Australia secured a dramatic two-wicket victory over South Africa in the decisive third T20I at Cairns’ Cazaly’s Stadium, claiming the series 2-1 after a hair-raising final over.
Pursuing a target of 173, the hosts placed faith in skipper Mitchell Marsh and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell. Marsh’s blistering 54 off 37 and Maxwell’s unbeaten 62 off 36 ultimately sealed the match, Maxwell thumping the winning boundary with a ball to spare.
South Africa, after winning the toss, staggered at 30 for two until Dewald Brevis unleashed 53 from 26 balls. His pyrotechnics, including six maximums, formed a 61-run axis with Tristan Stubbs. Rassie van der Dussen contributed a calm 38 not out, guiding the visitors to 172 for 7.
However, the finish frayed. A flurry of 38 runs across the last five defensive overs invited the Australians back in, with Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa tightening the screws, and Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Ellis, the latter claiming 3 for 31, attending to the death with composure.
The Australian reply accelerated with Marsh and Travis Head producing a 66-run commencement. Marsh’s five sixes and 54 runs hinted at a relatively simple ascent, yet a South African counter-offensive promptly reduced the home side to 122 for 6.
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At that point, Maxwell steadied the innings like a veteran. Partnering the lower order, he substituted his usual zeal with prudential stroke selection, crafting a tempered, unbeaten 62 that featured eight fours and a brace of sixes, and shepherding the Australians to a final, exhilarating 173 for eight.
Corbin Bosch emerged as South Africa’s principal threat. The seamer’s 3 for 26 included a ruthless double-wicket maiden and marked a second successive three-fer in this induction series, reinforcing his rapid elevation in the discipline.
Statistical highlights and individual landmarks could not be overlooked. Maxwell, with the catch that sent Brevis unpacking, matched David Warner’s 62 for Australia in the discipline. Marsh’s innings propelled his career six tally in T20 cricket past 250, swelling his cumulative runs to 5,200-plus. Brevis, meanwhile, raced to a second T20I fifty, advancing his international aggregate to 318 at a strike rate approaching 192.
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The outcome ensured Australia’s residence retained dominance in yet another series, testimony to the blend of experience and emergent talent. For South Africa, the undercurrents of evolution appeared, particularly in Bosch’s method and Brevis’s poise, yet the unresolved puzzle of closing tightly contested exchanges returned to the fore.
