Australia opened their home series against South Africa with a 17-run win in the first T20I at Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin on August 10. (Also read: Hazlewood and Dwarshuis Power Australia to Narrow Win Over South Africa in Darwin T20)
It wasn’t straightforward. South Africa won the toss, bowled first, and had Australia reeling at 75 for six inside the first ten overs. But Tim David turned the innings around. His 83 off 47 balls pulled the hosts to 178 before they were bowled out.
Kwena Maphaka took four wickets for South Africa, but David’s acceleration in the latter overs gave Australia the momentum they needed.
For a while there, it looked like South Africa might actually pull this off. Ryan Rickelton hit a half-century and put on a great 72-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs that really gave them a shot. But then the wheels fell off. Australia’s bowlers just kept taking wickets, and the chase completely lost its momentum. They limped to 161 for nine in the end.
The win marked Australia’s ninth straight victory in T20Is, their longest run in the format. The streak began in November 2024 with a 3-0 sweep of Pakistan. It continued with a 5-0 away win over West Indies in July this year. Their previous best was eight consecutive wins between February and June 2024, a run ended by Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup.
Against South Africa, Australia have now won six in a row in T20Is, dating back to February 2020. The overall head-to-head stands at 18 wins to Australia and eight to South Africa.
Australia will look to push that record further in the second T20I, while South Africa will be aiming to break a five-year drought against the hosts in this format.
