Australia deny South Africa clean sweep after rain cuts short Potchefstroom decider

Australia denied South Africa a perfect sweep of their three-match ODI series, clinching a consolation win in the rain-hit third and final fixture at Potchefstroom. The match, which started late after a wet outfield from afternoon showers, could not run beyond 28 overs of South Africa's chase, leaving the visitors victorious by 47 runs via the Duckworth–Lewis method (DLS).

A combined batting effort pushed Australia to a commanding 322/9 from their 50 overs, and when the rain came back for good, the hosts — a batter short after Tony de Zorzi limped out midway through the game with a hamstring injury — were well adrift of the par score.

Marsh and Carey anchor Australia's 322/9

With the threat of rain looming large, stand-in captain Aiden Markram, deputising for the absent Temba Bavuma, asked Australia to bat first after South Africa made five changes with an eye on the upcoming Test series. Australia made changes too, but one constant remained: the runs flowing off Mitchell Marsh's bat. He raced to his third successive fifty of the series — off just 33 balls — in only the eighth over.

Travis Head was a cautious, risk-free passenger at the other end until he chopped one off Corbin Bosch in the ninth over. Australia slowed from there, with Bjorn Fortuin trapping Marsh leg before in the 14th over and Cooper Connolly struggling for rhythm before Gerald Coetzee cleaned him up in the 18th.

The impressive Olivier Peake and Alex Carey then dragged Australia out of the quicksand they seemed to be slipping into with a solid 73-run partnership. Just as Peake was inching towards his maiden ODI fifty, a stunning take at point from Fortuin gave Bosch another wicket and the Australian his marching orders, two short of the milestone. Australia rebuilt again through Matt Renshaw and Carey, who put on a brisk 66 off 62 deliveries, taking the total past 250 in the 41st over before Renshaw became Coetzee's second wicket an over later.

Australia managed 72 from the last 60 deliveries to finish on 322/9, with Carey top-scoring on 74 in his team's win.

Rickelton's unbeaten 71 in vain as rain ends the chase

South Africa's reply stuttered from the off. Quinton de Kock flicked a ball from Xavier Bartlett to deep backward square leg in the opening over, falling for a duck, and in the sixth over Bartlett had Aiden Markram trapped leg before to leave the hosts reeling at 30/2. To make matters worse, the home side could not call on their regular No. 4, Tony de Zorzi, who was out of the game with a hamstring injury.

Ryan Rickelton and Matthew Breetzke resurrected the chase with a measured 72-run partnership before running into Adam Zampa. The leggie first had Breetzke out stumped, then trapped Tristan Stubbs leg before. As rain clouds hovered overhead, the flurry of wickets tipped the scales firmly in Australia's favour.

When the players were forced off the field, Rickelton was still fighting, unbeaten on 71, with South Africa at 145/4 after 28 overs. They were not out of the game yet, but they remained well in arrears of the par score as per the DLS method — and as the rain continued to pelt down at Potchefstroom, that marker eventually decided the result.

Brief scores

Australia 322/9 in 50 overs (Alex Carey 74, Mitchell Marsh 56, Oliver Peake 48; Corbin Bosch 4-60) beat South Africa 145/4 in 28 overs (Ryan Rickelton 71*; Xavier Bartlett 2-25, Adam Zampa 2-34) by 47 runs (DLS method).