Australia produces stunning comeback to defend 231 and level ODI series at one win apiece
AUSTRALIA has levelled their one-day series at one win each after producing a five-star bowling performance to defend their meagre target - and raise spirits after a horror week.
AFTER nine months of bloodletting, pain and defeat, Australia has written the first winning chapter of a new order led by emboldened Marcus Stoinis.
Australia went 288 days without a 50-over win stretching back to Australia Day against England but ended a record, seven-match losing streak with true grit.
David Peever, James Sutherland, Pat Howard, Steve Smith, David Warner and Darren Lehmann are gone from an Australian landscape changed forever by Sandpaper-gate but winning is a great healing agent.
Australia was able to crack open the Proteas following opener Quinton de Kock’s exit for nine with Marcus Stoinis (3/35) and miserly Pat Cummins (1/27) leading the charge in a seven-run win.
For all Australia’s batting issues, it retains an A-list attack, capable of wonders if given a sniff of scoreboard pressure to work with.
Stoinis – who told News Corp in the lead up to the game Australia had ‘a better side’ than South Africa and could win the World Cup – took a match-winning 3-35 from 10 overs.
“We’ll see how we feel when we get back and debrief. It’s a good feeling to have a win but at the end of the day it’s only one,” said three-wicket hero Marcus Stoinis.
“With how much there’s been going on in cricket it’s a good start just to get a win.
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“I’m bloody tired. We’re all bloody tired. All the bowlers are cooked. It was a big effort. So I’m really proud of everyone.”
Stoinis who lost his father to cancer a year ago next Wednesday, took out top scorer and renowned finisher David Miller (51) lbw – on review in the 44th over.
Cummins is the Rolls Royce of Australia’s pace battery and stepped up to end Faf du Plessis’ 74-run, fifth-wicket stand with Miller.
Du Plessis had sent Aaron Finch’s men in wanting to ‘keep the foot on’ Australia at the ground where he enjoys a Test average of 156 but Cummins would pull the plug on Australia’s perennial nemesis.
Finch’s incisive reintroduction of Josh Hazlewood (2/42) prised out Dwaine Pretorius (14) while Stoinis rushed through Dale Steyn (3) leaving the Proteas 48 to get off 50 balls.
Mitchell Starc cleaned up Kagiso Rabada (9) leaving Glenn Maxwell to close out the last over against unbeaten last pair Imran Tahir (11) and Lungi Ngidi (19) as the visitors landed on 224.
De Kock averages 45 and doesn’t give many freebies but fell to on fine leg flick to Adam Zampa off Mitchell Starc (2/51) who was restored to new-ball honours.
Stoinis and keeper Alex Carey combined to stop dangerman Aiden Markram (19) replicating his Test heroics against Australia with a critical run-out.
Reeza Hendricks (16) was consumed by Hazlewood’s immaculate off-stump line after a promising start. Heinrich Klaasen rued pulling plucky Stoinis to Chris Lynn at mid-wicket that left South Africa in dire straits at 4-68 before leaving Miller to mount a huge rescue mission.
It will take a breakthrough win but seven months from its World Cup defence Australia is still searching for batting blueprint with Chris Lynn and Maxwell yet to realise potential.
Australia was dismissed for 231 in 48.3 overs - failing to bat out 50 overs in seven of its past eight one-day games.
Australia needed Lynn (44 from 44 balls) and skipper Aaron Finch (41 from 63) to turn solid starts into tons in game two against South Africa.
Finch said Australia’s drought breaking win wasn’t so much ‘a relief’ but reward for hard yards in training.
“I think it is justification for the hard work and it keeps the series alive,” said Finch.
Australia’s batting linchpins fell to the irresistible talent of cricket’s most exciting young tearaway Kagiso Rabada (4/54) who returned to nail top-scorer Alex Carey (47 from 72 balls).
If only Australia’s batting could emulate impressive keeper-batsman Carey’s composure.
Australia struggled after Lynn’s exit at 4/133 in the 27th over.
Having recovered from shoulder surgery, Lynn is desperate to make the 2019 World Cup but has no half-century after 17 Twenty20 and one-day internationals.
Travis Head (eight) and Shaun Marsh (22) fell short of the compelling knocks that would secure Test retention. Maxwell (15) fluffed a golden chance to a paint a point of difference with a flaky dismissal in the 34th over.
Maxwell remains one of cricket’s great enigmas – loaded with talent but the cupboard is inexplicably threadbare with one ton in 86 one-day games.
Legend Shane Warne says Lynn should be opening with Head down the order where the left-hander is best suited once David Warner and Steve Smith return in a unit where everyone “knows roles”.
Australia – insists Warne – needs a clear, attacking one-day blueprint like all conquering England under Eoin Morgan.
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Originally published as Australia produces stunning comeback to defend 231 and level ODI series at one win apiece
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