South Africa vs Australia, 1st ODI: Australia edge opening ODI despite Bavuma ton

Temba Bavuma became the first South African to carry his bat and score a century but it was not enough as the Proteas suffered a three-wicket defeat to Australia in the opening match of their Betway One-Day International (ODI) series at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Thursday.

MATCH SUMMARY

South Africa vs Australia, 1st ODI, Australia tour of South Africa

South Africa 222/10 (49 ov)

Australia 225/7 (40.2 ov)

Result - Australia won by 3 wickets

SCORECARD

The national captain carved an unbeaten 114 (142 balls, 14 fours, 1 six) – his third century in his last six ODIs and fifth overall – to help the hosts scramble their way to 222 all out in 49 overs.

In reply, the home bowlers had the tourists at their mercy on 113 for seven, before an unbroken 112-run partnership between Marnus Labuschagne (80* off 93 balls, 8 fours) and Ashton Agar (48*) carried their side to a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with nearly 10 overs to spare.

Despite defeat, it was an encouraging start to the 50-over leg of the tour, which both sides are using as their final preparations for next month’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.

The home side will take plenty of positives from the performance of Bavuma as well as their bowlers.

The skipper joined Herschelle Gibbs (59* against Pakistan at Sharjah in 2000) as the only other SA player to achieve the feat of carrying his bat.

There was not much support from Bavuma’s teammates, though. Marco Jansen (32) was the only other batter to 20 and shared in the highest partnership of the innings worth 57 for the sixth wicket.

Quinton de Kock (11), Rassie van der Dussen (8), Aiden Markram (19), Heinrich Klaasen (14) and David Miller (0) all failed amongst the top and middle-order leaving all the responsibility on the captain. And he did all he could until there was no one left to support him with the South Africans dismissed in the penultimate over.

Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the visiting bowlers with three for 41.

Jansen (1/44) then bowled David Warner for a second-ball duck in the first over and captain Mitchell Marsh (17) was taken out by Kagiso Rabada (2/48).

Two balls later Cameron Green had to retire hurt and was replaced by SA-born Labuschagne as a concussion substitute after being struck on the head by a bouncer.

The pressure continued to be applied by the bowlers with new man Josh Inglis (1) becoming Rabada’s second victim, followed by Lungi Ngidi (1/42) accounting for Travis Head (33).

Gerald Coetzee (2/44) sent Alex Carey (3) and Marcus Stoinis (17) on their way, before Keshav Maharaj (1/38) bowled Sean Abbott (9) to leave the Australians on the brink.

But Labuschagne had other ideas, and together with Agar, somehow managed to rebuild and carry their side to the win with 58 deliveries to spare.

MATCH STATS

South Africa Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Quinton de Kock - 8.2 ov), 2-33 (Rassie van der Dussen - 11.6 ov), 3-70 (Aiden Markram - 18.2 ov), 4-97 (Heinrich Klaasen - 24.6 ov), 5-100 (David Miller - 25.4 ov)

Australia Fall of wickets: 1-1 (David Warner - 0.2 ov), 2-38 (Mitchell Marsh - 5.1 ov), 3-56 (Josh Inglis - 7.6 ov), 4-56 (Travis Head - 8.4 ov), 5-72 (Alex Carey - 11.1 ov), 6-93 (Marcus Stoinis - 13.5 ov), 7-113 (Sean Abbott - 16.3 ov)

PLAYING XIs

SOUTH AFRICA - Quinton de Kock(WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Temba Bavuma(C), Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee

AUSTRALIA - Alex Carey(WK), Josh Inglis, David Warner, Marcus Stoinis, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh(C), Cameron Green, Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa

MATCH DETAILS

Date - 2023-09-07 11:00:00

Venue - Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein

Toss - Australia elected to bowl

Umpires - Allahudien Paleker (South Africa), Richard Kettleborough (England), Nitin Menon (India TV)

Match Referee - Richie Richardson (West Indies)

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