South Africa 365 for 9 (Miller 142, Bavuma 103, Edwards 5-67) beat Australia 333 (Marsh 84, Head 84, Williams 3-54) by 32 runs
As they did in game one, Australia began the chase in commanding fashion. Mitch Marsh and Travis Head put on 130 for the first wicket, in 17 overs, and found a boundary an over. Between them, they scored 17 fours and Marsh hit five sixes as South Africa’s seamers struggled to keep things quiet.
Marco Jansen had a chance first up when Marsh bottom-edged him short of de Kock, but then struggled with his lengths from either end and Marsh plundered 14 runs off his fourth over. Lizaad Williams and Duan Jansen were both too full and South Africa were forced to spin early. Maharaj was brought on in the ninth over and the batters used the feet well against him to take 13 runs off his first over.
Australia were 77 without loss after the powerplay and Marsh reached his fifty shortly afterwards, off 32 balls. Then, he brought out the big hits and sent Markram over fine leg and Maharaj out of the ground over midwicket before he was bowled by Bjorn Fortuin, playing for turn that wasn’t there.
Head was next to a milestone and brought up 50 off 55 balls before tearing into a selection of short ball from Williams. Cooper Connolly could not mete out the same treatment. He sent an ordinary delivery on his hips to Markram at short midwicket to depart for 10.
With Alex Carey in at No.4, Markram’s offspin had a job to do against two left-handers and he nearly did it. On 66, Head edged a delivery that bounced and turned away and a simple catch popped up for Fortuin at backward point but even though he had both hands on the ball, it slipped out. Markram got his own back when, in his next over, Head missed a sweep and was given out lbw. The drop cost South Africa 18 runs and 14 were scored off Marco Jansen.
Head’s dismissal saw Maharaj brought back on as Bavuma looked to increase the pressure on Australia, who needed 175 runs from the second half of their innings. Two boundary-less overs followed when Carey, stuck back in his crease, was hit on the pad in line with middle stump and Maharaj had his first.
Matt Renshaw found some release with a boundary an over for the next three overs but Australia were still stuck. They scored 50 runs in the 10 overs between the 26th and 36th and the required run-rate was close to nine an over when Maharaj spun one past Renshaw’s inside-edge and hit him on the knee roll. Renshaw was given lbw and reviewed in vain.
Another lean period followed. Australia scored 12 runs in the next five overs, during which time Cameron Green holed out to long-on, a shot that underlined Australia’s desperation. They needed 113 runs off the last 10 overs, which the first innings proved was not impossible. South Africa scored 100 runs in that period and Bartlett’s 26-ball fifty gave Australia hope. He ran out of partners as Marco Jansen took wickets in two balls before Ellis, despite his injury, came out to bat. Bartlett was out lbw to a Williams yorker and a good review from Bavuma. Australia were bowled out with two balls remaining in their innings as Markram took the catch that finished the game.
It ended in completely different fashion to how it started for Markram when Australia made good on Marsh’s decision to bowl first and dismissed him first ball. Hazlewood found extra bounce and Markram hit him aerially to cover-point where Connolly stuck on his left hand to take a superb catch.
Bavuma was in early again and outscored de Kock as he showed his intent upfront. De Kock found his touch with two leg-side sixes off Hazlewood in the seventh over but then nicked off to leave South Africa on 36 for 2. Matthew Breetzke, the centurion from Durban, and Bavuma rebuilt with a 57-run stand and got the run-rate above six an over. They were starting to look dangerous when Breetzke wafted at an Edwards’ back of a length ball and was caught behind to give Edwards his first international wicket.
Bavuma was on 45 at the time, saw Miller get himself in with a boundary off a leg-glance and then rev-up as he took on Adam Zampa’s short balls, before reaching fifty off 62 balls off Edwards. Later in that over, Edwards hit Bavuma high on the right forearm but after some treatment on an arm where he has had problems before, the South African captain indicated he would continue. He mowed Ellis over midwicket to suggest not much was wrong and usher in South Africa’s most profitable period.
Miller and Bavuma scored 130 runs in the next 17.3 overs as Bavuma and Miller delighted a home crowd under a surface that settled in late spring sunshine. Australia had to find a contingency for Ellis and used Renshaw, against whom Miller played the shot of the innings against when he smashed him over long-on and into the stands. Bavuma entered the 90s with a hat-trick off fours off Zampa and reached his century with a single off 112 balls. Bavuma only lasted into the next over before he holed out to Bartlett at sweeper cover to give Edwards a second.
Tristan Stubbs was surprised by an Edwards slower ball and top-edged an attempted hook to Carey to depart cheaply but South Africa had firepower in hand. Marco Jansen joined Miller, on 98, and hit one four before Miller carved Bartlett over point to bring up his hundred, off 73 balls. He gestured to Jenny before putting his head down to get South Africa to 300 and beyond. Miller scored 39 runs off the next 20 balls and with Jansen at the other end, South Africa could look at a massive score. Jansen smashed two huge sixes off Edwards before skying a slower ball for Carey to end a 46-run sixth-wicket stand, off just 27 balls. He was replaced by his twin Duan, who watched Miller reached his ODI best with a six off Edwards and then hole out to give Edwards five.
Duan showed a different skill set with reverse-sweeps off Zampa and played a fine hand at the end to score 27 off 18 balls. For the second successive match, Australia had to play with a fielding penalty, this time for just one over, which may be the least of their problems heading to Potchefstroom.
Firdose Moonda is Cricinfo’s senior correspondent for Africa and women’s cricket
