Wayward death bowling and another misfire by their top order in Hobart last night saw Australia fall to a 2-1 series loss in the ODIs against South Africa.
While Australia gave SA a slight scare late in the match thanks to good knocks by Shaun Marsh (106), Marcus Stoinis (63), Alex Carey (42) and Glenn Maxwell (35), they were rank outsiders after falling to 3-39 in pursuit of 321.
During an incredible 252-run stand, century-makers Faf du Plessis (125) and David Miller (139) had given Australia the blueprint to how to bat on a Hobart pitch which made life tough for new batsmen. Miller and du Plessis showed that the key to batting on this somewhat sleepy pitch was to start slowly, get accustomed to the surface, and then accelerate.
Australia’s top order clearly paid no attention as they tried to force the pace on a deck which demanded patience. First Chris Lynn, promoted to open, attempted an extravagant on-the-up drive from the second ball of the innings by Dale Steyn and edged behind for a duck.
Soon after Aaron Finch tried to bludgeon a presentable delivery from Lungi Ngidi through the on-side and lobbed a catch to mid-on to leave Australia reeling at 2-18.
Then Travis Head, having batted himself into a hole by not rotating the strike, went for a big cut shot and fed a catch to Aiden Markram at backward point. Australia were left in a heap at 3-39 due to a trio of poorly-conceived and badly-executed strokes.
The first Australian batsmen who paid heed to the knocks of du Plessis and Miller were duly rewarded. Shaun Marsh and Marcus Stoinis both took their time to play themselves in. After 20 overs, Stoinis was on 16 from 39 deliveries, and Marsh was 30 from 45 balls.
Having got their eyes in they expanded their games and swelled the run rate. That pair hammered 75 from the next 10 overs before Stoinis was out for a well-made 63 from the final ball of the 30th over. Marsh pushed on to make 106 from 102 balls, his third ODI ton this year.
Marcus Stoinis scored an important 63 (AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford)
He found a second willing partner in Alex Carey, with the wicketkeeper crafting a sprightly 42 from 41 balls to keep Australia in the hunt for an unlikely win. When Marsh and Carey departed it was left to Maxwell to try to conjure a miracle. But the Proteas’ quicks bowled superbly at the death.
Earlier, Australia’s bowlers were let down in the field where the home side missed a string of opportunities.
None was more costly than a howler of a dropped catch by Carey when du Plessis was on 29 from 54 balls. With Glenn Maxwell bowling around the wicket, du Plessis offered a straightforward outside edge to Carey, whose hard hands caused him to spill the sitter.
Had that catch been taken SA would have been in deep trouble at 4-105, with an extremely weak tail to come – their number eight Dale Steyn averages just 9.6 with the bat in ODIs. Soon after this Maxwell, who bowled with impressive drift, had Miller adjudged LBW only for the Proteas batsman to get a reprieve via the DRS.
In the next over things again went Miller’s way when he top edged a pull shot from a Starc short ball, only for Finch to react late to the catching opportunity and fail to get a hand on what should have been a fairly easy take.
Earlier Pat Cummins had made a meal of a run-out opportunity, and Travis Head put down a one-handed catch at cover.
Pat Cummins bowls for Australia. (AFP PHOTO / THEO KARANIKOS)
While all these mistakes were being made in the field the Australian bowlers stuck to their task and did their best to restrict SA.
After 34 overs Australia had limited the tourists to just 3-134, at a run rate of four per over, thanks to this disciplined bowling. Then the home attack was made to pay for the mistakes of their fieldsman as du Plessis and Miller found their range.
Du Plessis had laboured up until that point, tied down by some precise bowling from Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood. But once he built momentum the veteran unfurled a sumptuous array of strokes. At the other end Miller was pure power, unleashing a barrage of thunderous pulls and drives.
After bowling so well for the first two-thirds of the innings Australia’s bowlers failed to find the right areas as SA accelerated and duly were slaughtered. All too often they were either short or full, unable find an in-between length or nail their yorkers.
Yet as they copped this punishment the home attack must have wondered what could have been if they had been properly supported by their fieldsmen after they had reduced SA to 3-55.
Full credit, though, must go to du Plessis and Miller for the ruthless way in which they exploited their fortune and batted their side to a 2-1 series win.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
There is a reason Aussie batsman are called home track bullies. He has recently scored tons in ODI in both home & outside. He does that in test , then he is in for that format too. Till then, no potential philosophy at 35 age.
Rob
Roar Rookie
Haha....Marsh failed again!
Rob
Roar Rookie
Better than a run a ball. Terrible innings by Marsh and Stoinis. Poor Maxy. Just always others to blame.!
Rob
Roar Rookie
Agree Harvey. Mitchell had a disgraceful Ashes series last summer. Banish him full time! Time for this Marsh brothers favouritism to be banished from now! They are pathetic!
Rob
Roar Rookie
Marsh not a test batsman? Maybe the celebrations following the ashes series last summer have dimmed your memory.?
Rob
Roar Rookie
Agree. Was a terrible catch by Marsh.
maverick
Roar Rookie
Stoinis sealed the win with the ball in the second odi not Maxwell.If you think defending 20 against Ngidi and Tahir is an incredible feat,then yeah Maxwell is a match winner!No point arguing with a blind Maxwell mark like you.
jimbo
Guest
i dont understand why we don't stick Lynn at the death?? ive long been a huge proponent of Maxi- but im with Finch in that Maxwell's played close to 87 ODI's and failed to become a match winner for us --> swap Lynn for Maxwell and let him go after Rabada for 20 an over at the 48th.. I see real value in that --> 1. Finch (c) 2. Warner 3. Khawaja 4. Smith 5. Handscomb (wk) - he will score more hundreds than Carey and excellent player of spin - rotates strike well - selectors will stick with Carey though 6. Lynn 7. Stoinis 8. Agar 9. Starc 10. Tye ** we need to develop a death option here** maybe K Richardson? 11. Hazelwood ** no point putting SOS in the lineup as he will be injured/ out of form by the time the CWC rolls round --> **also desperately need a death bowler*** - just goes to show how an in form Faulkner played so many vital roles for us and held the team together...
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
James it was during that same period you're talking about that both Faf and Miller were given lives by poor fielding. If those chances were taken SA would have struggled to make 200 and we'd all be talking about how well Australia bowled.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Dale Steyn is an ornament to the game. I don't go in for assessing who the best of all time is, but let's just say that Steyn would not be out of place in any company.
AREH
Roar Guru
Talking about pure leg-spin, then yeah. I'd still prefer they pick Lyon for the WC, but they still seem most reluctant to give him much International white-ball cricket. The WC is in less than 12 months, so it's really about picking for the here and now. Fawad was terrific in the BBL last season for the Thunder, and has hit the ground running for Victoria in the early parts of a new domestic season, in both forms.
Matt H
Roar Guru
He just looked out of sorts. He keeps trying to smash balls through the field with no though of placing for a single or a two.
john
Guest
SA have been very fortunate in Australia Then. Won in 2008, 2009 (odi), 2012, 2016, 2018. This much vaunted pace of johnson, bollinger, pattinson, harris, tait, cummins, starc, Lee, the list goes on.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Actually Marsh needs 15 ball or so to get his eye in, so number 6 or even 5 is better for him. He is a gun short form player though. Hopefully people don't forget that when they are blinded by his poor test performances.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Well said. Maxwell should not have a place in the batting order. His place should be "next wicket to fall after the 35th over". But in a left field suggestion the only time Maxwell has opened in the limited overs international (it was a T20), he hit a century. But has never been given another opportunity.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Exactly that. He was shunted to open which was obviously a message to get us off to a flyer. So he goes hard at his first ball.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Apparently the umpire did say it was too late, by Faf said that he had already reviewed and the umpire didn't here them. The umpire believed him and the rest is history.
Matt H
Roar Guru
To me Maxwell should be a floater and come in between overs 35 and 40 no matter how many wickets have fallen. Whether that brings him in at 7 or 3 doesn't really matter, it's giving him 15 overs to accelerate.
JamesH
Roar Guru
They were 2/27 after 11 overs. Across the next 23 overs SA scored at 4.67 per over for the loss of just one wicket (to a howler of a delivery), despite being massively on the back foot. And the worrying part was that the batsmen really only looked uncomfortable against Maxwell and - to a lesser extent - Zampa. Australia's innings followed a similar pattern because Pretorius and Tahir released the pressure through the middle overs. Each time Steyn or Rabada came back, the scoring slowed down again.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Carey did exactly what was required - he got up the other end and put the set batsman on strike. That's what a new batsman in the middle order *should* be doing. Marsh just looked stuffed and couldn't run. One thing I have been completely consistent on is batting Maxwell *after* the 30th over. That is where he is most useful. It's no coincidence that he was more in his element in the third ODI than at any other time in the series. The fact that we have guys at 3-5 who struggle to run hard and put pressure on the fielders is a separate issue altogether.