Australia opened their three-match T20 series against South Africa with a tense 17-run win at Marrara Cricket Ground on Saturday, defending a total of 178 despite an early collapse.
South Africa won the toss and bowled first, making early inroads as Kwena Maphaka’s four wickets reduced Australia to 75 for six inside the first ten overs. Tim David then shifted the momentum, striking 83 runs in an aggressive counter-attack that took Australia to 178 all out.
The run chase began grimly for South Africa, three wickets down before the half-century mark. A partnership of 72 between Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs, however, flickered temporary optimism. When 21 runs remained and the last over arrived, Ben Dwarshuis extinguished the chase, bowling out Rickelton for a counter of 52 and securing the match.
Josh Hazlewood effectively dismantled South Africa’s middle-order reply, returning figures of three for 27. His wicket of Stubbs—on 120 for four—served as the decisive blow. Dwarshuis, with matching metrics of three for 26, complemented Hazlewood’s effort; Adam Zampa took two scalps and Glenn Maxwell chipped in with another.
The match confirmed another landmark for Hazlewood. Cricbuzz reports that he has become the second Australian to record ten or more three-wicket hauls in T20 internationals, with Adam Zampa the leading proprietor at 12. Hazlewood has now amassed 70 wickets over 53 T20I outings for his country, at an average of 21.54.
Dwarshuis, meanwhile, underlined a continuing trend of effectiveness in the format. His career T20 wicket count has now climbed to 214, of which 16 are at international level and at an average of 18.62.
Australia now leads the series 1-0, with the second encounter scheduled for next week.
