A nervy Australian run-chase after an outstanding bowling performance saw them creep over the line for a final over five-wicket victory over South Africa to begin their T20 World Cup campaign.
Playing just his 18th T20I, player of the match Josh Hazlewood’s 2/19 off his four overs – including just one run conceded from his first two – saw him continue his outstanding IPL form on the biggest stage of all; while Glenn Maxwell vindicated captain Aaron Finch’s decision to omit all-rounder Ashton Agar with a miserly display from a rare full allotment of overs.
Only Aiden Markram (40 from 36) stood up to the onslaught with the bat, the largest Protea partnership 34 runs as the Aussie attack, backed up by a typically excellent fielding performance, strangled the life out of the innings. Markram, plus some late hitting from Kagiso Rabada (19 off 23, including a towering six off Starc), at least ensured the Proteas would reach triple figures.
But chasing just 119, the victory is hardly the confidence-booster the Australians’ bowling innings had it destined for, the men in gold once again showing the batting brittleness that saw them continually fall short of small run chases in a 4-1 series loss to Bangladesh earlier this year.
After both Finch (0) and David Warner (14) fell cheaply, Australia looked in dire straits when Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell fell in successive overs, leaving two new batsmen at the crease needing 36 runs from the final four overs.
But Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis both held their nerve; each given a life by the Proteas in the field before a nerveless trio of boundaries by Stoinis at the death sealed the victory, and avoided setting an embarrassing record for the lowest defended total in T20 World Cup history.
>> Australia vs South Africa: as it happened
After Finch won the toss and elected to bowl, the sight of his strike bowler Mitchell Starc being clattered for two imperious first-over fours by Proteas captain Temba Bavuma could only have been seen as an ill omen.
But from the moment Maxwell vindicated the captain’s decision to hand him the new ball by castling the opener for 12 in the next over, it was nothing short of a rampant Australian performance with ball in hand.
Dismissing Rassie van der Dussen with his first ball was vintage Hazlewood: back of a length, hint of seam, the outside edge of a tentative batsman. It was the sort of ball that has made him such a fearsome opponent in Test cricket, and he seldom relented from there.
So mesmerised was Quinton de Kock by the New South Welshman’s metronomic accuracy, he would simply watch as a ball arced up off his thigh pad, bounced twice, and trickled into his stumps. It spoke volumes.
>> WATCH: The weirdest dismissal of the World Cup?
Josh Hazlewood celebrates the wicket with Matthew Wade. (Photo by Gareth Copley-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
The last time Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc played together in a T20I was way back in 2012… for the Sydney Sixers in the now-defunct Champions League T20. From the evidence on display in Abu Dhabi, the fact they’ve never lost a match as a threesome in the format is no statistical quirk. Remarkably, despite never posing quite the same threat, Cummins was even more miserly than Hazlewood, conceding just 17 from his four overs and picking up the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen to boot, proving Finch’s decision to drop Agar after an expensive pair of warm-up games for the three Test quicks spot-on as a consequence.
Equally effective were spin twins Maxwell and Zampa; the former’s frustration at a loose final ball pounced on by Markram hardly needed, such was the quality of the 23 preceding it. Finch had gambled on getting four overs out of all-rounders Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis: the latter two, it transpired, were surplus to requirements. As for Zampa, a pair of wickets in his third over – one of which triggered a candidate for the most optimistic LBW review of the tournament from a trapped David Miller – were just reward for a canny performance from the leg-spinner.
The Proteas’ spluttering innings reached its nadir when tailender Keshav Maharaj and Markram combined for a comical run out; after an initial mix-up saw a shy at the stumps miss, an aborted attempt at an overthrow saw Maharaj slip mid-pitch, sealing his doom as Maxwell found Wade at the stumps. Coach Justin Langer’s gleeful expression summed up the mood as a big victory loomed: but once again, the Aussie batting performance was far from as clinical.
While his captaincy couldn’t be faulted, a duck from Finch in his first innings of the tournament, guiding the speedy Anrich Nortje to third man, sent an early shiver through the Australian camp. Opening partner David Warner, despite a pair of sublime boundaries off Rabada, failed to make a score big enough to shake off his form slump, caught at backward point for 14.
When Mitchell Marsh holed out having once again proved his weakness against spin bowling, trouble was brewing. It took a typically composed innings from Steve Smith, alongside an uncharacteristically subdued Maxwell, to steady the ship, if not lift the run rate.
The Proteas weren’t about to die wondering, though. A sensational catch from Markram in the deep saw the back of Smith, and appeared to have swung the match when Maxwell’s trademark reverse sweep proved his undoing, clean bowled by the wily spin of Tabraiz Shamsi.
Needing nine an over with Stoinis and Wade new to the crease, the Aussies seemed in serious trouble. But the pair held their nerve, Stoinis securing victory with a pair of final-over boundaries as the Proteas, left with no option but to finish with fifth bowler Dwaine Pretorius after going for broke with Rabada earlier, rued a near miss.
Having hit the ground running, Australia take on qualifiers Sri Lanka on Friday morning in their second match of the tournament.
Australia 5/121 (19.4ov, Smith 35, Stoinis 24*, Nortje 2/21) defeated South Africa 9/118 (20 ov, Markram 40, Hazlewood 2/19, Zampa 2/21) by 5 wickets with two balls remaining.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I don't know whether it's technique or composure with Carey, but I made a point of watching him closely on the BAN and WIN tours and he just seemed to want to play each shot with an as-unconventional stroke as he could and he just couldn't pull it off.
Clear as mud
Guest
i thought it was pretty obvious. he and smith had a chat, took the calculated risk that a few boundaries would make it safe with Nortje still a chance to rattle back in a grab a couple. Smith went bang bang in that over, and got out. Next over, probably realising that Stoin, as many of you can attest on here, can sometimes crawl for the first 10, Maxwell took responsibility to play some shots after 20 pretty restrained balls. Maxwell played the same shot he had played against the same bowler that had led to his only boundary. the fact it was a reverse sweep is irrelevant, he scored hundreds of runs using it in the last year. hundreds. the wicket was slower, the slog was into the wind and they had 3 guys out there. premeditated. of course he premeditates. that's why he strikes in the high 150s despite averaging in the mid 30s.
Clear as mud
Guest
man, that Nortje really is a motor, and we all know how good Rabada is. i agree. i think it's a massive win underrated due to how close it was in the end, despite us controlling 98% of the match mathematically (win viz had us ahead the whole way I suspect.)
Cleas as mud
Guest
and nobody can. and if you read or listent op Maxwell, you will know there is afair bit of premeditation, by both bowler and batter, and as they often play in the same leagues, the calculations going on in the head in half a sec... or during the run up... are like watching elite poker players trying to decipher another player's position based on their range. i think it's remarkable that some players score as fast as they do as often as they do.
Clear as mud
Guest
it's one of the fascinations. becoming a very good FC player and can be elite at ODI coming in at 6 or 7. and yet can't buy a run at T20I, no matter where he bats in the order. should he go face 20 overs in the nets before he comes out?
Clear as mud
Guest
it was the same shot he played when 10 or whatever, that went for 4. did Smit throw his wicket away, getting out to essentially the same shot he played the ball before?.
Ace
Roar Rookie
To be fair Jeff I think Carey is a nice balanced batsman who can occupy the crease and build an innings BUT if I want a talented "slogger" in my team I would opt for Inglis all the time. Wade did a competent job against SA but can't wait to see Inglis in there. But I feel that's not going to happen in this tournament
KenoathCarnt
Roar Rookie
After a lot of reviewing lol I’m actually fine with Mitch Marsh in the team especially given the fact he can give you a handy over or 2 .
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
True. The Abu Dhabi pitch looked quite pacy for the UAE, not a lot of spin.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Brendan Julian on tonight's IND v PAK match: "It's a rivalry that has been around for centuries". :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Maxwell! Threw it away in the warm-ups too - I think it was against India where he was done reverse sweeping after playing 2 attempted reverses in 4 or 5 balls prior. It's a low % shot, even for Maxwell - he just didn't need to try it with the match situation as it stood.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Fair point also re last night. T20 - you need to make the right decisions every ball, as it can cost you. I'm backing MM on the law of averages (his decision making in the last 6 months) to have a better series than what he showed last night. Time will tell I guess; hero to zero can happen quickly in this format.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You seem to misrepresent Marsh's skills. He can stall a collapse and rebuild but he is one of the most destructive hitters in world cricket. Certainly someone like Sam's can't hit as hard, far or for a sustained period as Narsh can and regularly does.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
I believe Australia's game plan has baffled some peoples as it has baffled me. From starting, during the practice match Australia used questionable tactic,which i thought to be intentional at that time. With condition tailor made for spin bowling, why did Australia use only five solitary overs of spin along with one over from Glenn Maxwell in practice match? Ash showed value of experience. Why did Nathan Lyon not make it? Ash was by far the best spinner in that match, except him Australian batters were in comfort zone against other spinners,tonking some of them. Australia's obsession with pace and pace bowling all rounders is making the job difficult for them. The other thing i have mentioned earlier is the combination of David Warner and Aaron Finch. To accommodate David Warner Australia has changed entire line up which was working, the same mistake they made in one day word cup.
Backrower
Guest
Fair enough, you’ve watched more than I have recently. Last night I thought Marsh could have played a very different innings and got the job done relatively easily. His shot to get out was not smart.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Not sure about a couple of conclusions. Australia continuing the batting fragility they showed in Bangladesh? Marsh was the only one of the top 6 who played in Bangladesh. Stoinis and Wade held their nerve, but both gave chances? So if the catches were taken presumably we would have concluded that they didn’t hold their nerve?? Marsh got caught in the deep which proved his weakness against spin? With a sample size of one? Decision to play three quicks and not Agar vindicated? Who knows? Didn’t backfire, but all the frontline bowlers on both sides were stingy, with Starc looking most likely to leak runs. Would you really want to rely on Maxwell against better batters against spin, and to play 3 quicks on more spin-friendly tracks? Miller’s DRS review definitely one of the most optimistic we’ll ever see - pitching middle, hitting middle. Two early candidates for worst shot of the tournament- Bavuma, getting bowled by a straight one from Maxwell, and Maxwell bowled premeditating a reverse sweep.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Marty, I agree with your sentiment re an untried player at international level (Inglis). I als agree that you can’t discard a batsman that is scoring runs (Marsh). SR is very important, but actually scoring runs in the first place still has to be paramount. I see no down side in replacing Warner with Inglis, even if not a direct position swap. Warner simply isn’t scoring runs; how much longer do you persist with something that isn’t working? May as well roll the dice; there’s only upside IMO.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I wonder whether Marsh should open? He came in in the 1st or 2nd over in 8 of the 10 matches during winter. He’s one player that can clear the circle in the air with clean hitting. Would probably maximise his potential as an opener. The say Inglis at 3 or 4, depending on where Smith bats. Maxwell has to be at 5 for me. Why he again threw his wicket away on 18 with a reverse sweep, I don’t know. I’d rather try and keep wickets in hand longer.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Inglis has to replace Warner. Whether Inglis or Wade open I’m not sure. He may not do any better in his debut series, or it may be a master stroke. Just see no value in going on with the current opening pair.
KenoathCarnt
Roar Rookie
Yea fair point I'm still fine with him being in the team I would just like to see Josh Inglis given a chance at some point.