Breetzke and Maharaj starred in Durban; Miller and Bavuma hit centuries at the Wanderers. South Africa lead 2-0 with one ODI to play.
Three-match series. Third ODI: Wednesday 30 September, Potchefstroom.
- 1st ODI, Durban: South Africa 297/8 beat Australia 230 by 67 runs. Matthew Breetzke made 112 and was Player of the Match.
- 2nd ODI, Johannesburg: South Africa 365/9 beat Australia 333 by 32 runs. David Miller hit a career-best 142 and Temba Bavuma 103.
- It is South Africa's sixth successive bilateral ODI series win over Australia, according to Cricinfo.
- Debutant Jack Edwards took 5-67 in only his second ODI, but Australia's middle order collapsed against spin in both games.
Scores at a glance
| Match | Venue and date | Result | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | Kingsmead, Durban, 24 Sep | South Africa 297/8 beat Australia 230 (41.2 ov) by 67 runs | Matthew Breetzke, 112 (106) and three catches |
| 2nd ODI | Wanderers, Johannesburg, 27 Sep | South Africa 365/9 beat Australia 333 (49.5 ov) by 32 runs | David Miller, 142 (93) |
| 3rd ODI | Potchefstroom, 30 Sep | Not yet played | – |
1st ODI: Breetzke, Jansen and the spinners
Australia chose to bowl at Kingsmead, with Jack Edwards making his ODI debut and Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood returning. South Africa were a middling 168/5 in the 34th over before Breetzke and Marco Jansen shared a 107-run stand. Breetzke made 112 off 106 balls, and Jansen hit 75 off 59, equalling his career best. Nathan Ellis took 3/57 and Adam Zampa 2/50 for Australia.
The chase began quickly: Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head put on 90 inside 10 overs, and Marsh reached his fifty off 31 balls. But Australia lost their last nine wickets for 101, and left-arm spinners Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin shared six wickets. Jansen, who also took a spectacular catch, was among the fielding stars. Maharaj took the last wicket when Zampa holed out to Breetzke.
2nd ODI: Miller and Bavuma rescue South Africa
After being put in at the Wanderers, South Africa were 36/2 in the seventh over. Hazlewood removed Aiden Markram first ball and Quinton de Kock soon after. Bavuma and Breetzke steadied the innings, and Bavuma took a blow on the forearm from Edwards but batted on. Then Miller and Bavuma added 156 for the fourth wicket, taking South Africa from 93/3 to a total of 365/9.
Miller, 37, struck 142 off 93 balls with 12 fours and nine sixes, his eighth ODI hundred, playing in a shirt carrying his mother Jenny's name for the annual Pink Day. Bavuma made 103 off 116 for his sixth ODI century and his first at the Wanderers. Edwards took 5-67, his first ODI five-wicket haul, and Hazlewood took 3-70.
Marsh and Head gave Australia another flying start, adding 130 in 17 overs. Marsh scored 84 off 53 balls and Head 84 off 76. Once Fortuin bowled Marsh, Australia lost 121-6 in the middle overs against Maharaj, Fortuin and Markram, who all bowled their full 10 overs. Xavier Bartlett hit 50 off 28 late on and Australia were bowled out in the final over. Ellis bowled only four overs after a side injury.
Analysis
Australia win the powerplay, lose the middle: Both matches followed the same pattern. Marsh and Head put on 90 in Durban and 130 in Johannesburg, but neither innings survived the spin. Cricinfo data cited in the Durban report says Australia have been the worst team against left-arm spin since the 2023 ODI World Cup, and Maharaj has taken 10 wickets against them in four innings in that time.
South Africa's depth: The Proteas recovered from 168/5 and 93/3, and they had match-winners in different departments: Breetzke and Jansen in Durban, Miller and Bavuma at the Wanderers. Bavuma said the spin attack complemented the seamers well.
Australia's decision to chase: Australia won the toss and chose to chase in both games, and were set 298 in Durban and 366 in Johannesburg. Marsh called the second defeat “really disappointing”.
Players who stood out
- David Miller (South Africa): 142 off 93 balls in Johannesburg, the top run-scorer in the series so far with 151 runs at an average of 75.50.
- Matthew Breetzke (South Africa): 112 in Durban and 34 in Johannesburg, 146 runs in the series.
- Temba Bavuma (South Africa): 103 in the second ODI, and captain of a side unbeaten in the series.
- Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin (South Africa): Six and four wickets respectively after two matches.
- Jack Edwards (Australia): 5-67 on his second ODI appearance.
- Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head (Australia): Marsh has 144 runs in the series, and Head scored 84 in Johannesburg.
What is next
The third ODI is on Wednesday 30 September at the NWC Oval in Potchefstroom, a day-night game starting at 13:30 local time. Australia will then play a tour match against a CSA Invitation XI on 3 and 4 October before the three-Test series, which starts in Durban on 9 October and ends in Cape Town from 27 to 31 October. Check the CSA and Cricket Australia sites before publishing, as fixtures can change.
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo: 1st ODI report, Maharaj stars as Australia collapse to spin
- ESPNcricinfo: 2nd ODI report, Miller, Bavuma, spinners seal the series
- ESPNcricinfo: Australia tour of South Africa fixtures and results
- Yahoo Sports: Miller and Bavuma tons give South Africa a 2-0 lead
- Associated Press: Miller and Bavuma lead South Africa to series victory
- Dawn: Bavuma, Miller hit tons as SA clinch series
- LiveScore: 2nd ODI match report
- The Sports Encounter: Miller gives South Africa a sixth straight series win over Australia
