South Africa’s bowling once again dominated Australia’s batting as the tourists yesterday won a truncated one-off Twenty20 international by 21 runs on the Gold Coast.
Metricon Stadium’s debut as an international venue looked under threat when a violent storm brought torrential rain to the Queensland coast early in the evening.
The match did finally get underway after a delay of nearly two hours, with each side allowed half of their usual number of overs and South Africa, put in to bat, made a bright start with 18 runs off the three power-play overs.
Photo: AFP
Skipper Faf du Plessis led the way in their innings with 27 off 15 balls, but Australia’s bowlers, spearheaded by paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile (2-19), did a good job of containment in the final few overs to restrict the tourists to 108-6.
The fragility of Australia’s batting had been exposed by South Africa’s bowlers in an earlier one-day series, which the Proteas won 2-1, and it was quickly evident again when the hosts went out to bat.
South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris (2-12) struck twice in three deliveries in the third over to reduce Australia to 27-3, the second a peach of a yorker that sent Chris Lynn back for 14.
Glenn Maxwell fought a defiant rearguard with 38 off 23 balls, but Australia never looked like avoiding a fourth straight Twenty20 defeat and they finished their allotted 10 overs on 87-7.
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