DURBAN
A career-best unbeaten 92 from new captain Mitch Marsh propelled Australia to a comprehensive 111-run victory over hosts South Africa in the first Twenty20 International in Durban on Wednesday.
Australia took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after posting 226 for six in their 20 overs, the highest score at Kingsmead, before restricting South Africa to 115 all out in a reply that never really got going.
The second match in the series is on Friday before it concludes two days later. All three games will be played in Durban. Both sides are missing several of their regulars.
After being sent in to bat, Australia’s innings was anchored by Marsh, who reached his 50 in 22 deliveries.
He put on 97 in 50 balls for the fifth wicket with Tim David, who had no trouble clearing the small boundaries with four sixes on his way to 64 from 28 balls.
“It’s nice to contribute for the team,” Marsh said at the post-match presentation. “I thought Tim David was fantastic with the way he took pressure off me.”
South Africa were sloppy in the field and at times battled to control line and length with the ball. Seamer Lizaad Williams was the pick of the home attack with 3-44 in his four overs.
Opener Reeza Hendricks led a near lone challenge to Australia’s total with a well-constructed 56 from 43 balls, as the home side were pegged back by an excellent spell of 4-31 from debutant leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha.
Sangha’s maiden international wicket was a gift as South Africa captain Aiden Markram (7) cut a short and wide delivery straight to Marcus Stoinis at backward point in the seventh over.
Two overs later Sangha had fellow debutant Dewald Brevis out for five slogging to long-off, then wicketkeeper Tristan Stubbs stumped for a duck on the next ball.
He finished with 4-31 after bowling Marco Jansen for 20 and walked off the ground after the victory was completed with delighted team mates patting his head.
“It was great to see Tanveer. He’s a ripping young kid,” Marsh told reporters. “He’d got off the plane yesterday and wasn’t playing until this morning.
It’s great to see someone like him, his mindset and not being, I guess, nervous to come out here.
I’m sure he was nervous but you couldn’t tell.”
Marcus Stoinis also pitched in with 3-18.
SCOREBOARD
AUSTRALIA:
T. Head c Hendricks b Marco 6
M. Short c Hendricks b Williams 20
M. Marsh not out 92
J. Inglis b Coetzee 1
M. Stoinis c Jansen b Williams 6
T. David c Bavuma b Shamsi 64
A. Hardie c Brevis b Williams 23
S. Abbott not out 3
EXTRAS (LB-6, W-5) 11
TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 226
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-6 (Head), 2-69 (Short), 3-70 (Inglis), 4-77 (Stoinis), 5-174 (David), 6-210 (Hardie)
DID NOT BAT: N. Ellis, S. Johnson, T. Sangha
BOWLING: Jansen 4-0-45-1 (2w), Ngidi 4-0-49-0, Coetzee 4-1-40-1 (1w), Williams 4-0-44-3 (1w), Shamsi 4-0-42-1 (1w)
SOUTH AFRICA:
R. Hendricks c David b Johnson 56
T. Bavuma b Stoinis 0
R. van der Dussen c Marsh b Abbott 21
A. Markram c Stoinis b Sangha 7
D. Brevis c Abbott b Sangha 5
T. Stubbs st Inglis b Sangha 0
M. Jansen b Sangha 20
G. Coetzee c David b Stoinis 1
L. Williams c Marsh b Stoinis 1
L. Ngidi not out 2
T. Shamsi b Johnson 0
EXTRAS (W-2) 2
TOTAL (all out, 15.3 overs) 115
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-1 (Bavuma), 2-47 (van der Dussen), 3-61 (Markram), 4-69 (Brevis), 5-69 (Stubbs), 6-106 (Jansen), 7-107 (Coetzee), 8-109 (Williams), 9-114 (Hendricks)
BOWLING: Stoinis 3-0-18-3, Johnson 3.3-0-33-2 (1w), Abbott 2-0-17-1, Ellis 2-0-11-0 (1w), Sangha 4-0-31-4, Hardie 1-0-5-0
RESULT: Australia won by 111 runs.
