Only the Australian team management would have an idea as to what the plan to counter Quinton de Kock, in the opening One-Day International in at the Super Sport Park, Centurion, on Friday (September 30), was. The left-hander kept pulling deliveries for boundaries and sixes towards the region wide of mid-wicket, and it was left vacant for more than 25 overs. As many as 65 runs were scored in that region. By the time two fielders were stationed in the region, the wicket-keeper-batsman was accustomed to the pace of the wicket enough to be able to willingly mark vacant areas in the field and play the ball there. By then, he had also turned AB de Villiers-esque with his batting.
He brought up his personal best ODI score with a six, and followed it up with another six to go past the 150-run mark. In all, there were 11 hits over the boundary fence as he threatened to go past Gary Kirsten’s 188 to register the highest score by a South African in ODIs. Instead, he fell to the short-ball ploy, a trick that reaped late rewards for Australia, notching up 178 runs, and in the process, guiding his side to a six-wicket win.
South Africa’s task was cut out after Australia were restricted to 294 for 9. On an easy-paced flat track with a quick outfield, the target wasn’t challenging. What the hosts had to ensure was a strong start and big partnerships, which their counterparts failed to do.
De Kock did what he does best – attack from the first ball. He stepped out and hit the ball over the in-field. With Australia’s feathers ruffled early on, Rilee Rossouw ensured a safer start. There were a few edges and poor shots which fell short of the fielders, but there was never a real chance coming their way.
The brutal exhibition of batting never stopped from de Kock as he raced away to his half-century with a pull for a boundary through square leg, taking him only 39 balls. Rossouw, not as fast, but fast enough, too, reached the landmark, albeit with a single. Rossouw’s innings had cuts and drives, the elegance of which stood out in contrast to de Kock’s butchery.
With runs coming fast and no signs of wickets, Australia attempted to be a bit more audacious with their plans. The quest for wickets continued but were hard to come by. If anything did change, it was the rate at which the boundaries were flowing. Unfortunately for the visitors, even that change went against them.
Unlike the pacers, Adam Zampa had a warmer welcome to the bowling crease. Brought into the attack in the 18th over, the legspinner managed to trap Rossouw leg before. However, by then, the left-hander had blasted his way to a 45-ball 63 and South Africa were sitting pretty at 145.
By the time Faf du Plessis could adjusted to the pace of the wicket, de Kock had shifted to a gear higher. In 13.3 overs, they put on 123 runs, of which the skipper had contributed only a 36-ball 26. Just when it seemed that everything was becoming a matter of formality and de Kock was being given a chance to overtake Kirsten’s record by his captain, du Plessis was yorked and bowled by Scott Boland.
JP Duminy, walking in to bat with 27 runs needed, blasted a couple of boundaries before pulling the ball to Head at fine leg. Two balls later, de Kock perished in the exact same manner. However, by then, he had 16 boundaries to go with his 11 mighty sixes in the 113-ball exhibition.
Boland finished with three wickets, but his rewards resulted in negligible celebration. Barring Daniel Worrall (6.82) and Hastings (7.43), none of the Australians bowlers conceded less than eight runs an over. David Miller and Farhaan Behardien eventually finished off the formalities calmly.
Earlier, winning the toss, du Plessis elected to field without the experience of Hashim Amla. While Dale Steyn bowled a tight line early on, Kagiso Rabada failed to maintain a disciplined line with the wind blowing across the ground. David Warner took advantage of that and welcomed him with a couple of boundaries. The left-hander continued to mete out aggressi0n by playing over the in-field.
While Dale Steyn bowled a tight line early on, Kagiso Rabada failed to maintain a disciplined line with the wind blowing across the ground. David Warner took advantage of that and welcomed him with a couple of boundaries. The left-hander continued to mete out aggression by playing over the in-field.
Meanwhile, Aaron Finch who was dropped by Steyn in the first over, struggled early on, but ensured that the strike was rotated. The opening duo raced away to a 57-ball 64, before Warner ended up playing softly to Andile Phehlukwayo at extra cover, in a bid to clear the in-field.
South Africa staged a brief period of recovery by keeping the boundaries under check. The visitors were further set back when Phehlukwayo struck twice in the 13th over to send back Finch and Steve Smith. While Wayne Parnell took a forward diving catch at short fine leg to dismiss the opener, the skipper was trapped leg before while shuffling across the crease. From 64 for no loss, Australia were reduced to 90 for 3.
Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head provided brief period of consolidation in George Bailey’s company. However, both of them fell just when a strong partnership seemed to be taking the game away from South Africa.
An entertaining period of cricket was on display when Mitchell Marsh was at the crease. The bowlers challenged him with a few short-pitched deliveries, and he took them on. He smacked five boundaries and a six in his 25-ball 31. However, in the the last ball of the 19th over, he chased an away going delivery off Phehlukwayo and edged it to de Kock, who took a superb diving catch.
Head was undone by Imran Tahir’s googly. By the time the left-hander realised his folly, he was stumped by de Kock and Tahir was already on his celebratory run. Just when Australia’s innings seemed like it was falling apart, Bailey and Matthew Wade attempted a suicidal single as the former nudged a delivery towards the midwicket region and set off for a near-impossible single. Wade, who was running towards the striker’s end fell way short of the crease while challenging David Miller’s throw. By the 29th over, the visitors were reduced to 192 for 6.
Nonetheless, an attacking seventh-wicket stand by Hastings and Bailey helped them recover and take control of the innings. With Hastings at the crease, quick singles and twos became a rarity, but boundaries weren’t at a premium. The wicket was easy-paced and the outfield was quick. To add to it, Hastings’s adventurous hits over the in-field found vacant spaces on the ground and raced away towards the boundary fence as many as six times, and twice over it.
He faced 56 off the 98 balls in the partnership and notched up his maiden international half-century. Bailey remained the anchor in all the six partnerships he was involved in. By the time he departed, in the 48th over, he had composed a 90-ball 74 and placed Australia in a good position to charge and reach the 300-run mark.
However, some fine bowling by the South African pacers in the death helped them pull the score back and restrict Australia to a total just below par. Phehlukwayo, playing his second ODI, was the pick of the bowlers as he returned with figures of 4 for 44 off his 10 overs – the highest wicket-taker and the most economical bowler for the hosts.
While Australia would’ve known that they had put up a below par total to defend, they wouldn’t have expected the hosts to overcome the target with 82 balls to spare.
Brief Scores
Australia – 294/9 in 50 overs (George Bailey 74, John Hastings 51; Andile Phehlukwayo 4-44, Dale Steyn 2-65)
South Africa – 295/4 (Quinton de Kock 178, Rilee Rossouw 63; Scott Boland 3-67, Adam Zampa 1-44) by 6 wickets
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