Leggie Cameron Boyce was man of the match at the MCG last night as the Australians regained their mojo to thump South Africa by seven wickets to level the three-match Twenty20 series.
The decider will be at Stadium Australia on Sunday, which promises to be a cracker.
The 20-year-old Boyce took 2-15 off his four overs, both snappy stumpings by keeper Ben Dunk, whose glove work was as superb as Boyce’s loop and spin control on a belter of a track.
It’s too early to predict how far Boyce will go, but the youngster has all the ammunition to fire at any batsman.
Australia has not had a world class leg spinner since Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, but fingers crossed, Cameron Boyce will be one.
Skipper Aaron Finch and paceman Pat Cummins would also have been a worthy man of the match.
Finch crunched 44 off 30 deliveries with eight fours, while Cummins, on the comeback trail, took 1-11 off his four that were at a constant 140 kilometre-per-hour pace, and accurate.
South Africa could only manage 7-101, and Australia replied with 3-102 with a massive 44 deliveries remaining. If the two teams were racehorses both would be swabbed.
South Africa won by seven wickets in Adelaide in the opener, outplaying the Australians in every department.
Last night the Australians did exactly the same to the visitors, led initially by Doug Bollinger snaring a wicket in his first over and James Faulkner repeating the dose in his first.
South Africa never recovered from 2-14, with skipper JP Duminy top-scoring with 49 from 51, but it was a lone hand. The only loss Australia suffered last night was the toss. From then on it was one-way traffic.
Australia didn’t make the same mistake as in Adelaide by opening the batting with Ben Duke and dropping Cameron White down the list. The pair added 48 in 28 deliveries to set the tempo, and it was just a matter of when.
Shane Watson continued his comeback with a well compiled 30 off 23, adding 49 in a hurry with Finch. With the score at 2-99, and needing just three runs to win, showboating Glenn Maxwell played the worst of cow shots to be back in the pavilion with a duck against his name.
Maxwell will never reach his potential until he grows up. He is the most frustrating of cricketers, blessed with huge talent, but no cricket brains. He was the only blemish in an otherwise flawless performance by the Australians.
In the curtain-raiser, the Australian women’s Twenty20 side won a nail-biter over the West Indies off the second last ball. Set 150 to win, Australia won by four wickets.
Eight men and a dog watched a great game with Australian keeper Alyssa Healy’s intelligent and powerful batting, cracking 25 off 12 deliveries when all appeared lost.
The win gave the Australians the series 3-0 with the final game on Sunday, again as the curtain-raiser to the men.
So get out there early and watch two Australian teams do battle. You won’t be disappointed.
Scuba
Guest
Boyce's avg for the 2013/14 season - 45.1
Tim
Guest
If they want better crowds, make the tickets cheaper and have GA entry.
Shouts Chen
Guest
Yeah. hope he would be selected for the test series against India!
Don Freo
Guest
The first one, he genuinely beat the batsman. Interestingly, the ball before, he also beat the batsman and he beat Dunk too. Dunk got 2 stumpings...but they didn't tax his ability...they weren't brilliant, Wade could have done it too.
Don Freo
Guest
SS...give me Boyce's average last year...that's more pertinent. His previous seasons were a game here, a game there...that is never going to establish a game.
Don Freo
Guest
They choose to not play him but complained when SA tried to recruit him. Must have Eddie McGuire in charge.
twodogs
Guest
Sure is different. In test cricket you get out stumped by also trying to slog!
jameswm
Guest
Boyce got stumpings against guys trying to slog him. Test cricket is completely different. He's promising, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
twodogs
Guest
Why not QW? Surely it can only get better!
Quitwhinging
Guest
Brilliant lets blood a spinner with a first class average of 50 against the Indians, genius strategy Eddie.
Gav
Guest
He is impressing me with his control. Def time for this guy to be considered.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Get rid of Lyon, whilst it was only a twenty20, Boyce was really impressive because he could take wickets. something that Lyon seems incapable of doing. He turns it three times as much as what Lyon does. If you look at our most successful spinners: Warne, MacGill and way back to Richie Benaud they are all leggies. Time to blood Boyce in the GABBA test. And if he fails we still have Zampa and Muirhead as well.
twodogs
Guest
Hi Ho Silver. Just checked out Warnies shield results - av 34ish. econ. 2.8ish and strike rate approx 73. Not real good reading for the greatest spinner ever! Henceforth, we have 3 decent leggies - Muirhead, boyce, zampa. All these three can rip the ball. I'm keen on Muirhead-nice high action, only 21 and will find his feet. Lyons test av. is now close close to 35 and seemingly heading north. Time for the selectors to strongly consider a leggie. Worldy, we have terrible offies though Lyons 115 odd wickets seem ok at first glance, it does not stand alone. The saffas seemed genuinely troubled at times on Friday night with Boyce so with India not likely to threaten Johnson and Cummins (?) Iit's time to let Lyon go and play our strengths - legspin. The two best in yhe last 50yrs for Australia? Warne and Macgill. Come on, chuck another leggie on the barbie!
Targa
Guest
On the other side of the Tasman we have big hopes for leggie Ish Sodhi. Will be interesting to see how he goes against Younus Khan, Misbah Ul Haq & co who aren't the worst players of spin bowling.
Silver Sovereign
Roar Rookie
Its a shame these young leg spinners have not really translated their good limited overs form into the shield game. Boyce's first class average is like 45 or 46. Muirhead got smashed in his few shield games. Zampa started poorly but his shield form is improving.
Johnnyball
Guest
Tuned into the 20/20 last night. Smash and bash, no interest factor, nothing. Turned off. This format a huge mistake, no crowd ( MCG) really Go back to 40/40 least you get a decent build up. as with most sports in this country, money and the suits are killing them off by interfering with the fabric of the games as they attempt to draw bigger crowds and audience share to pay exorbitant wages and contracts. In doing so you may be picking up kids but you loose traditionalists so the overall viewers stay in flux or decrease as now. Any theories anybody, I mean you may enjoy current format, if so, tell me why
Ducko
Guest
Boyce is not 20 years old - he's 25? Nevertheless, he was very impressive against SA. What's happened to James Muirhead? Is he injured or have the Bushrangers shafted him again.