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Australia Crush SA To Claim Consolation Win With Head, Marsh And Green’s Triple Treat

Aakash Saini

Travis Head celebrating his century [Source: @cricketcomau/x]Travis Head celebrating his century [Source: @cricketcomau/x]

Australia blanked South Africa by a record margin to avoid a series whitewash in Mackay. Travis Head, captain Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green flayed out domineering centuries to headline Australia’s run-fest before left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly picked up his maiden international five-for just a couple of days after turning 22.

Here, we take a look at the entire highlights of the third ODI of the three-match series, as it panned out at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay on Sunday, August 24.

Cameron Green Fuels Australia Up To 431 After Opening Salvo

Australian openers Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh bombarded the South Africans with a 250-run first-wicket partnership in just 34 overs. Head became the first wicket to fall after smearing 142 runs from just 103 balls with 17 boundaries and five huge sixes. 

Captain Marsh also tonked 100 runs from 106 with six fours and five maximums before the two well-set centurions were done-in by Proteas spinners Keshav Maharaj (1-57) and Senuran Muthusamy (1-75) respectively.

Cameron Green at number three further mounted 118* off just 55 balls and crafted an unbeaten 164-run partnership in 81 balls with half-centurion Alex Carey (37-ball 50*) to blaze Australia up to a record 431-2 in 50 overs.

Cooper Connolly Decimates South Africa With Maiden Five-For

South Africa slipped to a sluggish 50-4 inside the first 10 overs to wicket-taking opening bursts from Australian pacemen Xavier Bartlett (2-45) and Sean Abbott (2-27). Dewald Brevis counterattacked the Australians for a while with his 49-run innings in just 28 balls.

However, young spinner Cooper Connolly further took the wheels out of the South African chase with five quick wickets to pick up his maiden international five-wicket haul, eventually claiming figures of 5-22 in six overs. Adam Zampa delivered the knockout punch with the wicket of number 11 Kwena Maphaka as Australia enveloped South Africa for just 155 in 24.5 overs to secure a huge 276-run win and make it 1-2 in the three-match ODI series.