Australia’s openers Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh produced a record-breaking performance in Mackay, each scoring centuries and putting on a 250-run partnership in the third and final one-day international against South Africa.
Head set the tone with a rapid 143 off 102 balls, striking freely from the start. Marsh, leading the side, played the steadier hand with 100 from 106 deliveries. Together they laid the platform for Australia’s second-highest ODI total, finishing on 431 for 2 at the Great Barrier Reef Arena.
South Africa’s reply never really started. The visitors folded under scoreboard pressure and were bowled out for 155 in just under 25 overs, giving Australia a commanding win.
The stand between Head and Marsh is Australia’s fifth-highest for the first wicket in ODI cricket. It also places them in a rare group of opening pairs who have both scored centuries in the same innings against South Africa.
It’s a pretty exclusive club, and to find another pair who did it, you have to rewind all the way back to 2003. Think of a classic English summer day at The Oval. England’s Marcus Trescothick and Vikram Solanki were set a hefty target of 265. In response, they put on an absolute masterclass, blasting a 200-run opening stand that basically won them the game on its own. Solanki got his century with 106, while Trescothick carried his bat for a brilliant 114 not out as England cruised to a six-wicket win.
India’s Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar also managed the feat in Johannesburg in 2001. They added 193 runs at the top, with Ganguly striking 127 and Tendulkar contributing 101. Despite their efforts, Gary Kirsten’s unbeaten 133 carried South Africa to victory in that match.
Centuries from both openers remain unusual in one-day cricket, even more so against an opponent like South Africa. Head and Marsh’s effort not only gave Australia a resounding win but also added their names to a small list of partnerships that have left a lasting impression in this rivalry.
