Mitch Marsh has produced a blistering captain’s knock and Tanveer Sangha made a dream debut as Australia crushed South Africa by a record 111 runs in the series-opening T20 clash in Durban.
Marsh thumped an unbeaten 92 off 49 balls and Tim David (64 off 28 balls) also joined in on the fun as Australia posted 6-226 at Kingsmead on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST).
In reply, South Africa were bowled out for 115 in 15.3 overs, with Sangha (4-31) and Marcus Stoinis (3-18) doing the damage.
Paceman Spencer Johnson (2-33 off 3.3 overs) was expensive on debut, but he fought back to claim two late wickets, including the scalp of opener Reeza Hendricks (56 off 43 balls).
Sangha wasn’t even meant to be playing, but the late scratching of Adam Zampa due to illness resulted in the 21-year-old legspinner being rushed into the side.
It meant Australia fielded four debutants – Aaron Hardie, Johnson, Matt Short and Sangha.
Zampa is expected to be fit to return for game two, but Sangha’s stunning debut means Australia now face a welcome selection dilemma.
Australia’s victory was their largest ever in a T20 against South Africa, bettering the 107-run win in Johannesburg in 2020.
Their total was also the biggest for a T20 international at Kingsmead, eclipsing the 4-218 posted by England against South Africa in 2020.
“It’s always nice to start a three-match series with a win, and my job is to score runs, so it was nice to get a couple,” Marsh told Fox Cricket after winning the man-of-the-match award.
“I thought Tim David was fantastic, the way he batted took the pressure off me.
“It was a really good partnership, and he batted beautifully.”
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
The loss of Travis Head (six) off the third ball of the innings brought Marsh to the crease, and the first-time skipper went bang as Australia moved to 1-45 after just 2.3 overs.
Such was Marsh’s power, he slugged Lizaad Williams (3-44) out of the ground and into oncoming traffic in the fifth over.
Australia were in cruise control at 1-69 in the fifth over, but the loss of Short (20 off 11), Josh Inglis (1) and Stoinis (6) in quick succession resulted in the visitors slumping to 4-77.
David and Marsh combined for a 97-run partnership to steady the ship.
Marsh’s decision to open the bowling with Stoinis proved a masterstroke, with the allrounder snaring the scalp of Temba Bavuma in an over that cost just one run.
Sangha was introduced into the fray in the seventh over with South Africa at 2-53.
He snared his maiden T20 scalp with his sixth ball when Aiden Markram struck him straight to backward point.
And when Sangha sent Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs packing in consecutive deliveries in the eighth over, South Africa’s victory hopes were all but over.
“Amazing. He’s done that in the Big Bash and for NSW for the last couple of years,” Marsh said of Sangha.
“He’s a fantastic young talent. To come in and do that, he’s got great character, and he’s going to fit right into international cricket.”
Australia entered the series without Pat Cummins (wrist), Mitchell Starc (groin), Steve Smith (wrist), Glenn Maxwell (ankle), Josh Hazlewood, Cameron Green and David Warner.
The white-ball tour of South Africa is Australia’s next step of preparation ahead of October’s ODI World Cup in India.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
By that logic Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood should open the batting to keep them fresh for bowling. Batting is not as physically taxing as fast bowling, hence bowlers often back up to bowl even shortly after completing relatively long batting innings. To add to it, Cameron Green does not usually open the bowling. He usually has an hour or so before getting the ball in his hand, unless Australia is playing three spinners on a rank turner (in which case he is only likely to be required for a couple of overs anyway, or Australia might open with a spinner). When you are bowling, if Green needs rest he can have a longer wait before coming on to bowl. Number 3 is too important a position to be messing around with if you've had a long stint in the field to give him a rest. You can't pick someone who can only bat at 3 effectively if you win the toss or steamroll a side in the first innings.
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
I’m not sure I’d have Labs or Khawaja in there. Let them concentrate on longer forms. My 2c… Edit- I realise now that you were talking about Tests!
Jeff
Roar Rookie
think Green batting at 3 doesn’t make any sense given his bowling workloads. I can see him batting at 4 in the future, but 3 means a quick turnaround after he might have been helping to finish off the tail." Converse view - thinking about Australia batting, then bowling.. At #6, you you'd hope Green would many times (most times in an ideal world?) be batting down, in partnership with #'s 9,10,11. In which case he'd be back out in the field again pretty quickly. So is it really that much of a difference for an allrounder like Green to be batting 3rd vs 6th?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
If every team's bowlers bowl at 5.27, they win every game.
Michael Coote
Roar Rookie
20 ODI wkts @45.00 with an ER of 5.27, your definition of outstanding is somewhat different to mine. Stoinis comment is not mine. I play favourires :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Both are outstanding. Agar tighter even. That's the point. You just complained about people wanting to get rid of Stoinis then you do the same regarding Agar. You just play favourites.
Michael Coote
Roar Rookie
5.27 rpo v Zampa 5.42 rpo in ODI, a 0.15 pt better rpo, played 21 ODIs in 7 years, what is holding him back then? Despite Agar being a far better batsman and fielder, Zampa has played 4 times the number of ODIs.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
That's not his role. His role is to control the scoring. That doesn't hold him back at all.
Michael Coote
Roar Rookie
The biggest thing holding Agar back is, he doesn't take wkts, and that is in all forms of the game. A bit tough on Sangha, day after he gets off the plane and was not even supposed to play this match. This is why I never judge a player on one performance, but on consistency over an extended period.
Michael Coote
Roar Rookie
Why does everyone want to kick the guy who has 15W@9.11 with a SR of 6.30 in 7 matches out of the T20 team?
Michael Coote
Roar Rookie
Not convinced this is a good idea at this time, Labuschagne at 3 is a strength for the Australian side at present, moving Green there is a risk at this stage and Green for all his talent, seems to be unsure of his game right now, seems to lack a plan on how to play at Test level, personally I see Green as a great number 4 down the track.
The Idiot
Roar Rookie
You can stay there in the white ball game Mitch - that's where you belong
jameswm
Roar Guru
Sorry tests
jameswm
Roar Guru
Yeah I did put it in the wrong article without explaining it was for tests
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I think marsh has played very well last two test series with bat in England . Australia is a different story at test level and conditions for him but it's hard to deny him another chance right now . he saved the nations hind in one with the bat at Manchester from memory .
Pierro
Roar Rookie
James I do think renshaw and bancroft were hard done by not getting opps in last ashes perhaps the way the wickets played in the first few tests Bancroft may have got more out of the Baz ball style than renshaw who may have preffred the later wickets with more traditional tinges of movement for woakes . however now going forward bancroft would suit Aussie wickets this summer . I like labs opening abroad a bit more due to his attrition and survival in his foreign hostile conditions . green will be much better back on Aussie wickets . marsh was fantastic in England as he always has been more recently in last two series there , he just needs to be consistent on Aussie wickets at test level. smith in some ways likes traditional English decks the McG and scg red ball but he may be in decline and he’s admitted he never likes pink ball tests as much and prefers the traditional red ball tests . still Aus should make light work of Pakistan and windies at home this summer . The big tests come again after this summer
Pierro
Roar Rookie
That looks like the top order I wanted by the end of the ashes in 2019. labs is a natural opener I'm convinced despite a mediocre ashes series
Michael Coote
Roar Rookie
Test Cricket is full of very talented players who never quite made it. Marsh for all his talent is still a Test failure at this stage of his career, 2 good tests and then when he really could have nailed his test spot in the 5th Ashes Test, a double failure. Green is probably the most talented young Cricketer I have seen but that hasn't transferred that to consistency, he has a decent record for an allrounder but he is nowhere near what he is capable of yet. Richardson is another great talent, but so where Bruce Reid and James Pattinson, but injury curtailed their careers and Richardson is struggling to stay on the pitch, 24 FC games in 6 years.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Agar has to play. He is our best performed spinner...particularly with economy. Zampa and Sangha with the bat and in the field would be an issue. By the way, I stayed up to watch the game. Sangha did not bowl all that well. The stumping was off a great ball but the clean bowled was against a non-batsman and the other two were really bad balls. Some horrible half-trackers. He's not ready yet to go past Agar, Lyon, Murphy, Kuhnemann. Certainly, for team balance, Agar's bowling, fielding and batting is very important, especially his batting in 50 over games. Not as necessary in T20 because he is unlikely to be needed. His bowling and fielding is needed there, though.
Ace
Roar Rookie
It is nice DTM to see young fresh faces coming through. The cricket team is so hard to break into so I hope they take their chances