David Miller and Faf du Plessis scored sparkling centuries in a partnership of 252 runs yesterday as South Africa beat Australia by 40 runs in a one-day international in Hobart, Australia, to win the three-match series 2-1.
The Proteas skipper contributed 125 to South Africa’s 320-5, but it was Miller’s 139 that really caught the eye, a 108-ball assault on the Australian bowlers that featured 13 fours and four brutal sixes.
Dale Steyn kept up the momentum by dismissing Chris Lynn with the first ball of the Australia innings, and his fellow pacemen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, soon sent Aaron Finch and Travis Head on their way, reducing their hosts to 39-3.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Shaun Marsh (106) steadied the innings in a fourth-wicket stand of 107 with Marcus Stoinis (63), but once he departed four balls after recording his sixth ODI century, home hopes of only a third win in 14 one-day internationals this year faded.
Steyn (3-45) returned to remove Alex Carey for 42, leaving Glenn Maxwell (35) as the last recognized batsman, but he was unable to score quickly enough to challenge the South African tally and Australia finished on 280-9.
“From the batting point of view, we were good today, but I thought from a ‘death bowling’ point of view we were excellent,” Du Plessis said. “It was a great game.”
Australia, who bounced back from losing the series opener in Perth by six wickets to beat the Proteas by seven runs in Adelaide on Friday, won the toss and sent the tourists in to bat at Bellerive Oval.
Mitchell Starc and Stoinis combined to remove the first three batsmen for 55 runs, but that only served to bring Du Plessis and Miller together for their record stand — the highest for the fourth wicket by a pair of South Africans.
Miller benefited from a call by the decision review system that overturned a decision on a leg before wicket when he was on 41 and went on with his captain to plunder 130 runs off the last 10 overs, 75 in the last five alone.
Du Plessis’s 114-ball innings included 15 fours and two sixes and was his 10th in international one-day internationals, while Miller’s vindicated his elevation up the batting order.
The same could not be said of Lynn’s promotion to opener and Australia still have plenty of question marks over their batting ahead of their defense of the World Cup in England next year.
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