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Australia thrash South Africa in second ODI

cricket09 September 2023 18:30| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne score scintillating centuries to lead Australia to a mammoth total of 392-8 and victory by a whopping 123 runs in the second one-day international against South Africa at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon.

South Africa were bowled out for 269 in just 41.5 overs to go down 2-0 in the five- match series having lost by three-wickets in the first game at the same venue on Thursday.

Quinton de Kock (45 from 30 balls) and captain Temba Bavuma (46 from 40 balls) added a cracking 81 in just nine overs before both departed within the space of three overs, De Kock miscuing a slower ball from Nathan Ellis back to the bowler who took an excellent return catch.

Bavuma was trapped lbw sweeping legspinner Adam Zampa.

Aiden Markram (3) sliced an attempted on-drive to Sean Abbott on the long-off boundary and when Rassie van der Dussen (17) was bowled off an inside edge by debutant Aaron Hardie the hosts were 119-4 and in deep trouble in just the 18th over.

Heinrich Klaasen (49 from 36 balls) confirmed his status as one of the form batsmen in world cricket with a trio of fours and sixes to briefly revive the Proteas’ hopes but when he was bowled by a Zampa top-spinner those hopes were all but erased.

David Miller struggled to 49 from 52 balls before being trapped lbw by Ellis (2-32) and when Marco Jansen (23) was lbw attempting to reverse-sweep the excellent Zampa (9-1-48-4), that was that.

WARNER, LABUSCHAGNE AND HEAD PUNISH SA BOWLERS

Earlier, Warner’s 106 from just 93 balls (12x4, 3x6) was his 20th hundred in the format and fifth against South Africa with the 36-year-old continuing to show that he has lost few of his white-ball batting skills despite diminishing returns in test cricket.

Labuschagne galloped from 50 to 100 in just 26 balls to reach his second century against the country of his birth from a mere 80 balls before reaching a career-best 124 from just 99 balls with 19 fours and a slog-swept six.

But it was Warner’s opening partner, Travis Head, who set the tone for the record-breaking innings smashing nine fours and three sixes in a rampaging innings of 64 from only 36 balls. Kagiso Rabada (2-0-20-0) and Anrich Nortje (3-0-39-0) endured opening spells to forget.

Tabraiz Shamsi (10-0-61-4) was gifted two wickets in as many balls when an opening partnership of 109 in just 11.5 overs ended with Head miscuing a drive to long-on where Miller took a well judged catch on the boundary’s edge. Captain Mitch Marsh (0) missed an attempted reverse sweep and departed lbw immediately.

Warner’s tremendous innings ended when an innocuous delivery from Andile Phehlukwayo (7-0-50-1) kept surprisingly low and rattled into off-stump under the bat.

Josh Inglis struggled initially before reaching 50 whereupon he pulled Rabada (9-0-79-2) to van der Dussen on the square leg boundary having hit seven fours and a six.

Shamsi enjoyed the bonus of a third and fourth wicket in the final overs when Labuschagne slog-swept a delivery which seemed on course to clear the mid-wicket boundary before Markram plucked the ball out of the sky.

Van der Dussen held another boundary catch to send Alex Carey (6) on his way.

Earlier, Markram (10-0-78-0) became the first bowler to complete his 10 overs as a result of the fast bowlers’ struggles.

Nortje (5-0-58-0) suffered back spasms and left the field while Jansen’s return of 1-63 from nine overs was excellent given that he bowled during the Power Play and two overs at the end.

The home team made three changes to the XI which lost the first game by three-wickets at the same venue on Thursday with allrounder Phehlukwayo coming for Gerald Coetzee, Nortje replacing Lungi Ngidi and spinner Shamsi taking over from Keshav Maharaj.

Australia gave ODI debuts to David and allrounder Aaron Hardie while seamer Nathan Ellis replaced veteran Josh Hazlewood.

SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wkt), Temba Bavuma (captain), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

AUSTRALIA: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wkt), Tim David, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa

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