Rain could have a say yet again when South Africa and Australia face off in the final T20I of the series on Friday at Centurion. You can follow the live blog of this third and the final match from 3 am AEDT.
It’s been that kind of a week with the weather. The first game got washed off and the second one saw it reduced to just seven-overs-a-side.
And with this match also expected to be a rain-hit encounter, it’s difficult to surmise whether we should consider ourselves lucky it did not spoil an excellently-contested Test series or feel robbed of a T20I contest by the board who could have organised these games somewhere else.
South Africa would think they had a chance in the previous game but lost out to poor on-field tactics.
It was a massive surprise to have Hashim Amla open the innings for the hosts in a seven-over game, especially given they had someone like David Millers sitting in the shed for them. Miller did not get his chance to bat and while South Africa managed to get to 80 in their seven, Amla spent nine deliveries in scoring just four.
Those nine balls included eight dots, which is quite a waste of resources in this condensed an encounter.
Still, South Africa would have considered themselves fortunate to have the services of Quinton de Kock and captain Faf du Plessis, both of whom did the best that could have been expected from them.
De Kock seems to surpass himself with every encounter while du Plessis played the role of his supporting partner to perfection.
Unfortunately for South Africa, David Warner is in the form of his life.
There will come a phase in his career when Warner will look as vulnerable as anyone else but this is definitely not that time. Currently, it’s a matter of see-ball, hit-ball and he’s getting a lot of runs with that simple tactic of his.
It was no different in the second T20I as he grabbed a 16-ball 40 for himself and laid the foundation for a Brad Hodge onslaught later in the game. Most interestingly, despite having Aaron Finch and Shane Watson as his partners, Warner’s 40 came out of a team total of 48, in 4.1 overs.
Hodge’s was a vital knock too. Here was a man playing just his third international since making a comeback after six years and he had gone into the game knowing that there was a toss-up between him and Cameron White for one place.
White was dropped despite showing some excellent form in the T20Is against England and Hodge needed to do something to retain his place in the side.
An eight-ball 21 in a winning cause should have done his confidence a world of good and cemented his spot in the side as a finisher for now.
It will be interesting to see if South Africa look to change their bowling around a little. It was said that Dale Steyn would be fit for this game but the big question staring down South Africa’s face is whether it would be worth taking that risk.
They did not play Morne Morkel in the second T20I either, and an inexperienced duo of Kyle Abbott and Beuran Hendricks joined Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell in the bowling department.
The other option South Africa do have is to bring in Imran Tahir but a lot will depend on the conditions yet again. They get a slippery and moist outfield, the chances of playing an extra spinner – a wrist spinner at that – may not be the smartest move around.
With this being the last time they play an international before moving on to the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, the two sides will not only hope for good weather but also hunt for some momentum and get the rightful combination under their belt going into that event.
Join me for this third and the final T20I on Friday and you can follow the live score of this game from 3am AEDT and post your comments below.
amin
Guest
South Africa vs australia very exited match.... nice.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Australia have won by four wickets and with as many as five overs to spare. That's a walloping by T20I standards. The visitors will go into the World T20 with a lot of momentum, but more than that, they will have the confidence to take on the rest of them. Their task won't get easier against the likes of West Indies, India and Pakistan in those sub-continent conditions, which should make for fascinating viewing. South Africa could do with some reinforcements and changes. Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn for starters, probably Hashim Amla down the order and AB de Villers at least a position up. That's that from me then, end of a long, but exciting summer. Action will move to the World T20 and I will be there to cover a few games from it too. Till then, have a good night ahead.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And what a way to finish off the game. It was hit down to long-off where Amla's slow to get his racing boots on and they come back for a second. 2-0 to Australia!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And a six for Hodge! Is he in some six-hitting form or what, is Hodge! Close call that for Hodge though, as he was looking to hit it despite not getting close to the ball and mistimed it. Caught by Amla at long-on but it has too much momentum on it and the fielder topples over. A couple of singles later, they need just 2.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Up, chipped and for a six. Bailey loves hitting the spinners and he has come down the track to Duminy and gone over long-on for a max. A single, cut through to the deep cover fielder. 10 needed now.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And that's that then, Tahir's done with his spell. Four overs, 21 runs, two wickets makes for good reading and will make things interesting for them in Bangladesh for the World T20. He will be a certainty in that starting 11. 4/112, with 17 needed from 36.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Easy catch and Tahir gets one. Watson has departed. Watson was looking to hit it across the line and gets a top-edge that's gone high and to the off-side where it's easily taken. That's the fourth wicket down, but with only 22 needed, it should be an easy one from here.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone! Hendricks gets one and Maxwell has to walk back! Very full ball from round the stumps and Maxwell was looking to flick it away by walking towards the off stump. Misses bat, hits pads but the Hawk-Eye shows it was missing the stumps too. No DRS here and Maxwell's gone. 3/105 in the 13th, 24 needed from 44.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Wow, that's been goaded away to the backward point fence for a four. Short and wide alright but Maxwell wasn't looking to play that crunching cut, instead he wanted to hit the gap. Does it with perfection. Ends the over with a single to deep square-leg, which makes it 18 in the over. 2/103 in 12, just 26 more from eight overs.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And again! This is fuller and the unleashed shot is straighter. The result, however, is the same, six more! Watson's wanting to finish this off rather quickly here, 12 from the first three of this Morkel over. 2/97 in the 12th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Whoa, and now Watson shows his muscle. On a length and Watson's gotten underneath it and I think it's gone really long, and hard and probably out of the city. That was Morkel in his second over. 2/91 in 11.2, 38 needed from 52.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Ooh nice, right off the screws and that's been swept to the gap between deep square-leg and mid-wicket for a four. Maxwell, as I had mentioned earlier, is going to continue playing his strokes, which is no surprise. 2/82 in 10.4, 47 from 56 needed.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Maxwell's not going to be backing away. He's swinging from the hip and has already been beaten a couple of times. Off the third, it's a leading edge that's gone to third-man for a single. Watson flicks one to backward square-leg and get a couple. 2/75 in 10, 54 needed in 10.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Wayne Parnell comes back into the attack and has a slip in place for Maxwell. Short ball outside the off and mistimed pull to the leg-side for a single. 2/70 in 9.1
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Excellent stuff from Tahir this, just a couple of runs in it and a wicket. And a vital one too. 2/69 in 9. 60 needed from 66.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Finch has done his job, 39 from 27 for him.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Not timed and caught! Finch was looking to slog it over long-on but he does not get enough of the bat on that one and it's not gotten too far... ...the mid-wicket fielder at the fence has had to come in and while there was a bit of a swirl there, he takes it well. Tahir seems to have deceived him with his pace. 2/67 in 8.1, 62 from 71 needed
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Just not able to contain them. There's bounce in this one and Albie Morkel's been able to extract it in this first over of his... ...Watson jumps up with the shot and gets it over the backward point region for a four. 1/66 in the 8th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Albie Morkel gets his bowl at the international level in many months. He played the last game but did not bowl. 1/59 in 7
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Just the four from the Tahir over. Included a zipping googly that almost snuck through Finch there. 1/59 in 7