Australia’s dominance of SA in the shortest formats continued on Sunday with Mitchell Marsh’s team wrapping up a clean sweep in the T20 International series, with another comfortable five-wicket victory in Durban. It was Australia’s fifth consecutive win against SA in the T20 format as the tourists once again showed superiority in all departments, including in their approach, which has been relentlessly aggressive.
The hosts posted their best total of the series, 190/8, but even that looked short of a target that would trouble the Australians. The Proteas did not help themselves with another error-strewn display in the field, dropping three catches, including Travis Head, who top-scored with 91 off 48 balls, twice.
The general lethargy with which the Proteas have played the series was in evidence again on Sunday. Besides the mistakes in the field, the bowling lacked accuracy, with Lungi Ngidi’s form a concern ahead of the One-Day series that starts on Thursday.
After choosing to bat, SA lost Temba Bavuma to the second ball of the match, while Matthew Breetzke, handed a first cap, hit his second ball for six and then played a dreadful slog to be caught at mid-on. Once again it was skipper Aiden Markram who was called on to steady the innings, which he did in combination with Reeza Hendricks in a 58-run third-wicket partnership.
Markram scored 41, but having struck a six and a four to start the over against Sean Abbott, it was the Proteas batter who ended it with his head down after slapping the last ball straight to cover. A 46-run stand for the fourth wicket between Hendricks and Tristan Stubbs was followed by another mini-collapse with the Proteas losing three wickets in seven balls falling from 116/3 to 122/6.
Hendricks scored 42 but Stubbs once again flattered only to deceive and was caught on the midwicket boundary for 25. Donovan Ferreira, also on debut, then gave the Proteas something to smile about with plenty of aggressive hitting, including smacking the second ball he faced for six off Tanveer Sangha. He and Gerald Coetzee (13) added 54 for the seventh wicket, which allowed for the posting of a respectable target.
Ferreira, who nearly missed his call up after not answering the phone when coach Rob Walter called him, finished with 48 off 21 balls, hitting a four and five sixes. Abbott took career best figures of 4/31, two days after claiming his previous best, and impressed with his accuracy, as was the case with most of the Australian bowlers throughout the series.
The final total looked short of par and it needed the Proteas to be more accurate with the ball and in the field than they have been in the series. Head was dropped on 48 by Breetzke, a difficult chance, given how far the fielder had to run, while Bavuma missed the Australian left-hander when he misjudged the flight of the ball with Head on 55.
A short while later, Bavuma dropped Josh Inglis when he had 40, a simple opportunity with the ball hit straight to him at long on. Head and Inglis, who scored 42, added 85 for the third wicket, with the Australians coasting to victory with 13 balls to spare.
While Ferreira took his sole chance to impress the national selectors, other young players, like Stubbs, Breetzke and Dewald Brevis disappointed and it can only be hoped the lessons learnt from a chastening start to their international careers, can be applied when they next take to the field.
The Proteas will be grateful for the return of some experienced campaigners including Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock and David Miller, for the ODI series that starts in Bloemfontein on Thursday.
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