Harare Bureau
SOUTH Africa yesterday showed why they are ranked as the number one cricket one day international top side with a seven wicket destruction of Australia in the second of the triangular series that also involves Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club. Winning the toss and asking Australia to bet first, the boys from Down Under set a target of 327 after losing seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs but the South Africans displayed classy cricket in response, reaching the target with 20 balls to spare.

The Proteas got off to a sloppy start and were 51-2 at one stage following the early dismissal of openers Hashim Amla on 24 and Quinton de Kock on 19 but it took the heroics of Man of the match AB de Villiers (unbeaten on 236), Faf JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis, to make light work of Australia’s seemingly huge total with a ton apiece.

It was the third wicket 206 run stand of du Plessis (106 off 98 deliveries with 11 fours and a six) and de Villers unbeaten on 136 after facing 106 balls that included 11 fours and two sixes that breathed life into the Proteas camp.

With du Plessis out with the last delivery of the 38th over, Australia failed to make sure the new South African partnership did not settle but they indeed took advantage of the OZ attack that was made to look toothless.

De Villiers went on to punish the Australians to score an unbeaten 136 – that also became the highest individual total in this series – after he was dropped twice in successive overs.

“I haven’t scored a lot of runs of late, to score a few here is pleasing. I had a lot of chances, and luckily I made it count. Two guys stood out today, first of all Faf. I know he’s had a rough start to his ODI career, but he is in magnificent form,” said de Villers.

But it took the 71 run unbeaten fourth wicket stand of JP Duminy and de Villiers to round up the match.
De Villers was first dropped by Mitchell Johnson on 78, before George Bailey failed to handle him in the next over when he was on 85 and this was when he hit full throttle leaving the Australian camp in regret for an unbeaten 71 run partnership.

Earlier in the day Australia had gotten off to a strong start with a tonne from Aaron Finch while the duo of Phill Hughes with 51 off 63 and 11 fours and George Bailey’s 66 off 51 with three sixes and three fours.

First to go was Hughes with South Africa on 92 when he was caught at cover by de Villiers, coming out of the crease to try and hit the slow ball from Imran Tahir and poor timing cut down his stay at the crease.

The South Africans did not give their opponent’s new partnership time to settle and next was new batsman Marsh only lasted another five overs that gave him just five runs before the third wicket stand that gave Austria a reason to believe, fetching 114 runs with Finch getting his century.
But it was the best Australia could give as none of the other batsmen got more than Steve Smith’s 31 as they had number of single digit contributions.

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