Australia deny South Africa series sweep as Carey and Zampa find form in rain-hit third ODI
Australia have avoided a whitewash in their ODI series in South Africa, claiming a morale-boosting if rain-interrupted 45-run victory (DLS method) in the third and final day-nighter in Potchefstroom. The match was eventually called off under the lights on Wednesday as rain ruined the finale — after also delaying the start by half an hour — but by then Australia were in full control and could celebrate a satisfying win on a day they were vastly improved following their capitulation in the chases in the first two matches.
Carey ends long drought as Australia post 322
Half-centuries from the rejuvenated Alex Carey (74 off 88 balls) and captain Mitch Marsh, plus 48 from 20-year-old prospect Ollie Peake, propelled Australia to 322-9 after they were put in, and South Africa at no point threatened to pull off the highest successful ODI chase ever at the ground. It was Carey's first international half-century in 17 ODI and Test innings since his Ashes hundred in Adelaide last December.
Marsh and Travis Head (24 off 20) again provided an electric start with a 78-run opening stand at nine runs an over, and this time the middle order built much more assiduously against a Proteas side who weren't helped by resting key spinner Keshav Maharaj — the player of the series — and captain Temba Bavuma among four changes.
It wasn't easy to begin with, as Bjorn Fortuin trapped Marsh lbw and Gerald Coetzee bowled Cooper Connolly (23) with a brilliant yorker. But Peake impressed again in a 73-run partnership off 88 balls with Carey — the sort of middle-order stand Marsh had been crying out to see. Peake, on 48, looked crestfallen when he must have thought he'd cracked a boundary off Corbin Bosch to reach his landmark fifty, only for Fortuin to take a dazzling diving catch behind point to send him packing.
Matt Renshaw (30) and Carey continued the good work with a 66-run stand, but Australia didn't get the acceleration they hoped for in the dying overs, with Carey's 88-ball knock eventually ending at the hands of the excellent Bosch, who finished with 4 for 60 off nine overs.
Green takes a beamer, smashes six, then departs
Cameron Green had an eventful evening, taking a fearful beamer from Bosch straight into his box, recovering to courageously hit the next delivery — also a fast full-toss — for six, and then being bumped out the following ball by a short one, seemingly suffering a muscle injury in the process. That meant he was not fit to bowl, leaving an Australian attack already depleted by the injuries to Nathan Ellis and Jack Edwards even shorter.
Zampa and Bartlett strangle the chase
Adam Zampa rediscovered his best after recent struggles, finishing with 2 for 34 off six overs, while Xavier Bartlett earned a couple of key early wickets with 2 for 25 off five overs. Bartlett got rid of Quinton de Kock with a poor short ball before removing skipper Aiden Markram with a terrific swinging full ball, and South Africa were soon on the back foot under the lights.
Zampa was back to his squeezing, probing best, luring the dangerous first-match centurion Matthew Breetzke to be stumped on 25 and trapping Tristan Stubbs lbw for 14. Only Ryan Rickelton, unbeaten on 71 off 81 balls, looked likely to trouble the visitors as South Africa limped to 145-4 off 28 overs when the rain returned to end proceedings.
Cummins' return bodes well for the Durban Test
Pat Cummins may have returned as a bowler only — with Marsh keeping the captaincy for the third and final match — but his comeback seemed to enthuse everyone, and his 0 for 17 off five probing overs suggested he will be in fine shape to lead his troops in the first Test in Durban on 9 October. Stand-in captain Marsh again did his bit, leading from the front as he powered to his third half-century of the series (56 off 42 balls), following his 60 and 84 in Durban and Johannesburg.