Match report
That’s that. One more match to go at Potchefstroom on Wednesday, where Pat Cummins will likely get a run before the Test series. He’ll probably have to, actually, with Ellis injured today. And then we’re into Sandpaper II: Electric Boogaloo. A huge month of Test cricket coming up, and there’ll be a lot of coverage of it from me and friends, so stick with us on the Big G. Laters.
Short and sweet from Bavuma, who is pretty similar in tone whether he’s won or lost.
Mitch Marsh in his interview is less despondent than he was in Durban, but says that he’s disappointed given how much emphasis he’d put on making sure they levelled the series here. The middle overs have been tough, he says. “It’s a big learning curve for some of our younger guys.” They have exactly one younger guy, Connolly.
Pink Day fundraising cheques to support breast cancer care are handed over before the presentation, with a doctor from one of the South African hospitals receiving the novelty props. Marco Jansen gets a cheque for hitting a big six. Miller is unsurprisingly player of the match, an extra special moment given that he’s wearing his mother’s name on the back of his shirt to acknowledge her as a cancer survivor.
“A thoroughly enjoyable ODI with a spirited attempt by Australia to match the Proteas’ score but hats off to Bavuma for a great century (Milller’s wasn’t bad either!) and good captaincy, culminating in the successful review to get rid of the dangerous Bartlett,” writes Colum Fordham to our inbox. There was a lot of consternation with the reviews today! Quinton de Kock couldn’t believe it when one got sent upstairs that he was adamant was not out. (He was right, too.)
South Africa win by 32 runs, and win the series with a 2-0 lead
Don’t let the modest margin fool you, that was another hammering. As in Durban, Marsh and Head gave Australia a golden chance at controlling that chase, but when they fell in the way their aggressive batting means they are likely to do, the middle order wasted all that good work, and left too much for even Bartlett’s late whirlwind to gather up. South Africa’s spinners were too good again, with three of them in operation today.
But the reason that even Marsh and Head’s scoring rate wasn’t enough to boss the chase was because South Africa’s batting was that much better. Tons to Bavuma and to Miller, an especially explosive one from the latter, plus a bit more hitting from the Jansens, who sadly didn’t bat together but did bat consecutively. A deserved series win, and a warning to other teams a year out from their home World Cup.
WICKET! Hazlewood c Markram b Williams 2, Australia 333 all out
All out in the last over. Hazlewood tries the uppercut, as he favours doing, then clobbers a fuller ball to midwicket and gets a run. Ellis takes one for himself, then Hazlewood backs away and hits Williams to mid off.
49th over: Australia 331-9 (Ellis 6, Hazlewood 1) A bit of comedy cricket with the last pair – runs abandoned part way through, byes, leg byes, and eventually Ellis hits Marco through cover for four.
48th over: Australia 323-9 (Ellis 1, Hazlewood 1) Party’s over. A hobbled Ellis and Josh Hazlewood are not going to score 43 from 12 balls. That’s like expecting two hobbits to destroy the One Ring.
WICKET! Bartlett lbw b Williams 50, Australia 322-9
Eighteen balls to go, and Bartlett hits the first of them for six! Huge pull shot, destroys Williams. Seventeen balls to go, tries to go again but only gets a quarter of it, and is able to rush back for a second run. He raises a half century and doesn’t even notice. Scything cut shot third ball of the over, hits it nicely, but refuses the single with a boundary rider back. Then loses his boot, just about, to a Williams yorker! Great comeback piece of bowling. Smashes into the instep of the back foot, in front of middle and leg. The umpire thinks there’s bat on it, South Africa have no idea and argue among themselves, then keep arguing after Bavuma goes for the review. But the review is vindicated, whoever voted for that. Brilliant bit of bowling, and Bartlett’s outstanding effort, raising the distant possibility of a true heist, has come to an end. That’s worth a bow on the way off. His second 50 in only a few chances at ODI cricket. Big future.
47th over: Australia 314-8 (Bartlett 42, Ellis 1) No chapeau for Marco, as Nathan Ellis glides a single, jumping to get over the top of the ball. Ellis retired from the bowling crease with a side strain earlier today, so he won’t be swinging for the hills. Bartlett has to do the whole job. Can’t see him scoring 52 from three overs on his own.
WICKET! Zampa c Maharaj b M Jansen 0, Australia 312-8
Zampa has absolutely middled that! And it’s got him out. Drills a square drive first ball, might be the cleanest shot he’s hit in is life, but there’s a catcher on the cover boundary to take the ball. Big Marco is on a hat-trick.
WICKET! Edwards c Breetzke b M Jansen 25, Australia 312-7
It was always going to happen. At some stage. Edwards has to keep going, trying to double down on Bartlett’s momentum, but his attempted long hit down the ground doesn’t have the carry. Caught at long on.
46th over: Australia 310-6 (Edwards 23, Bartlett 41) What witchcraft is this? One can, in fact, hit boundaries off spin. Xavier Bartlett may want to share this news with his specialist batting teammates. Fortuin the bowler, and Bartlett batters him over midwicket for six, baseballs him straight for four, then pulls him straight for six more!
This is a seriously impressive cameo. He’s got cramp, too, wincing as he swings that first six away. Tries to line up the last ball of the over, misses it, and is hit on the body. Annoyed with himself, feels he missed another six runs there.
Takes 19 from the over. Needs another two overs like that. They need 56 from 24 balls.
45th over: Australia 291-6 (Edwards 22, Bartlett 23) Edwards with a peculiar six! Tries to whip Duan Jansen over midwicket, but the leading edge hangs in the air, maybe catches some breeze, and just carries Markram on the rope at a straight hit position. Misses out on the bouncer though, that ball was there to hit, but the left-armer’s angle made it harder to line up, across the right-hander. Clobbers the next ball, pulled, but along the ground for one, well stopped at deep mid.
75 from 30 needed.
44th over: Australia 282-6 (Edwards 13, Bartlett 23) “Don’t write them off yet,” plead the TV commentators. Stop that. We have written them off. It’s done. There is no point hype-manning this contest. Especially when Fortuin comes on and the Australians immediately revert to being unable to hit a cricket ball, staggering around to gather a couple of singles and a wide, as fruitlessly as foragers picking mushrooms while a mushroom cloud rises on the horizon.
43rd over: Australia 278-6 (Edwards 11, Bartlett 22) See ya later! Back to pace, and Bartlett immediately smokes a six! Duan Jansen the bowler, short ball, pulled. This will all be too little too late, the specialists have left too much to Bartlett, but he’s been an exciting prospect with the bat for a long time now, considering he’s a specialist quick. Gets a couple more runs to deep third, then a single, and Edwards flat-bats to deep cover but just for one. Ten from the over, even with the six to start, which isn’t enough.
Australia need 88 from 42. Fremantle could lose this from here, but South Africa can’t.
42nd over: Australia 268-6 (Edwards 10, Bartlett 13) Xavier Bartlett can belt the ball, and he does so here, pulling Fortuin through midwicket for four, then backing that up by lifting a fuller ball over midwicket for six! Australia need all of that, 12 an over required. Was that a Mankad warning from Fortuin to Edwards? Pulls out of his delivery, and the camera cuts to his captain, Bavuma, and nobody on the commentary says a word. They just wait for the moment to pass. Odd one. I don’t think it was Edwards drfiting out though, looks like he was behind the line as I scan back.
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41st over: Australia 256-6 (Edwards 9, Bartlett 2) Maharaj mustn’t be able to believe his luck. Gets through his final over for only three runs conceded, with the Aussies not even attempting to do anything against him. This is a mystifying performance from them. He’s bagged 2 for 54 from his day’s work.
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40th over: Australia 253-6 (Edwards 7, Bartlett 1) It’s hit and hope time for Australia. They need 113 from the last 10. South Africa have been all over them.
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WICKET! Green c M Jansen b Fortuin 17, Australia 251-6
That is an all-time dog of an innings from Cameron Green. Came in, looked useless from the get go, didn’t attempt to do… anything, really, went at a strike rate of 50 in a chase that needed 10 an over, and finally decides to run down the track and try to hit Fortuin for a straight six. Bat twisting in his hands, head all over the place. Caught at long off.
39th over: Australia 250-5 (Green 17, Edwards 5) The asphyxiation continues, three singles in this over from Maharaj. Australia need 116 from 66. They’ve gone from needing 6.9 an over to needing more than 10.
38th over: Australia 247-5 (Green 16, Edwards 3) More spin from Fortuin, more dots and ones from Green. Jack Edwards didn’t last long the other day, on debut. Has a couple of domestic hundreds in this format, so he can do it. Four singles from the over. What’s the plan? Australia need 119 from 72 balls.
37th over: Australia 243-5 (Green 13, Edwards) Two from the over, Green is 14 from 28 balls. Markram is bowled out, took 1 for 55. Fortuin has five overs to go, Maharaj has two more after this wicket-taking one. The remaining Australians are going to attempt to score against spin, they can’t get 123 runs from six overs of pace.
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WICKET! Renshaw lbw Maharaj 32, Australia 241-5
That’s the game, surely. First of all Renshaw decides that he doesn’t even want to face spin, as he pulls out of his batting stance at the last second, and Maharaj bowls him. Hits the stumps, anyway, but the umpire rules dead ball. Somebody moved behind the bowler’s arm. But two balls later, it’s a live and legal ball that hits Renshaw in front of middle as he moves across to the off side, looking to hit Maharaj to leg. No contact, no love from the speculative review, and a triple red sees the end of Renshaw.
36th over: Australia 241-4 (Renshaw 32, Green 13) Fortuin to Green, who is doing his best impression of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal. Big step forward, push back to the bowler. It beats drop-punting one to the catcher at deep midwicket. Finally gets a single from ball five.
35th over: Australia 239-4 (Renshaw 31, Green 12) An error from Markram, tiring in his final over most likely, and Renshaw sweeps the full toss through fine leg. A couple more runs into the leg side.
Australia need 127 from 90.
34th over: Australia 232-4 (Renshaw 25, Green 11) I wasn’t expecting a live blog from the Highveld to be like doing one from Nagpur. Spin from both ends, the odd single. Fortuin concedes one run from the over! Australia letting this drift again, as they did through that bizarre becalmed section in Durban. Much better chance to up the scoring rate later here, of course, with wickets in hand. Still, they’re letting SA dictate terms for the time being.
33rd over: Australia 231-4 (Renshaw 25, Green 10) Markram is shutting down the scoring. He has 1 for 48 from nine overs now, this one costs three.
32nd over: Australia 228-4 (Renshaw 24, Green 8) The all-spin apprach continues with Fortuin replacing Maharaj. Green prods and pokes, they collect five from the over.
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31st over: Australia 223-4 (Renshaw 23, Green 4) And again! Three times in a row, Renshaw has found the rope off the sixth ball to salvage the over. This time it’s a short ball from Markram that gives him the chance.
30th over: Australia 218-4 (Renshaw 19, Green 3) Renshaw crucially finds the rope again from the final ball of the over! Maharaj slips and bowls a full toss, Renshaw takes it through midwicket and beats the fielder thanks to a fumble. Bright start from the lefty.
29th over: Australia 211-4 (Renshaw 13, Green 2) Now there’s a missed stumping! Again, de Kock is apologising. Markram was born under a bad sign. Lovely bit of bowling, it dips and turns and drags Renshaw’s back foot out while beating his edge. The keeper fumbles the take though, the ball was too good. Not far off bowling Renshaw either. Renshaw cuts a boundary to follow.
The required rate is back above the current rate, they need 7.38 an over now. That’s 155 from 126.
28th over: Australia 205-4 (Renshaw 8, Green 1) Repeat of Durban loading? The openers give them a golden chance and the middle order botch it? One more wicket and that will be the tale. Green, a rare right-hander, has the job of averting that with Renshaw. Green played a colossally stupid shot in the previous game, so perhaps he’s got that out of his system.
WICKET! Carey lbw Maharaj 17, Australia 203-4
Spin again, this time the main man. Maharaj to Carey, who is playing back on his stumps even though the ball pitches full. He’s misread that and he knows it, he’s walked straight off instead of reviewing. Tried to turn it to the leg side and missed.
27th over: Australia 202-3 (Carey 17, Renshaw 6) Markram keeps the scoring down with four singles.
26th over: Australia 198-3 (Carey 15, Renshaw 4) In-form man in Renshaw arrives next. He’ll need to find 175 runs from 150 balls with Carey and company. Paradisical batting conditions in Johannesburg, though the golden sunshine is starting to fade out as the afternoon deepens. Another left-hander, Marsh has been the only conventional batter for Australia so far today.
Maharaj the next bowler. Carey rotates. Renshaw off the mark first ball with a lovely midwicket clip, saved in the deep for two.
WICKET! Head lbw Markram 84, Australia 191-3
25th over: Australia 191-3 (Carey 12) Finally, Markram gets his man! Last ball of the over, around the wicket to the left-hander, lots of loop, and Head tries the sweep. Plays over the top of that ball. Is is straightening enough? Absolutely, says the DRS! Head reviewed instantly but there was no under edge on the sweep.
24th over: Australia 186-2 (Head 82, Carey 9) Two reprieves, and that’s enough for Head to drop the hammer. Marco Jansen comes back, Head immediately scorches him through cover, then again through backward point. A couple of singles to follow, then he ends the over with a soaring flick for six! Wow, what a shot that is. Just a nice length ball angling in at the off stump, and Head looks so at ease dropping that into the midwicket crowd.
The over costs 16. The required rate is under 7. Australia need 180 from 156.
23rd over: Australia 170-2 (Head 67, Carey 8) Oh dear, Head is dropped again! And there’s no fatalism about stick-or-don’t here, this catch is as simple as they come. Markram the unlucky bowler once more, width, square drive, top edge. It loops gently to backward point, Fortuin doesn’t have to move. There’s some sun in his eyes perhaps, but he has his hands up at eye height, creating shadow. The ball arcs straight into those hands… and somehow ends up on the grass. The other fielders were already celebrating.
22nd over: Australia 166-2 (Head 66, Carey 5) The required rate in flux each over, this time going South Africa’s way as Williams concedes just five.
21st over: Australia 161-2 (Head 64, Carey 2) Another left-hander in, Alex Carey replacing the injured Josh Inglis as wicketkeeper. Fractured finger for Inglis, does that take him out of the Test squad as well? He gets to the far end from his first ball. Head is dropped! Quinton de Kock behind the stumps puts him down, your classic in-out chance while keeping up to the spinner. The keeper raises a hand to Markram, the bowler, in apology. Big edge, hit the heel of his hand and bounced straight out. Only four from the over.
Australia still ahead of the run rate. They need 205 from 174 balls.
20th over: Australia 157-2 (Head 62) So Head head creaked up a gear just before that Connolly wicket, by baseballing a slower ball through midwicket, then gliding four more behind point. Wicket last ball of the over, what does he do next?
WICKET! Connolly c Markram b Williams 10, Australia 157-2
One brings two! Connolly looked good from the get-go, but just mistimes a simple shot looking for a couple of runs. Ball on his hip from Williams, Connolly tries to glance but is early into the stroke, and pops it up to midwicket off a leading edge.
Half century! Head 50 from 55 balls
19th over: Australia 146-1 (Head 50, Connolly 10) Out of the blocks with a breeze at his back, Cooper Connolly! Gets width from the left-arm spinner, and first two ball of the over he smacks through the off side to the fence. Head gets his milestone with a single.
18th over: Australia 136-1 (Head 49, Connolly 1) Thus. Australia need another 236 from 198 balls. They’re actually ahead of the required rate right now, at 7.64 when they need 7.15, but that can change in the blink of an eye. So, work is required to keep things moving.
I know it must sound strange to say that a guy who’s 49 from 53 balls is not playing well, but there are vibes with Travis Head, when he’s hitting the ball the way he wants, versus whatever has been happening in this series, and in fact in quite a lot of his white ball cricket for Australia for a while now. After too many dots facing Williams, Head finds his most convincing smite of the day, lofting over extra cover for four.
WICKET! Marsh b Fortuin 84, Australia 130-1
17th over: Australia 130-1 (Head 45) Relief for South Africa! Just 53 balls for Marsh’s barnstormer, but it ends at the hands of Bjorn Fortuin, the second left-arm spinner in the SA arsenal. He had an impact in Durban, but took a long time to be introduced today. Gets belted for a couple of fours in his first over, but ends it with a slider into Marsh’s pad that ricochets into the off stump. Drinks.
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16th over: Australia 120-0 (Marsh 79, Head 40) Triple decker! Not a sandwich, that’s another six into the top tier of the tall grandstand over the straight hit. Marsh doesn’t have to get to the pitch of that ball from Markram, because Markram brings the pitch to him. Burrito taxi for dingers. All Marsh has to do is swing his long arms through the line of that ball, strikes it as sweetly as he ever will a ball in his life, and sets it sailing.
15th over: Australia 112-0 (Marsh 72, Head 39) Marsh is taking it up to Maharaj a little. They were too respectful of him in Durban, honestly. He’s a good bowler but he’s not Buster Nupen on a matting track. After a few singles, Marsh drives two runs through cover, then gets back and pulls six out of the ground, another lost ball as he skims this off a roof and into another stand of eucalypts.
14th over: Australia 99-0 (Marsh 61, Head 37) Markram to bowl, South Africa didn’t have that option in Game 1, and he bowls a very tight over of off-spin until the last ball, which Marsh slog-sweeps to fine leg for four. At least, it looks like four, but the third umpire has a long look and calls it six. There’s a deep shadow cast by the boundary sponge, so it’s hard to see, but that ball runs up the face of the sponge and bounces high into the air after landing, so surely that means it must have hit the ground first and then the sponge? Mystifyingly, the third umpire says it’s a six. Physically impossible for that to have hit the sponge first, given what happened afterwards. Get a physicist into the TV truck.
13th over: Australia 90-0 (Marsh 54, Head 35) Ignore what I just said about Head. He plays out a whole over against Maharaj and can only find a single from the sixth ball. This is horrible. Can’t find a way through. He even tries a reverse sweep! Highly out of character.
12th over: Australia 89-0 (Marsh 54, Head 34) This time, the Aussies get onto Duan Jansen again. Two pulls to the boundary, one from each batter. Head is warming into his work somewhat. Marsh’s shot is pure adrenaline.
Half century! Marsh 50 from 35 balls
11th over: Australia 80-0 (Marsh 50, Head 29) That’s good from Maharaj as well, coming around the wicket to Marsh, using pace through the air to ask a few questions. Marsh brings up his fifty with a single rather than another lash.
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10th over: Australia 77-0 (Marsh 49, Head 28) Much better from Duan Jansen in his second over, he sorts out his accuracy and uses some bounce to keep the scoring to singles.
9th over: Australia 74-0 (Marsh 48, Head 26) Bavuma goes to Maharaj early. His premier spinner stopped a Marsh rampage when coming on at around this time in the previous match, but not today. First it’s Head driving four through cover, then Marsh with boundaries punched through long on, then punched square on the off side. Wonderful batting.
8th over: Australia 61-0 (Marsh 40, Head 21) Double Jansen. Duan comes on, only playing his third ODI. His brother has played 85 times for South Africa across the formats. On this first over’s evidence, there might be reasons why, as Duan Jansen bowls trash outside off stump to let Head scorch it over point, trash outside leg to let Head glance it fine, and then trash outside off to let Marsh belt a cut shot. All three go to the fence.
7th over: Australia 48-0 (Marsh 36, Head 12) Ooowwwwoooowhackkk! Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree? No! Kookaburra flies over the eucalyptus! The Wanderers ground is ringed with gum trees, which is odd as an Australian when you first arrive there and feel like you’ve teleported home. Today, Mitch Marsh feels right at home, as he gets a half-short ball from Jansen, close to his body, and somehow gets so much power from an up-and-under pull shot that he sends it not just out of the stadium, but over the ring of forest beyond.
“You can’t even call that tree-mendous,” says Shaun Pollock, “because it’s gone over the trees.”
Add in a couple more driven fours for Marsh, and the over costs 14.
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6th over: Australia 34-0 (Marsh 22, Head 12) The good news for Travis Head is that he’s clipped a ball of his pads for four. The bad news is that it took the whole over for him to manage that, after being tied up by Williams, unable to find the middle of the bat or a gap in the infield. He looks rough…
5th over: Australia 30-0 (Marsh 22, Head 8) As in the first game, Head is battling to get into rhythm. He misses an uppercut, finds the field, and finally gets off strike third ball. Jansen continues to use his height and the bounce in this track to great effect, beating Marsh with lift a couple of times, Marsh unable to make contact twice, being hit by a short ball once, and finally giving up and leaving the last as it leaps across him at a sharp angle from the left-armer.
4th over: Australia 29-0 (Marsh 22, Head 7) First six of the day! Marsh picks up Williams off his pads and lifts him over fine leg. Remarkable bit of timing there. Marsh backs it up with a belt over cover. Nothing he does on the cricket field could be called subtle, but his striking does have quality.
3rd over: Australia 18-0 (Marsh 12, Head 6) Another boundary for Marsh, with Jansen hauled away through midwicket, not great timing on the pull but it finds the centre of the gap. Then Marsh guides a run off the outside edge, and Head does the same. Neither hammer nor tongs has been sighted yet.
2nd over: Australia 11-0 (Marsh 7, Head 4) From the other end, it’s Lizaad Williams, very different style of seamer to Jansen: right arm, over the wicket, much shorter man, feet burring in the run-up, skidding the ball through at the stumps, a little outswing. Marsh blocks out a couple, then reads the swing from a ball starting leg and heading towards middle, and lifts his drive over the bowler’s head. Similar shot to end the over, this one more off the toe, so it clears mid off but is hauled in before reaching the rope. Good chase from Markram, who got a golden to start today’s match, so he’d like to contribute in one way or another in the field.
1st over: Australia 5-0 (Marsh 1, Head 4) Marco of the Jansens to open up proceedings today, left-arm gigantic and over the wicket. And what’s this? Mitch Marsh takes a single! No crashing straight drives, just a nudge to leg. He leaves the crashing drive to Head, the first of those through cover, though that comes after Head has been hit in the stomach by Jansen, then missed a big cut shot at a wide ball.
Mitch Marsh did all the lifting for Australia in the first run chase of this series, and the rest of the batting was dismal after he got out. A lot relying on the captain’s aggressive early scoring rate again today, for Australia to have a prayer.
Thanks Dan. Australia have a pretty rich recent history of getting pounded by South Africa in ODI cricket, and today looks like continuing the trend. The exception of course was the one that mattered, the 2023 World Cup semi-final in Kolkata.
South Africa post 365-9
Duan Jansen ends the innings with a lofted drive down the ground for four.
That’s an impressive tally, but if there’s any ground in the world where 365 is chasable, it’s the Bull Ring.
Tons for Bavuma and Miller after the loss of Markram off the first ball of the innings.
Edwards bagged a five-for, and Hazlewood picked up three, but the loss of Ellis to a side-strain, and Zampa going for a few, meant there was extra responsibility on the part-timers.
I reckon that’s probably enough. We’ll find out if it is when Geoff Lemon takes over after the break.
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WICKET! Maharaj lbw Bartlett 4 (South Africa 360-9)
Keshav walks across his crease and is pinned on his front dog. Plumb in front.
49th over: South Africa 357-8 (D Jansen 20, Maharaj 4) Hazlewood closes out with 3-70 from his 10, picking up the wicket of Fortuin in his final set. But he’ll be annoyed at that one that started with Jansen taking on the short ball and hammering it in front of square for four, and ended with Maharaj helping on another short ball fine for four.
WICKET! Fortuin c Carey b Hazlewood 5 (South Africa 353-8)
Another catch for Carey. Fortuin tries to launch this short lifter into orbit but the wild swing only catches a thick top edge. Carey steadies himself and completes his fifth grab of the innings.
48th over: South Africa 346-7 (D Jansen 14, Fortuin 4) Zampa is back. Jansen meets him with a lofted reverse sweep that finds the boundary. Fortuin tries to do the same but edges to fine leg somewhow and takes one. Jansen shows him how it’s done as he nails another reverse sweep that shoots along the grass for another four beyond a diving fielder at point. Jansen keeps the strike with a prod for one to square leg.
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47th over: South Africa 335-7 (D Jansen 4, Fortuin 3) Can South Africa get to 350? That’ll be the target. Edwards closes out with 5-68. He took a little tap late on, but that is a very fine return and he deserves his name on the honours board.
WICKET! Miller c Green b Edwards 142 (South Africa 331-7) | 5 wickets for Edwards
That brings an end to Miller time! Edwards bags his five-for as Miller leaves the field to standing ovation. What an innings. 93 balls, 12 fours and 9 sixes. The ball before the dismissal was hit for six over long-on but this one, pushed wide of the off-stump, meant he lost his balance as he tried to repeat the trick. A thick edge lobs up to Green who has to run back from point and catch it over his shoulder.
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46th over: South Africa 324-6 (Miller 136, D Jansen 2) Miller thwacks a flat six over cow corner then closes the Bartlett six with a pick-up six over sqaure leg off the front foot. Mighty hitting! An overthrow allowed him to keep the strike and add those 12 runs after he dabbed a single to backward point.
45th over: South Africa 309-6 (Miller 124, D Jansen 1) That’s very good from the returning Zampa who concedes just two runs. The Australians have fought back brilliantly. 350 looked a certainty but Miller will have to rediscover his groove if the Proteas get there.
WICKET! M Jansen c Carey b Edwards 19 (South Africa 307-6)
The Marco Jansen show comes to an end. Earlier in the over he smoked a short ball from Edwards over 106 metres with a monstrous pull. He then cleared the ropes again as a top edge flew over fine leg. But Edwards stuck to the plan and went short again. Jansen couldn’t control it this time and the top edge went high instead of long. Carey, running to his right, made the simple catch. Jansen is replaced by his twin brother, Duan.
44th over: South Africa 307-6 (Miller 123, D Jansen 0)
43rd over: South Africa 293-5 (Miller 122, M Jansen 6) Hazlewood searches for a yorker but misses by some distance, serving up a knee-high full toss on Miller’s pads that’s whipped away fine for four. Another full toss is hit down the ground, but Miller doesn;t catch all of it and his heart is in his mouth as he watches it loop over mid-on running back. Then a top edge to a bouncer clears Carey and bounces away for four more. Miller is then hit on the foot, causing him to drop his bat in pain. A lot of cricket in that over.
42nd over: South Africa 280-5 (Miller 110, M Jansen 6) Two boundaries from Miller off Bartlett. The first was a streaky edge for fourthat brought him to three figures, but the second was full of control as he rode the bounce to clear the fielders on the leg side with a pulled, flat six. There’s a wide for a bouncer that’s too high even for Marco Jansen.
Miller tons up!
It’s a streaky outside edge off Bartlett that flies away for four, but there’s no denying that was a fantastic knock!
Great tempo, he’s been super aggressive against anything short or too full. Ten fours, five sixes and just 73 balls. He’ll look to go berserk now. If he’s still there at the end South Africa will have something pretty hefty at the break.
41st over: South Africa 267-5 (Miller 99, Jansen 5) Hazlewood returns and he’s hitting a short length straight away. Miller nudges a single off his hips to go to 99. Jansen tries to take it on but can’t make any contacting with his swishing bat. He’s hit on the head which brings out the physio, but he’s OK.
40th over: South Africa 265-5 (Miller 98, M Jansen 4) Two wickets – both to Edwards - in three overs has stalled South Africa’s charge to 350. But that over, which accounted for Stubbs thanks to a slower ball bouncer, ends with new man Marco Jansen driving on the up for four through cover. Miller, eyeing his ton, will be on strike for the next over. I’m sure he’ll want to get there with a six.
WICKET! Stubbs c Carey b Edwards 6 (South Africa 261-5)
Edwards bags another! It’s a slower ball bouncer that takes an age to reach Stubbs. He’s already in position to play the pull but loses his shape by the time the ball gets to him. The tame waft only catches a top edge that loops to Carey who comes across to take the catch on the leg side. Edwards deserves that. He’s been the pick of the Aussie bowlers.
39th over: South Africa 260-4 (Miller 97, Stubbs 6) Stubbs gets a throw down at the start of this Bartlett over and he leans into a drive for four down the ground. Lovely shot, but totally the wrong length. Bartlett corrects, bringing it back and rolling his wrists on a lovely slower ball bouncer. Miller plays a wonderful on-drive. That was textbook batting; high elbow, perfect weight transfer. That takes him to 96 and a dab to point takes him to 97. He’ll be on strike for the next over.
38th over: South Africa 250-4 (Miller 92, Stubbs 1) The over started with Miller moving into the 90s with a pull for four through midwicket. It ended with Stubbs nudging a single down the ground after Bavuma’s hack into the covers was well held by the running Bartlett to hand Edwards his second wicket of the day. That wicket, which brought an end to a 156-run partnership, won’t slow South Africa down.
WICKET! Bavuma c Bartlett b Edwards 103 (South Africa 249-4)
Temba tries to up the ante and falls in the deep! He wanted to take the attack to the returning Edwards but lost his shape as he came out his crease and went over cover. In the end it was a pretty ugly hack that spliced off the bat and arced towards Bartlett who did well to make the ground, running in off the rope. The catch was made and Bavuma walked off to a standing ovation.
37th over: South Africa 244-3 (Bavuma 103, Miller 87) Connolly replaces Zampa. Marsh needs a big show from his part-timers now. A couple of singles start the set before a drag down is deposited into the stands by Miller who pulls it off the back foot well in front of square. More good running, and placement of the ball, allows the batters to keep the score ticking in an over worth 11 to the tally.
36th over: South Africa 233-3 (Bavuma 101, Miller 78) Six singles off that over, including the dribbled one down to fine leg that took Bavuma to his century. This 140-run partnership off just 123 balls has set South Africa up beautifully. They’ll be targeting a score north of 350 from here I reckon. If Miller stays the course they could be grasping 400.
Hundred up for Bavuma!
What a knock by the South African captain! He was in second ball of the innings and has looked sublime throughout.
He was put down in the deep en route, but some brilliant batting around the ground, for 10 fours and two sixes, sees him raise his bat after gathering a single to fine leg off Edwards. That’s his sixth in the format and his second against Australia.
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35th over: South Africa 227-3 (Bavuma 98, Miller 75) There’s a nervous tension around the ground as Bavuma eyes up his hundred. He had a chance to get there from a Zampa drag down, but the firm pull was hit straight to Marsh at midwicket. For half a second I thought he picked him out. Two singles for Bavuma takes him closer to the milestone, while Miller must also be considering three figures as he takes two singles himself.
34th over: South Africa 223-3 (Bavuma 96, Miller 73) Miller takes on Renshaw, swatting him over the cover ring for a four. He goes again the next ball, but it’s straighter and hit with more of a checked-drive. He hits it so well that the fielder at a wide long-off is in business for a moment, but it clears the outstretched hand and hits the boundary on the full for a six. Bavuma then gets on strike and takes a nervous prod away from his body. Luckily for him, it misses his outside edge.
33rd over: South Africa 210-3 (Bavuma 95, Miller 61) Miller gives himself room, creating the width he needs as he climbs into Connolly off the back foot, creaming him for four through cover and point. There’s a sketchy run taken as Bavuma tips and runs, forcing Miller to dive in at the keeper’s end. A direct hit from point would have been out. This is now a record fourth-wicket stand, worth 116, for South Africa at this ground.
Ellis has a side-strain and will not bowl again today.
That’s a blow to the Aussies who would have been banking on six more overs from their death-overs specialist.
Means Marsh has to eke out a 36 balls from Connolly and Renshaw. Perhaps more given the tap that Zampa has recieved.
32nd over: South Africa 202-3 (Bavuma 93, Miller 55) Miller adds four more to the score by pulling a lifter from Hazlewood hard into the ground. It bounced so much that it cleared the leaping fielder at a catching midwicket. Seven off the over that included an attempted yorker. First time they’ve gone that full.
31st over: South Africa 195-3 (Bavuma 91, Miller 50) Zampa, who went at over nine an over in his first spell, is back. Miller greets him with a clip onto the on side to bring up his fifty. Then Bavuma rocks back and dispatches a bit of dross from Zampa for four through cover. It’s a carbon copy the next ball; short and wide and cut away for four more. Zampa over-corrects and serves up a full-toss that Bavuma clobbers for four over the ring down to wide long-on. That brings up the hundred partnership and takes Bavuma into the 90s. Bavuma keeps the strike with a single down the ground, taking the over’s tally to 14.
30th over: South Africa 181-3 (Bavuma 78, Miller 49) Sensing he needs a wicket, Marsh chucks the ball to Hazlewood for a return spell, possibly earlier than he would have liked. The Saffas will know that they don’t need to take too many risks against him now and just rotate the strike. Some good running off a Bavuma punch into the off-side turns an easy one into a well-taken two. Five off that over, all run.
29th over: South Africa 176-3 (Bavuma 75, Miller 47) Connolly returns with his part-timers. It’s a good over, just four singles. The partnership is up to 83 from 80 balls.
28th over: South Africa 172-3 (Bavuma 73, Miller 45) Renshaw’s over was looking good until the last ball when Miller wafted his hands, almost nonchalantly, and lifted a six over wide long-on. He barely seemed to hit and yet it sailed over the rope. A combination of the Highveld altitude and his unreal timing of a cricket ball. Three singles elsewhere.
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27th over: South Africa 163-3 (Bavuma 71, Miller 38) Bavuma gets in on the act, smashing a six, baseball style, over midwicket. Nothing sublte about that off Bartlett’s back of a length ball. A wide down the leg side from a slower-ball that went awry, and two singles, means it’s a decent return for the Saffas who continue to build.
26th over: South Africa 154-3 (Bavuma 64, Miller 37) After a little lull, Miller explodes into action. With mid-off up, he lifts Edwards up and over for a one-bounce four. Then with a little extra width, he leans into a lofted drive that is little more than a punch off the front foot, but the timing is so good that it arcs over extra cover for six. What a shot! A leg-bye brings Bavuma on strike who gets away with an inside edge that almost goes back onto his sticks.
25th over: South Africa 141-3 (Bavuma 63, Miller 26) Bartlett returns. We’re very much in the ‘middle’ overs of this ODI innings. Just a case of the batters keeping the strike rotating as they wait for the moment to shift gears. Australia are bowling well, not allowing any four balls as it’s wicket-to-wicket stuff. Tidy. Just two off that over.
24th over: South Africa 139-3 (Bavuma 62, Miller 25) Edwards is back, hammering a length from his extra height. Bavuma punches a single to bring Miller on strike. Edwards goes round the wicket to him as he stands outside his leg stump. He wants room to throw his hands at any width but there’s none on offer. Edwards then switches back to over the wicket – which is a mistake in my opinion – and Miller flicks a single down to fine leg. Another single from Bavuma down the ground to close out the set.
23rd over: South Africa 136-3 (Bavuma 60, Miller 24) Ellis continues. He’s bowled well, hitting a good length. Of all the seamers he’s been the most consistent on that front. Four runs off the over, two of them a result of quick running as Bavuma tucked a couple off a slowerr ball off his pads.
22nd over: South Africa 132-3 (Bavuma 57, Miller 23) More spin as Renshaw comes into the attack. Seven runs off that over, including a delicious lofted cover drive from Miller that is picked up with the spin and hammers the advertising boards. Australia are struggling to stem the flow of runs but know that a couple of quick wickets could turn momentum. Plenty of time left in this innings.
21st over: South Africa 125-3 (Bavuma 56, Miller 17) Bavuma swats Ellis for four, up and over midwicket. The next ball is also hammered but this time it’s straight to the sub fielder, Davies, at midwicket. He stoops low and does well to hold onto the catch, but reviews show that it bounced just a centimetre before he got his hands around it. Another (correct) decision goes South Africa’s way. There’s a wide down the leg side to Miller and a couple of singles elsewhere. A bit all over the place from Ellis on that one.
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20th over: South Africa 118-3 (Bavuma 51, Miller 16) Bavuma brings up his 50 with a cut shot worth two. Then he’s whacked on his forearm as the extra bounce from Edwards off a good length causes him a bit of bother. One wide and a single means it’s a pretty tidy set, worth just four.
Bavuma brings up his 50 with a cut behind point, but the good times are cut short as he cops a blow on his forearm from a spitting ball off Edwards.
So there’s a lengthy delay.
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19th over: South Africa 114-3 (Bavuma 48, Miller 16) It’s Miller time! The aggressive lefty thwacks Zampa for six in front of square on the leg side. Then he leans back and punches a four through cover with lovely timing. Singles elsewhere add up to 13 off that set.
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18th over: South Africa 101-3 (Bavuma 46, Miller 5) Hundred up for the Proteas as Edwards strays onto Miller’s pads and is tucked fine for four. Bavuma picked up a single just before to tip-toe his way to a half century.
17th over: South Africa 96-3 (Bavuma 45, Miller 1) Three singles off that Zampa over as the South Africans take a breath after the loss of Breetzke.
16th over: South Africa 93-3 (Bavuma 43, Miller 0) A first ODI wicket for Jack Edwards in his second game has opened things up for Australia. He’s not quick, but he is tall and that length he found to extract the edge from Breetzke outside the off stump is a blueprint for how to bowl on this bouncy surface.
WICKET! Breetzke c Carey b Edwards 34 (South Africa 93-2)
The drinks break and bowling change does it! South Africa were motoring along, but, as it so often happens, the break in play brings a wicket. Edwards, into the attack, hits a hard length that invites the back-foot punch from Breetzke. Perhaps it lifted off the surface. Either way, by the time it got to him he was in no position to control it and got a thickish edge that Carey snaffled behind the stumps. Breetzke was looking good but will have to go.
15th over: South Africa 92-2 (Bavuma 42, Breetzke, 34) Just class from Breetzke. Full of confidence after the ton in Durban, he’s continuing his good form. First he whacks a drag down from Zampa for four behind square on the leg side, then he’s dabbing him down to deep third. After rotating the strike, Bavuma shows some class of his own, steering another boundary down to deep third to bring up the 50-run stand between these two. 15 off that over before a drinks break.
14th over: South Africa 77-2 (Bavuma 36, Breetzke 25) Spin at both endds as Connolly joins the party with his slow left arm. Just the four singles off that opening set.
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13th over: South Africa 73-2 (Bavuma 34, Breetzke 23) Two chances go against Australia. After Breetzke surived a lbw review – beaten in the flight by Zampa’s quicker, flatter ball a long way out of his crease – Bavuma is put down by a diving Edwards at deep square leg. The ball was dragged down and Bavuma was there to be hit, but the SA skipper didn’t catch all of it. Should have been taken. Zampa’s mood would have worsened then when Breetzke dabbed him for four with a deft touch down to deep third.
12th over: South Africa 66-2 (Bavuma 33, Breetzke 17) The Saffas have found an extra gear and are picking up boundaries at will. Ellis drags it down and Breetzke rolls his wrists, picking the big gap between fine leg and deep square. There’s a chance of a run-out as Bavuma takes on the fielder at mid-off, but the throw misses the stumps. A direct hit at the non-strikers end might have been interesting. Seven off the over.
11th over: South Africa 59-2 (Bavuma 32, Breetzke 11) Zampa into the attack. South Africa will consider that a win that spin is introduced so early. A couple of singles before Breetzke smokes a cover drive for four with a flourish of his bat. He’ll keep the strike with a single to the sweeper on the off-side. He looks good. I don’t want to put the mockers on him, but he really looks a quality player.
10th over: South Africa 51-2 (Bavuma 30, Breetzke 5) Ellis into the attack. He starts off well, stitching together four dots to Breetzke, but then he drops it short and too straight and the man in form swivels as he heaves it away for four on the leg side.
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9th over: South Africa 47-2 (Bavuma 30, Breetzke 1) Proper class from Bavuma who looks in great touch. He finds the rope down the ground with a neat on-drive to Hazlewood. Then, two balls later, he leans back as he throws his hands at a lofted cover drive, up and over the infield for another four. Australia have bagged two early wickets but I don’t think they’ve found the right lengths on this deck.
8th over: South Africa 39-2 (Bavuma 22, Breetzke 1) Breetzke, the centurion from the last game, is off the mark with a quickly scampered single to the man at mid-off. Bartlett is on the money – I don’t think he’s been hit for a boundary yet – as he concedes just three singles across the set.
WICKET! De Kock c Carey b Hazlewood 15 (South Africa 36-2)
Hazlewood has his man! After getting crunched for two sixes in the over, both on the leg side, Hazlewood finds his line, pushing it across the left-handed de Kock. The batter chases the final ball that was much wider than the previous one and can only feather a catch behind for Carey. Pretty poor from the South African who unfurled two trademark sixes with pick-ups behind square on the leg side. But he’s in the shed after getting greedy, chasing the tempter away from his body.
7th over: South Africa 36-2 (Bavuma 20, Breetzke 0)
6th over: South Africa 24-1 (de Kock 3, Bavuma 20) If there was a second slip Bavuma would be a goner. Back of a length from Bartlett and Bavuma goes hard at it off the back foot, but he can only meet it with a thick outside edge. The lone slip dives across, but he can’t reach it as it races away for four. Bartlett then bowls a jaffa that beats Bavuma on the outside edge. Marsh uses every available second before making a call to send it upstairs. It was a beauty, starting on leg stump off a good length before shaping away. But there was no edge.
5th over: South Africa 19-1 (de Kock 3, Bavuma 16) Just a couple of singles from that tidy Hazlewood over. He moved a slip out which is both a win for South Africa and a signt that he’s targeting the stumps, rather than the channel.
4th over: South Africa 17-1 (de Kock 2, Bavuma 15) De Kock keeps it ticking with a single off the first ball of this Bartlett over. Bavuma throws his hands at a wide one but doesn’t catch it. Bartlett is holding a good length so the South African captain skips down the track to turn a length ball into something close to a half volley, whipping through midwicket for four. Top shot.
3rd over: South Africa 12-1 (de Kock 1, Bavuma 11) Hazlewood is finding some lovely shape through the air. One starts on a leg stump line and arcs towards Bavuma’s off stump, catching the leading edge of a straight drive. But Bavuma finds his groove, leaning into a cover drive for four before dispatching Hazlewood’s over correction, climbing into a mighty pull that clears the ropes at backward square leg. At the top of the over, de Kock got off the mark with a tip and run.
2nd over: South Africa 1-1 (de Kock 0, Bavuma 1) That’s an excellent opening set from Xavier Bartlett. He’s found a great length with a bit of nip both in and away to Bavuma. There’s a shout for lbw but that was lifting off the bouncy deck. He strays on the pads once but Bavuma can’t take advantage so it ends with a maiden.
1st over: South Africa 1-1 (de Kock 0, Bavuma 1). What a start for the visitors and Hazlewood who bagged the big wicket of Markram with the first ball – a short and wide one that was clattered but brilliantly held by Connolly at cover-point. Bavuma, in at first drop, picked up the first run with a nudge off his hips.
The commentators are wondering if Markram could have let that ball go as it was his first.
I’m not sure I agree. I know it’s a 50-over game, but that ball was there to be hit. And he hit it well. Sometimes cricket is like that, though.
That really was a stunning catch from CC. Markram couldn’t have hit that better.
WICKET! Markram c Connolly b Hazlewood 0 (South Africa 0-1
WICKET FIRST BALL! It’s short and wide and Markram hammers it off the back foot, but it’s within reach of Connolly at cover-point who leaps to grab it with one hand above his head. What a start for the Aussies!
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Josh Hazlewood, who was excellent in the opener, will take the first over.
Reminder that Micthell Starc, who usually opens, is not playing.
Vernon Philander on comms says, “the first ten overs will be crucial.”
Aren’t they always? Is there any 10-over cluster that is not crucial?
Anthems now.
Today is a warm-up of sorts for fans of both sports ahead of the clashing World Cups next year.
In October 2027, South Africa will host the Cricket World Cup which Australia will defend, while Australia will host the Rugby World Cup, which South Africa will defend.
What a shame they’re not in different months. Of course, I blame the Indian Premier League.
Marco Jansen is doing some pre-match press.
He’s not a great talker, but he is a hell of a cricketer.
Want to know my hot take? By the end of the South African summer – which includes Tests against Bangladesh and England – everyone around the cricket world will agree that he is the best player in the game.
He’s two metres tall. He swings it both ways with his left arm. He can whack sixes and build innings. He catches pigeons across the park. He is a cheat code.
“The ball is going to ping through nicely,” says Shaun Pollock at the pitch inspection.
He says bowling first was the right call.
Will be interesting to see how South Africa’s two spinners go. Both Maharaj and Fortuin are left-arm finger spinners.
I remember watching Adam Gilchrist launch Nicky Boje around the Wanderers as he clobbered the fastest ever Test double ton in 2002.
Should have noted that Inglis has a finger injury, which is why Carey comes in.
South Africa team
Aiden Markram slots in at the top of the order, replacing Ryan Rickelton.
There are three other changes from the first game. Lizaad Williams is in for Gerald Coetzee, Duan Jansen (Marco’s twin) replaces Corbin Bosch and Tristan Stubbs nudges out Tony de Zorzi.
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Duan Jansen, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Lizaad Williams.
Australia team
No Pat Cummins today.
Xavier Bartlett comes in for Mitchell Starc, surely being rested now for the Test series.
Alex Carey takes the gloves from Josh Inglis.
Australia XI: Mitch Marsh (c), Travis Head, Cooper Connelly, Alex Carey (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Jack Edwards, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
Australia win the toss, bowl first
It’ll be another chase for Australia after the coin flip goes the way of Mitch Marsh.
Temba Bavuma suggests that he would have perhaps bowled first as well.
News just in…
Ryan Rickelton has withdrawn from South Africa’s team due to “personal reasons”.
He’ll be back for the third ODI on Wednesday.
Hope everything’s OK.
South Africa’s Pink ODI tradition began at the Wanderers in 2013, raising breast-cancer awareness and funds.
The Pink ODI Fund has supported breast-care services at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
I was there for the most famous edition back in 2015 when South Africa made 439-2 against West Indies, then the country’s ODI record. AB de Villiers was unreal, thwacking 149 from 44 balls, reaching his hundred in 31 balls, then the fastest ODI century. Hashim Amla made an unbeaten 153 and Rilee Rossouw 128 as South Africa won by 148 runs.
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South Africa remain Australia’s nemesis in this format.
After the first ODI in Durban, the teams had played 114 ODIs: South Africa 58 wins, Australia 52, three ties and one no-result.
Against every other opponent, the Aussies have a superior record.
On the other hand, they also have six World Cup wins while South Africa have yet to get off the mark.
Go on then…
Take another look at the greatest ever run chase in ODI history.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the second of three ODIs between Australia and South Africa.
We’re in Johannesburg, home of the greatest 50-over game ever played, for a very special day.
It’s the annual Pink Day at the Wanderers where the home side will change their green kit pink to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer detection and treatment. They’ll also be switching out their names on the backs of their shirts for the names of survivors. David Miller will have his mom’s name on his back today.
On the pitch, this is South Africa’s best venue for high octane cricket. A bouncy pitch sees the ball fly off the surface and onto the batters’ blades while the thin air at altitude compels the ball over the ropes and into the heaving stands. In my opinion, it’s the best venue for cricket anywhere in the world.
Australia need a response after their chase of 298 collapse in Durban in a 67-run defeat. Matthew Breetzke’s 112 launched South Africa to a decent score before Micth Marsh and Travis Head got off to a flyer.
But regular wickets, including that of Matt Renshaw who was caught spectacularly by Marco Jansen on the boundary, pegged the Aussies back.
Can they find an extra gear to level the series? We’ll find out soon enough.
Toss and teams to come before play starts at 10am local time/9am BST/6pm AEST.
