia 278-7
There was too much to do, so Maxwell just had to keep swinging. Eventually slices Steyn to deep cover.
48th over: Australia 276-6 (Maxwell 33, Cummins 6) Three overs to go. Maxwell gives it everything, high out to wide long on. Hendricks runs around, spills the catch, but claws back the boundary so they only get two runs. Ngidi is bowling well, hitting yorkers, keeping them to a couple of singles. Then he bowls a high full toss that could easily have been a no-ball, but isn’t called. Again a desperate save in the deep keeps it to two instead of four. Maxwell can’t find his way through. Nor can he counter another pinpoint yorker. Cummins nails the last ball for four, clearing his front leg, but they still need 45 from two overs.
47th over: Australia 265-6 (Maxwell 27, Cummins 1) Maxwell squeezes to third man, but it’s fielded. Only a single. Cummins gets Rabada down to fine leg to give back strike this time. Maxwell nails the cover drive from a yorker, backing away, but it’s excellently saved. Maxwell sprints back for a second run. Comes across outside off to the next ball, flips it behind square, so nearly beats Ngidi into the fence but there’s a tumbling save. Two more runs, not four. Rabada’s bouncer is called a wide, it was probably leg side as well as high. Bluff and counter bluff, as he goes leg side and Rabada goes off side, for a dot ball. Maxwell only has the option of a single to keep strike from the last ball. He needs 56 from 18.
46th over: Australia 257-6 (Maxwell 21, Cummins 0) Ngidi to bowl with five overs to go and 65 runs needed. And he nails the yorker first up. Literally nothing Maxwell could do except dig a single. Cummins drives and misses the next two. Game just about over, the ask on one specialist batsman is too much even if he can get the strike. A third dot ball to Cummins, driving outside off. Maybe needs to walk across, just get something on the ball. Glove, pad. Misses the fifth ball as well. A big drive rather than a small one, but the same result. Sixth, wider, and the same again. Five balls to Cummins, five air-swings. When I keyed in “Cummins 0” at the start of the over I didn’t think it would remain the same by the end. But here we are. 64 from 24 would be a miracle.
WICKET! Carey c de Kock b Steyn 42 (41 balls)
45th over: Australia 256-6 (Maxwell 20) Steyn now. Bowls a bouncer way over Maxwell’s head. It’s definitely a wide, but Aleem Dar doesn’t call it - evening the scorebook for the one he gave wrongly before. Steyn goes short again, and Maxwell backs away to slice over backward point. One bounce for four. Misses the same short to the next ball, then pulls the next. The pressure of having to come out and go 100 percent from the start. Carey knows he has to go as well, so from the last ball of the over he also backs away, aims over cover, but Steyn follows him to leg and beats the angled bat aside from a sliver of timber.
44th over: Australia 250-5 (Carey 41, Maxwell 15) Rabada, the premium engine, comes back. First ball is short, pulled by Maxwell, finding the gap for four! Deep midwicket, split the boundary riders. Gets a single, gets strike back. Sees a short ball and tries to destroy it, but Rabada has bowled the slower ball and it evades Maxwell’s bat. So does the next, a yorker that clips his pad outside the line of his leg stump - and yet somehow draws a DRS review from Rabada. The third umpire tries to hide the scorn in his voice as he ticks off the job as expeditiously as possible. Eight runs from the over.
43rd over: Australia 242-5 (Carey 40, Maxwell 8) There’s some Maxwellball for you. He kicks the back leg out as if to imply he’s going to back away, then moves to off instead. Ngidi may have been distracted and lets slip a high full toss. It surprises Maxwell, who is whacked high on the thigh pad. Because the ball is dipping, de Kock and Ngidi are both keen on an lbw appeal. It’s not given. Given as runs, must have been glove.
Next ball, Carey is dropped. Played a kind of sweep. High top edge to fine leg. Pretorius running in never looks confident and drops it as he tumbles to ground. Then Maxwell foxes Umpire Dar by backing away to leg. Ngidi bowls wide of off, but not too wide. Except the optical illusion from Maxwell’s movement draws the umpire in.
79 from 42 needed.
42nd over: Australia 234-5 (Carey 36, Maxwell 5) What was that we heard? What time is it? Oh, it’s time for Maxwellball! The favourite game of lads and lasses from shore to shore. It’s not easy starting on this deck, we said. So Maxwell shimmies across to Pretorius for his first ball, and slaps a swivel-pull to the backward square boundary while adding a West Indian flourish on the follow-through. Thank ya very much. Then he does the less glamorous work, taking a single, then running like a hare to get Carey back for two.
WICKET! Marsh c Klaasen b Pretorius 106 (102 balls), Australia 226-5
The milestone, then the key wicket. As so often in this game. Marsh takes on the pull shot once more, but for the first time today doesn’t hit it clean. A huge high top edge, a tough chance, and Klaasen celebrates with suitable vigour when he completes it. Now we’ll find out how tough this last part of the task really is. Glenn Maxwell to the crease with the big ask of hitting out immediately.
41st over: Australia 225-4 (Marsh 106, Carey 32) Imran Tahir coming back was a big moment. Marsh raised his century with a brace. Tahir keeps them to singles from the next few, then Marsh lofts four into the cover gap to close out the over. Australia want 96 from 54.
Century! Marsh 100 from 98 balls
It’s been an all-but-flawless anchor innings from Marsh today. Started steady but has caught up the pace. He’s had a tough time in Tests of late, but made three hundreds in his last six ODIs. Gets to the third of those with a straight drive, well supported by Carey who calls early for the second run and does the hard work to make sure it’s safe.
40th over: Australia 215-4 (Marsh 98, Carey 30) And six singles won’t do much to improve the situation for Australia. Pretorius is not providing the tax they need. Ten overs to go with 106 needed.
39th over: Australia 209-4 (Marsh 95, Carey 27) Rabada doing the job, with a mixture of short balls and yorkers. A couple of dots, a couple of singles. Nothing to lash. Fine bowling in the circumstances. The TV commentators are now trying to claim Australia are on top, needing more than 10 an over with four wickets down. Not so sure about that myself. No one has started quickly on this pitch. One wicket could more or less finish it.
38th over: Australia 205-4 (Marsh 93, Carey 25) The 200 comes up. Australia need 116 from the last 12 overs after Pretorius is milked for seven, but doesn’t concede a boundary.
37th over: Australia 198-4 (Marsh 88, Carey 23) Steyn searching for an advantage, using all his experience. Carey drives a single, Marsh laces a gorgeous cover drive for three. Markram dives at the boundary to claw back a run. Steyn donates it back by bowling a wide. Seven from the over as Marsh pulls a single.
36th over: Australia 191-4 (Marsh 84, Carey 21) A half hand on a thrashed drive by Ngidi in his follow-through. Nearly lost a finger. The ball was too wide of him to be a realistic chance. Carey had just glided a couple of runs the previous ball. Trades singles with Marsh, then to close out the over with a massive swat over midwicket for six more! He’s up to a run a ball, 84 from 84. Australia need 9.8 an over, but they’re a chance of doing it. Still a huge ask from here, but it’s a chance.
35th over: Australia 180-4 (Marsh 76, Carey 17) Steyn is back. Good pace immediately. Back of a length at the body of the left-handed Carey. Three times the batsman can do nothing with it but play back down the pitch. This is excellent bowling. But after those three sighters, Carey has a plan. Leans across a touch towards off, gets the ball a touch more leg side, and picks up the pull shot for six! Parry and thrust.
34th over: Australia 173-4 (Marsh 76, Carey 10) A couple of very tight run-out chances in the over. Carey is just in when Markram nails the stumps, then Marsh might have been well out but Klaasen fumbles the pick-up. The batsmen survive to collect half a dozen assorted runs from Ngidi.
33rd over: Australia 167-4 (Marsh 73, Carey 8) They get their nine from Markram this over, thanks to Carey whacking a slog-sweep in dicey fashion through midwicket.
32nd over: Australia 158-4 (Marsh 70, Carey 2) Pretorius keeps doing his job - they just can’t quite collar him. Marsh has his chance from the last ball, a nice leg-side one that sits up, but rather than powering his fourth pull shot over the boundary rope, Marsh misses out and nearly gloves behind. It just bounces in front of the keeper. Five from the over.
31st over: Australia 153-4 (Marsh 66, Carey 1) Du Plessis keeps Markram on, for some reason. Gets swept for four, plus three singles. Could have been worse, Australia need nearly nine an over.
WICKET! Stoinis c Markram b Pretorius 63 (76 balls)
30th over: Australia 146-4 (Marsh 60) They had to go for Pretorius, so at last they do. Marsh pulls his third six of the innings, then Stoinis thumps one of his own over midwicket. But the last ball of the over sits up outside off, and Stoinis guides the cut rather than throwing everything at it. His angle takes it straight to Markram at point. Huge wicket just as Stoinis was getting into his most damaging mode.
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29th over: Australia 131-3 (Marsh 53, Stoinis 55) Weird match indeed. Aiden Markram comes on to bowl some part-time offies, because du Plessis is getting antsy about breaking this partnership. And it so nearly works! He hits Stoinis on the pad trying to sweep. Umpire Dar raises the finger. But Stoinis raises his own finger to South Africa, metaphorically, by reviewing the decision to reveal a bottom edge. Survives, but just two singles from the over.
28th over: Australia 129-3 (Marsh 52, Stoinis 54) This is a strange old match. After all that action, back comes the modest medium-pacer Pretorius, and Stoinis can only take him for a single from six balls.
Half century! Marsh 52 from 62 balls
27th over: Australia 128-3 (Marsh 52, Stoinis 53) Rabada. Marsh. Another pull shot. Another six. This one much flatter and harder than the previous. Really middled it. Rabada adds a wide and a couple of singles to his tally.
Half century! Stoinis 52 from 59 balls
26th over: Australia 119-3 (Marsh 45, Stoinis 52) Some real cat and mouse in this over. After a couple of singles and another big lbw shout (hitting Stoinis well outside the line), Tahir wants to lure him into a bad shot. So he bowls miles outside off, and Stoinis very nearly goes for it, but holds off. It’s called a wide. The next ball is dialled in a bit close to the stumps, and Stoinis cuts along the ground between two men in the circle for four. Then he stand and delivers, hitting waaaaay down the ground into the grandstand. Raises his fifty with a monster.
25th over: Australia 106-3 (Marsh 44, Stoinis 41) Rabada is back. They treat him respectfully until the last ball, when Marsh decides this can’t go on and whacks four over mid-on. Not that far over mid-on.
24th over: Australia 101-3 (Marsh 40, Stoinis 40) Stoinis goes bigger! The same area of the hill, first ball of Tahir’s over. Stoinis skips down, doesn’t quite strike it right, nearly slices it, but gets enough to get it going long to the leg side, fairly straight. When he tries again, it’s not quite clean either, drgged square dangerously but hitting the gap at midwicket for four. When Marsh tries a sweep he misses, and only the ball pitching outside leg saves him. The hundred is up.
23rd over: Australia 90-3 (Marsh 40, Stoinis 29) That’s six! Shaun Marsh’s classic one-day shot, the pick-up pull to a ball that’s not that short. Lifts Pretorius way back onto the hill.
22nd over: Australia 82-3 (Marsh 33, Stoinis 29) Now that’s more like it, if you want to talk the art of batsmanship. This pair work singles from each of the first five balls of Tahir’s over. Then Stoinis sees a slightly short ball, and a slower one. He leans back and heaves it over midwicket for six.
21st over: Australia 71-3 (Marsh 30, Stoinis 21) Cracks that one, does Stoinis. Not much width from Pretorius but just enough, and the batsman nails the cut shot and beats the infield, just. A couple of singles from the over as well. But they need 8.5 by now.
20th over: Australia 65-3 (Marsh 29, Stoinis 16) Four singles from the Tahir over, but again it’s dicey as Stoinis lofts into the deep near the cover sweeper.
19th over: Australia 61-3 (Marsh 27, Stoinis 14) Dwaine Pretorius was the key in restricting Australia in Adelaide in the last match. They can’t afford to let him do so again, as the fifth bowler. It takes Marsh three balls to score a run against him this over, then Stoinis can’t score from his three. He’s 14 off 36, Stoinis. Most of those 36 would be dot balls, too.
18th over: Australia 60-3 (Marsh 26, Stoinis 14) Another big one from Stoinis, driving Tahir in the air over cover. That wasn’t so controlled, and fell fairly close to long-off running around. A couple of singles though from that over makes it a better one.
17th over: Australia 53-3 (Marsh 24, Stoinis 10) Last over leading up to the drinks break, Pretorius bowling it, and Stoinis finally breaks the silence with a wallop over leg side for four. It’s still the only scoring shot from the over. Raises the fifty.
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16th over: Australia 49-3 (Marsh 24, Stoinis 6) Tahir comes on, the leg-spinner. Needs to get into the game eventually. A string of 12 dot balls breaks third ball of the over as the batsmen string together three singles. A feast.
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15th over: Australia 46-3 (Marsh 23, Stoinis 4) Now it’s Marsh being held up. He nearly edges Rabada onto the stumps, then slips over coming down the wicket thinking of a run. It’s another maiden for Rabada - three in his four overs if you don’t mind. Pressure mounts.
14th over: Australia 46-3 (Marsh 23, Stoinis 4) Steyn renews the squeeze on Stoinis. Four more balls at him, four more dots. Marsh isn’t facing much once he gets off strike early in these overs. Stoinis is 4 from 19 here. He can make up ground later, but there’s no air in this innings at the moment.
13th over: Australia 45-3 (Marsh 22, Stoinis 4) Rabada ruins his streak by being glanced for a couple of runs, then worked for two singles. Four runs from three overs, then. Profligate.
12th over: Australia 41-3 (Marsh 21, Stoinis 1) Steyn back on, with du Plessis fancying him against Stoinis. Much like Head, Stoinis can’t find his way off strike. Gets given it from the first ball when Marsh takes a single, then takes five balls to find a run himself. Finishes the over with one run from 10 balls. Not that players have to smash it early, but just the ability to work a single, get moving, find momentum. Australia’s batting is so readily stopped these days.
11th over: Australia 39-3 (Marsh 20, Stoinis 0) How often does a bowler send down back-to-back maidens in an ODI? With a wicket into the bargain.
WICKET! Head c Markram b Rabada 6 (21 balls), Australia 39-3
And the frustration breaks! You could see that coming miles off. Head was getting more and more anxious. Finally he gets width, and instead of controlling a cut or a glide, he aims another of those extravagant flaps, trying to thrash the ball rather than striking it. Feet close together, hands well away from his body, no control. And it flies straight to backward point.
10th over: Australia 39-2 (Marsh 20, Head 6) Where Miller and du Plessis just stayed cool and rotated the strike, Head and Marsh are getting bogged down. Boundary or nothing, and a lot more of the latter than the former. Again, two singles from the Ngidi over. The frustration is building.
9th over: Australia 37-2 (Marsh 19, Head 5) Handy first-change bowler, Kagiso Rabada. Travis Head flaps at a couple. Can’t get going. Tries to calm himself by leaving a couple. Rabada bowls a maiden, Head has no rhythm.
8th over: Australia 37-2 (Marsh 19, Head 5) There’s another Shaun Marsh special, as Ngidi gives just a fraction of width and Marsh laces it through cover. Four runs. Looks a different player in the coloured clothing. Only score from the over, though.
7th over: Australia 33-2 (Marsh 15, Head 5) They’re tentative against Steyn, the Australians. He’s not changing the world with this bowling, but just being accurate and creating the odd sense of threat with decent pace that can sometimes kick up off the pitch. Two unconvincing singles from the over.
6th over: Australia 31-2 (Marsh 14, Head 4) Rabada follows up the example from du Plessis with his own diving stop at mid-off, saving a crisp drive from Marsh. Ngidi is the bowling beneficiary. But Marsh isn’t done, lashing an on-drive for four, then another through the covers. Looks in very good touch.
5th over: Australia 23-2 (Marsh 6, Head 4) Everyone’s contributing for South Africa: a brilliant diving stop from du Plessis cuts off a certain Head boundary. Steyn’s over only goes for one run.
4th over: Australia 22-2 (Marsh 5, Head 4) Travis Head got bumped down the order to four from opening, but he’s out there batting by the fourth over regardless.
WICKET! Finch c Rabada b Ngidi 11 (15 balls), Australia 18-2
Yowch. Finch’s unhappy run carries on. That ball basically stopped in the pitch completely. He wasn’t even trying to smash it, just knock it away for a single. But instead he chips it to mid-on.
3rd over: Australia 18-1 (Finch 11, Marsh 5) This time Finch gets more of the leg-side whip, taking Steyn off the pads for four. Shaun Marsh follows it up with a crisp straight drive for the same result. The over ends up going for 11.
Updated
2nd over: Australia 7-1 (Finch 4, Marsh 1) Textbook start from Ngidi, who worries at the off stump and gives nothing away in length. Finch can’t score a run until the last ball, which is a lucky inside edge that saves him from a leg-before shout.
1st over: Australia 6-1 (Finch 3, Marsh 1) Another wide for Steyn, and a couple of runs tucked away from the straight ball for Finch. So a quiet opening over - aside from that wicket. What a big loss for Australia, where even a quick 20 or 30 from Lynn would at least have got the wheels moving.
WICKET! Lynn c de Kock b Steyn 0 (1 ball), Australia 1-1
That didn’t last long. Technically it’s a golden duck, because Steyn’s first ball of the match was a wide down leg side. His second was back of a length, brisk of pace, and Lynn tried to force off the back foot to a ball that was too short for it. Just draws a fat edge into the gloves. Ouch.
Thanks Jonathan, and thanks for making me sound like a jazz pianist. Time to tinkle the sustainable faux-ivories for the run chase indeed. Rabada, Ngidi, Tahir and Steyn leading the line. There are rumours of Chris Lynn to open, which would be exciting, alongside Aaron Finch: they’ll want to take advantage of the Powerplay to put a dent in this total.
South Africa 320
Wow, what an innings that turned into. At 55-3 in the 16th over it looked as though another bowler-dominated match was in store and South Africa would once again be forced to rely on a flimsy lower order for crucial runs.
At the 30 over mark the run rate was still below four with Faf du Plessis and David Miller accepting a large volume of dot balls was the price of establishing form on a pitch that began two-paced but flattened out as the afternoon wore on. That was the platform from which a late assault could be launched. And what an assault it was.
Both batsmen took Australia’s high-quality attack to all corners of Blundstone Arena, scoring freely off front foot and back, taking advantage of the short square boundaries and the gaps offered by Aaron Finch in his forlorn bid to plug holes. Milller was especially fluent, reaching 139 from 108 deliveries. Du Plessis was not far behind with his 125 from 114. Records tumbled along the way as one of the landmark partnerships in South African cricket surged on a wave of momentum.
In the context of the match it remains to be seen if 320 represents par or something massively above it. Scores above 300 are commonplace in modern ODIs, this one just feels a bit more special because of how blistering the late attack was to accomplish the feat. Given 50 overs and time to pace the chase Australia should not be overawed by the task ahead of them.
Find out how they get on in half an hour or so with the mellifluous Geoff Lemon on the keys.
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50th over: South Africa 320-5 (Klaasen 2, Pretorius 0) The end of a brilliant South African innings.
WICKET! Miller c Finch b Hazlewood 139 (South Africa 318-5)
Now it’s Miller’s turn to perish in the deep. After scoring 139 from 108 deliveries he holes out to Finch on the cow corner boundary.
49.3 over: South Africa 318-4 (Miller 139, Klaasen 1) Hazlewood will bowl the last over and enjoys the luxury of a single at the new man Klaasen before Miller dishes out more punishment, this time flicking four through square-leg. Oooh, then there’s a swing and a miss - South Africa’s first dot ball in five overs.
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49th over: South Africa 313-4 (Miller 135, Klaasen 0) There’s still time in the over for Miller to pull another four. South Africa rampant.
WICKET! Du Plessis c Marsh b Stoinis 124 (South Africa 307-4)
The fun has finally ended for Faf du Plessis. 125 from 114, his innings finally ended by a very nice catch from Shaun Marsh running in from the point boundary. Stoinis delivered a slow bouncer with trampoline bounce, du Plessis swiped at it high to the offside but didn’t get enough on it. The end of an historic innings.
48.3 over: South Africa 307-3 (du Plessis 125, Miller 129) Stoinis has the dubious honour of a recall and his one-over spell begins with Miller slicing him away behind point for four. That brings up South Africa’s 300, the first time the Proteas have achieved that total in Australia. They haven’t finished though, du Plessis adding a second six to his collection with the most awkward square drive from deep in his crease.
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48th over: South Africa 296-3 (du Plessis 119, Miller 124) How big can South Africa go with this pair at the crease? Very big! Miller holds his shape and launches Starc back over his head for a six that came down with snow on it. Du Plessis gets in on the fun slapping another attempted yorker over the non-striker’s head for four then swiping a full-toss to the vacant cow corner, and pulling a shorter ball hard in front of square. Unbelievable batting. 40 runs from the past two overs - and those delivered by no less than Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins!
100 for David Miller
47th over: South Africa 276-3 (du Plessis 106, Miller 117) Now it’s time for Miller to raise his bat in celebration of another century, at 95 deliveries the fastest by a South African in Australia. He reaches the landmark by guiding Cummins aerially to the third-man boundary and backs it up by pummelling him over midwicket for six and swivelling a hook for four. Cummins adjusts his line from straight to wife outside off but it makes no difference, Miller reaches with his hands and slashes the tenth four of his innings over extra cover.
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100 for Faf du Plessis
46th over: South Africa 256-3 (du Plessis 105, Miller 98) That’s the century for du Plessis, his tenth in ODIs and fourth against Australia. The landmark shot was a dab through the legside for a single, typifying an innings full of determination, guiding South Africa from a hole at 53-3 and into a position of strength. He built his innings superbly, taking his time to adjust to the conditions, then accelerated at will, moving through the gears to send the run rate soaring. A superb 50-over innings. For good measure he completes Mitchell Starc’s over by swatting him back over his head like a baseball batter. Party time for the Proteas.
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45th over: South Africa 245-3 (du Plessis 99, Miller 95) Cummins replaces Hazlewood but the runs keep coming and coming. First Miller tickles a four to fine leg, then du Plessis muscles a drive over long on before piercing the offside field with a precise backfoot cut in front of square. Meanwhile on TV Shane Warne is furious with Graeme Smith for barracking. Satire is dead.
Miller & du Plessis have run exceptionally well in between the wickets in this partnership. More than 50% of the runs scored and the balls faced have been while rotating the strike. #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/Zh0LWegZdP
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 11, 2018
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Australia Review Unsuccessful
No bat on that from du Plessis according to DRS and South Africa’s skipper survives.
Australia Review!
Du Plessis mangles a Dilscoop, doesn’t appear to make any contact but Carey is adamant there was a catch behind.
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44th over: South Africa 231-3 (du Plessis 90, Miller 90) Mitchell Starc enters the fray and he sends down an excellent mixture of slower balls, bouncers and attempted yorkers to restrict South Africa to just five from the over. Two of the attempted yorlers were really full tosses but with his pace and slingy action from over the wicket they are difficult to pick up let alone attack.
In the first 34 overs, South Africa attacked 51% of the deliveries scoring at an overall rate of 4.05. Since then as Miller & du Plessis have changed gears, it has jumped up to 78% attacking shots with a scoring rate at 9.77 runs per over.#AUSvSA
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 11, 2018
43rd over: South Africa 226-3 (du Plessis 86, Miller 89) Another boundary for Miller, slicing Hazlewood over the vacant cordon, and another for du Plessis, waiting deep in the crease opening his shoulders and punching over extra cover. Around that were three singles and a two to make it another handsome return for the Proteas.
42nd over: South Africa 213-3 (du Plessis 80, Miller 82) Cummins’ turn to try to stem the flow of runs but this pair are now too well set to disrupt. There are no boundaries but some deft hands and hard running keep the scoreboard ticking over. The partnership has now climbed above 150, making it the biggest ever by a South African pair in Australia.
Record number of team 6s at Bellerive established today by RSA: 6, with power to add... #AusvRSA
— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) November 11, 2018
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41st over: South Africa 204-3 (du Plessis 78, Miller 76) Into the final ten overs with South Africa now well placed to post a competitive total and that number is getting bigger and bigger. First du Plessis muscles a drive over extra cover for four, then advances down the pitch to slap a six over midwicket. After accumulating steadily for most of the innings the Proteas have smacked 50 from the past five overs.
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40th over: South Africa 190-3 (du Plessis 65, Miller 75) You can’t accuse Aaron Finch of not being an imaginative captain! With South Africa in cruise control and just 11 overs remaining, he turns to Adam Zampa’s leggies. It works too - for two balls - until Miller drops to one knee and marmalises a slog sweep into the upper deck of the Ricky Ponting Stand.
39th over: South Africa 181-3 (du Plessis 63, Miller 68) As expected, Maxwell’s seven-over spell comes to an end and Hazlewood returns. Immediately the dynamic changes with South Africa happy just to see off the paceman and collect the singles when available.
38th over: South Africa 177-3 (du Plessis 61, Miller 66) South Africa are taking control of their innings now with this partnership. First Miller skips down the pitch to loft Stoinis over mid-off four four, then runs hard for a couple of twos and a single before du Plessis completes the over with a perfectly executed Dilscoop for four. Time for Finch to return to his strike trio it would seem.
37th over: South Africa 164-3 (du Plessis 57, Miller 57) Maxwell gets another over and you sense du Plessis and Miller are keen to take advantage while they can - and they do, picking up ten from the over with some hard running and superbly timed sweep from the South African skipper.
36th over: South Africa 154-3 (du Plessis 50, Miller 54) Stoinis is back for another bowl but the runs continue for South Africa, Miller passing 50 for the second match in a row with a short-arm jab for four through square-leg, and his skipper following closely behind with his 30th ODI half-century. The partnership extends to 99.
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35th over: South Africa 146-3 (du Plessis 48, Miller 48) Maxwell stays on into his sixth over but this South Africa pair use their feet nicely to him this over to accumulate eight without breaking sweat.
34th over: South Africa 138-3 (du Plessis 42, Miller 46) Starc continues after the drinks break and once again Miller is a lucky boy! The South African tries to pull in front of square but the shortish ball gets big on him and induces a thickish top edge that floats agonisingly out of reach of Aaron Finch at mid-on.
33rd over: South Africa 134-3 (du Plessis 42, Miller 42) That looked out to the naked eye and a bit of a Hail Mary review, but it goes to show if you don’t buy a ticket you’ll never win the lottery.
South Africa Review Successful!
Maxwell’s backed in by his skipper for another over, and it pays off! From around the wicket he drifts one beyond Miller’s pretty ordinary front foot prod and the ball cannons into his front pad. Miller and du Plessis take an age to review the decision but when it arrives DRS shows the ball bouncing over the bails by millimetres.
It took a LONG time for the Proteas to review, but they'll be glad they did! #AUSvSA@GilletteAU #CloseMatters pic.twitter.com/E7u7X9QgEu
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 11, 2018
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South Africa Review!
Miller is given out LBW!
32nd over: South Africa 131-3 (du Plessis 41, Miller 40) Starc’s back for his third spell and he throws in a couple of slower ball bouncers that reinforce the view of the commentators on TV that this pitch still has a couple of gremlins in it.
31st over: South Africa 125-3 (du Plessis 36, Miller 39) Maxwell gets away with a mixed bag of an over. This partnership now 70 and easing South Africa into a strong position. The run-rate is only four but with the pitch offering some variable pace and bounce it won’t be the easiest to chase on.
30th over: South Africa 119-3 (du Plessis 35, Miller 36) This partnership is now into the 60s but it still doesn’t feel fluent. Among the four dot-balls of the latest Cummins over du Plessis charged and missed, and Miller found the extra cover boundary with a drive that only just cleared the ring fielder.
29th over: South Africa 114-3 (du Plessis 34, Miller 32) Maxwell again continues to prove difficult to get away, mixing up his pace and angles from around the wicket. Du Plessis does finally reach the boundary with a slog sweep but three overs 0/11 is nothing to sniff at from some bonus overs of part-time spin.
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28th over: South Africa 108-3 (du Plessis 29, Miller 31) Like in Adelaide, South Africa have again allowed way too many dot balls to stifle their progress. After establishing some momentum a few overs ago the runs have dried up again and Cummins is allowed to dictate terms for the second over in a row.
27th over: South Africa 105-3 (du Plessis 29, Miller 28) After a quick check, it appears Maxwell hasn’t bowled his full ten overs since 2015 and has only sent down more than four overs twice since then. He’s on course for a few more here though, keeping South Africa honest with another tight over, and almost snagging a wicket but Carey DROPS a du Plessis edge standing up to the stumps. It wasn’t a straightforward take with du Plessis trying to force the ball through the covers off the back foot but the ball went into Carey’s gloves before bouncing back out. Is that the break South Africa need?
26th over: South Africa 102-3 (du Plessis 28, Miller 26) Cummins comes back for his second spell and he begins with a serviceable delivery that is wristily eased through the onside for four by Miller. Du Plessis sends another fair delivery to the same portion of rope but as a right-hander it was the product of a classical cover drive. Both batsmen are now set, both know they can find the boundary, they have to go on and make it count for South Africa.
25th over: South Africa 93-3 (du Plessis 24, Miller 21) Interesting move from Finch, ushering Glenn Maxwell into the attack for the first time. The Victorian has been used sparingly in ODIs in recent times but he does a decent job firing in some darts from around the wicket to the right-handed du Plessis.
24th over: South Africa 91-3 (du Plessis 23, Miller 20) Hazlewood is on the money again (has anyone ever noticed the similarity with Glenn McGrath?) forcing this now set partnership to remain watchful and patient.
23rd over: South Africa 89-3 (du Plessis 22, Miller 18) It took until the fifth over of Zampa’s spell for South Africa to take on the leggie but when Miller pulled the trigger he got plenty on his slog-sweep over midwicket. The Proteas rotated the strike nicely thereafter, accumulating nine from the over.
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22nd over: South Africa 80-3 (du Plessis 21, Miller 11) Hazlewood’s second spell begins with a stifled cry as du Plessis whips an on-drive just beyond the diving midwicket. Thereafter it’s textbook Hazlewood, line and length and treated with respect by the last senior partnership of the innings, well aware a long tail is padding up after them.
21st over: South Africa 78-3 (du Plessis 20, Miller 10) Miller and du Plessis have been busy at this crease together, looking for quick singles and running hard to turn ones into twos - it’s an intent that hasn’t been seen often from South Africa this series. They can only muster three from another nice Zampa over though.
20th over: South Africa 75-3 (du Plessis 19, Miller 8) Starc’s blitzkrieg only lasts a couple of overs with Stoinis recalled to the attack. After a couple of sighters du Plessis advances down the pitch and slams a length delivery through the offside for four. That’s the second time today the South African skipper has charged at Stoinis, boundaries arriving on both occasions. He tries again later in the over but Stoinis shortens his length and the guided pull shot is straight to the sweeper.
19th over: South Africa 68-3 (du Plessis 14, Miller 6) Zampa is unrecognisable compared to the man who struggled to land a delivery in Adelaide. He’s finding drift, turn and bounce, and South Africa have been forced to adjust accordingly. Credit to Aaron Finch for how he handled his leggie on Friday and for introducing him to the attack so early today.
18th over: South Africa 63-3 (du Plessis 10, Miller 5) Ouch! Starc hurts du Plessis with another one of those deliveries that leaps off a length. The South African skipper looks furious with the pitch. His bat’s on the ground, discarded. The index finger on his right hand must be causing him agony in his heavily padded glove, but he’s square-jawed and steely-eyed showing no hint of weakness.
17th over: South Africa 62-3 (du Plessis 9, Miller 5) Finch persists with Zampa, and it’s another tidy over with a confident LBW shout. The flipper beats du Plessis for pace, striking the South African in front but questions about height and line keep Aleem Dar’s finger in his pocket.
16th over: South Africa 59-3 (du Plessis 7, Miller 4) Aaron Finch can do no wrong! Another bowling change, another immediate wicket. It was a junk delivery from the recalled Mitchell Starc that accounted for Aiden Markram but nobody in gold could care less. Markram will be furious with his shot and his side will rue the amount of runs he left out in the middle after reaching 32 with some impressive strokes. David Miller has been promoted to number five and as in Adelaide his partnership with du Plessis once again looks to be game-defining.
WICKET! Markram c Carey b Starc 32 (South Africa 55-3)
What on earth! A second legside strangle dismissal for South Africa. That delivery from Starc was going to be a wide until the inside-edge of Markram’s blade helped it on its way into the gloves of Carey. South Africa’s batting this series has left a lot to be desired.
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15th over: South Africa 55-2 (Markram 32, du Plessis 7) This is interesting. Adam Zampa has been brought on early which is a confidence-boosting move from Finch after his leggie endured a tough night in Adelaide. And Zampa begins beautifully, pinning Markram to the crease first up and bellowing for an LBW. Dar declines the invitation but replays show it was a reasonable shout with a couple of Umpire’s Calls testifying to the tightness of the decision. A couple of singles keep the scoreboard moving but that was an encouraging start for Australia’s spinner.
14th over: South Africa 52-2 (Markram 30, du Plessis 6) Markram has shown he is keen to pull anything short of a length and for the third time today he smashes the ball into the grass bank. Actually, this one is over the bank and off into the Hobart suburbs. That will require a replacement ball. It’s a lovely looking pull shot, as already mentioned Ponting-like, featuring a swivel and a whipcrack stroke from a conventional backswing. Du Plessis senses the momentum is with his side and displays some intent of his own, advancing to Stoinis and drilling a flat drive past the bowler and away for four. Much better from the Proteas, taking the game back to Australia.
13th over: South Africa 41-2 (Markram 23, du Plessis 2) Cummins continues to give little away and once again he’s able to sow some doubt into the minds of South Africa’s batsmen with some sharp bounce on a length.
12th over: South Africa 39-2 (Markram 22, du Plessis 1) That’s better from South Africa and Markram. A four in front of square on the legside is pure timing and technique, but the six that soars miles over square leg that follows is raw power. South Africa have batted without intent for much of this series but there’s clearly talent that can prosper if they seize the initiative.
11th over: South Africa 27-2 (Markram 10, du Plessis 1) Deary me, South Africa are trying their hardest to improve Australian morale. Another maiden, this time to Cummins, and it almost includes the wicket of du Plessis with the skipper millimetres away from nicking an attempted pull from a superb bouncer that was heading right at the coat of arms on the South African helmet.
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10th over: South Africa 27-2 (Markram 10, du Plessis 1) Every decision Aaron Finch has made since the innings break in Adelaide has worked, and many of them have involved inviting Marcus Stoinis to bowl. Once again the allrounder finds a crucial breakthrough, and once again it was with a far from unplayable delivery.
WICKET! Hendricks c Carey b Stoinis 8 (South Africa 26-2)
Golden-arm Stoinis does it again! Two deliveries into his spell the allrounder leaks one down the legside but Hendricks can’t work the ball off his hip, tickling a fine edge that Carey does well to take as it dies on him down the legside. Sloppy batting from Hendricks and South Africa are in a pickle.
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9th over: South Africa 25-1 (Hendricks 8, Markram 9) After battling to find runs South Africa enjoy two boundaries in three balls with Cummins straying down the legside and Hendricks helping the delivery on its way to the fine-leg rope. The bowler responds superbly with a length delivery that beats the outside edge, and then gets one to hold up in this slowish pitch, forcing Hendricks to check his drive and scoop an uppish push to Travis Head but the South Australian DROPS a tough chance diving away to his right.
8th over: South Africa 20-1 (Hendricks 4, Markram 9) This pair combined for a shambolic run out in Adelaide and it was almost a repeat in Hobart. Markram set off like a hare after clipping Hazlewood to midwicket but Hendricks could see Cummins was onto it like a flash and the single was not a going concern. Markram was stranded mid-pitch but Cummins’ throw on his knees wasn’t accurate enough to affect the dismissal. The pressure applied by Australia early here is really telling. Well, that is until Markram rocks back and pulls Ponting-like onto the grass bank over midwicket. Heck of a shot.
7th over: South Africa 14-1 (Hendricks 4, Markram 3) Cummins replaces Starc from the Church Street End and he continues to apply the pressure to South Africa’s batsmen. Just a leg-bye conceded from a very tidy over that showed Australia have mastered the correct length on this surface.
6th over: South Africa 13-1 (Hendricks 4, Markram 3) This is the most Hazlewood pitch of the series so far and his ability to find a surprising amount of bounce on a length is really unsettling South Africa. The first ball of this over spits at Hendricks as he eased forward, forcing him to question the force of his strokes. A third maiden of the day looks assured but from the final delivery Hendricks pulls out a textbook backfoot drive through extra cover with gorgeous timing. It took 17 balls to arrive but Hendricks’ first runs were worth the wait.
The Australian pacers have troubled each of the South African batsmen so far inducing, 29% - de Kock, 22% - Hendricks, 15% - Markram false shots in the first 6 overs.#AUSvSA
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 11, 2018
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5th over: South Africa 9-1 (Hendricks 0, Markram 3) Starc’s line is a bit straighter to the right-handers this over but he’s too quick and bouncy to allow any easy runs through the legside. Markram makes solid connection with one deflection but it almost turned into another chance for that shortish midwicket fielder. Second maiden of the day and Australia right on top.
4th over: South Africa 9-1 (Hendricks 0, Markram 3) Hendricks has yet to settle and his nerves show four balls into another tight Hazlewood over. The angle down the legside suggests runs are on offer from the delivery but the moving parts of Hendricks’ stroke are not in sync and he almost lobs a catch to midwicket.
3rd over: South Africa 6-1 (Hendricks 0, Markram 2) Starc justifies his skipper’s decision to bowl first, removing one of South Africa’s premier batsmen with a beautiful delivery. He followed that up by making Aiden Markram dance first ball too.
No swing for Starc so far but a seaming ball on that line to de Kock would've dismissed most left-handers to ever play the game #AUSvSA
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) November 11, 2018
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WICKET! de Kock c Carey b Starc 4 (South Africa 4-1)
Just the start Australia were after! Perfect line and length from Starc, the ball angling in to de Kock from over the wicket but holding its line after pitching. De Kock offered the full face of the bat to a defensive stroke but he’s half a ball inside the line and he can only feather a faint nick through to Carey.
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2nd over: South Africa 4-0 (de Kock 4, Hendricks 0) Hazlewood shares the new ball and he is into his groove immediately, hitting that awkward length, drawing Hendricks half-heartedly forward. The line is impeccable too, varying between middle-and-off and the corridor of uncertainty. Maiden over.
1st over: South Africa 4-0 (de Kock 4, Hendricks 0) It only takes Starc one delivery to cause South Africa issues, inducing a de Kock inside edge that clatters into the opener’s um, de Ko , box. A few seconds on his haunches sucking in the pristine Hobart air and the left-hander is good to go again. A mainly probing line and length to being with from Starc, everything sent down in the high 140s kph. A couple of deliveries offer de Kock some width and he calmly strokes both away towards the cover boundary for twos.
*Tries to predict how many De Kock hit in de cock references* #ausvsa
— Chaddd Towers (@chadddtowers) November 11, 2018
Mitchell Starc is at the top of his mark. Here we go!
Out stomp Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks to the centre of Blundstone Arena. Play will begin in a matter of seconds.
Game on 🔥🔥🔥 #AUSvSA #ProteaFire pic.twitter.com/eafqNHUWAf
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) November 11, 2018
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Paul Wilson and Aleem Dar are your umpires today. Michael Gough is watching the telly.
Bellerive Oval is such a beautiful place to play and watch cricket.
It's the series-decider! All set and ready to go in Hobart #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/h9Z4pvDXNi
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) November 11, 2018
In case you missed it, Australia’s women’s team got their World T20 campaign off to a flyer yesterday.
The players are out for the anthems a little earlier than usual as there will be a short ceremony on this remembrance Sunday to mark the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.
A moving ceremony to commence proceedings here at Blundstone Arena today. Well done to Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania for nailing this. #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/uRiEaULkto
— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) November 11, 2018
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Conditions
Thanks to a gentle southerly breeze it’s a cool afternoon in Hobart, and that seems likely to give way to a positively chilly evening. It is dry though and there is plenty of blue sky among the fluffy clouds.
The strip seems to divide opinion. Aaron Finch was keen to bowl first and take advantage of any life early on. Faf du Plessis was comfortable being put in, expecting more life under lights later on.
The experts pitchside pointed out a decent covering of grass but also the likelihood the ball might not come through quickly. So, yeah, who knows?
Coin toss in 10 mins at Blundstone Arena #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/EQRECDkA5C
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 11, 2018
Elsewhere in Australian cricket, Steve Smith and David Warner came face-to-face at club level in Sydney.
South Africa XI
South Africa are also unchanged which means Dwaine Pretorius retains his place at seven. Australia will fancy their chances of restricting this Proteas XI to a manageable total.
South Africa XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis (c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir.
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 11, 2018
Proteas unchanged as well #AUSvSA
Australia XI
Australia stick with the winning XI from Adelaide, but we’re told there will be some tweaks to the batting order, most notably Chriss Lynn is set to open the innings.
Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Travis Head, Shaun Marsh, Chris Lynn, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoins, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 11, 2018
Aussies unchanged #AUSvSA
Australia won the toss and elected to bowl
For the first time this series South Africa will bat first. This will be a massive test for that far from flawless batting line-up.
Australia have won the toss and will BOWL first #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/QCYmaCEuFh
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 11, 2018
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Preamble
Good afternoon one and all and welcome to Hobart for live OBO coverage of the third and final ODI of this Australia vs South Africa series. Play will be underway at Blundstone Arena at 1.50pm local time (2.50am GMT).
Despite being second best in three of the four innings played so far between these sides Australia arrive in Tasmania in sight of a morale boosting series victory. The bowling performance under Adelaide Oval’s lights has lit a spark under Australian cricket, offering some welcome hope after an annus horribilis.
Key to that successful defence of just 231 on Friday was Marcus Stoinis and the allrounder revealed the mental toll of the chaos that has enveloped Australian cricket recently. “The amount of noise going on, people are drained,” Stoinis explained after his player of the match performance. “We’re cooked right now and we just won. Maybe that is part of it, the mental drain. That is what we have got to work on, that is what we have got to get past.”
Australia’s batting woes ahead of next year’s World Cup are well documented and again in Hobart selectors will be hoping one of the top order puts up their hand for a regular gig. Chris Lynn and Glenn Maxwell in particular will be under the spotlight with both offering enormous upside when in form but prone to coach-killing dismissals when not.
South Africa will be kicking themselves for not wrapping up the series in Adelaide. That they didn’t was courtesy of a poorly handled run chase, one that raises major doubts about their suitability to claim a World Cup, despite possessing a high-quality and well-balanced bowling attack.
In mitigation, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy are both missing, but in their absence the make-up of the side looks ill conceived with Dwaine Pretorius at seven and Dale Steyn at eight. In the modern age of consistent scores in excess of 300 and sides keeping attacking for 50 overs regardless of wickets lost, the Proteas look a batting allrounder or two short of the finished article.
If you would like to see your words somewhere on this page, you can make that happen by sending a tweet to @JPHowcroft or making sure an email lands in my inbox at jonathan.howcroft.freelance@guardian.co.uk.
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