Australia clinched the three-match T20I series over South Africa by sealing a tense 2-1 series triumph in Cairns on Saturday, propelled by a poised half-century from Glenn Maxwell which navigated the hosts to victory in the final over.
Set 173 to win, the home side first appeared on course as Mitchell Marsh, the captain, plundered 54 during a 66-run opening fusion with Travis Head. Yet, the equation swung dramatically when South Africa’s bowlers struck, reducing Australia to an alarming 122 for six and wresting the initiative.
Maxwell emerged at six and, with a stabilising unbeaten 62 from 36 balls, anchored the innings to the finish line. His 62 featured eight fours and two sixes and proved invaluable as he expertly orchestrated the lower order, striking the winning runs on the second-last ball to seal the Australians’ 173 for eight.
The innings elevated Maxwell’s T20I runs to 2,833 from 124 matches, yielding an average of 29.51 with a strike rate of 156. He has amassed five centuries and 12 half-centuries in the format, and against South Africa he has gathered 287 runs at 28.70. His overall T20 tally now exceeds 10,800 runs, punctuated by 58 fifties and eight hundreds.
Beyond the bat, Maxwell also contributed in the field, as a full-stretch catch to dismiss Dewald Brevis matched David Warner’s Australian record of 62 T20I catches in the outfield.
South Africa’s defeat thus completed a disappointing conclusion to a series that, until last night, had carried its share of competitiveness. For Australia, however, the evening became the sole property of Maxwell, whose explosive batting and athlete’s deft fielding allowed the visitors to dictate the final cadence of the contest.
