Tim David crunched eight sixes in a blistering 83 from 52 balls to help Australia beat South Africa by 17 runs in their opening Twenty20 clash in Darwin on Sunday.
After being sent in, the hosts were all out for 178 on the final delivery of their 20 overs in the first game of international cricket in Australia’s tropical north for 17 years.
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Cameron Green (35 off 13) was the only other batsman to get going, with left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka bagging 4-20 as South Africa bowled out Australia for the first time in a T20.
But David’s phenomenal innings proved enough, with the Proteas restricted to 161-9 in reply. That was despite a battling 71 from Ryan Rickelton, who fell to a spectacular Glenn Maxwell catch on the boundary.
Josh Hazlewood took 3-27 and Ben Dwarshuis 3-26.
“Great way to start the series,” skipper Mitchell Marsh said after Australia’s ninth T20 victory in a row.
“Certainly we want guys like David to come out and bat the way he did, he was the difference.”
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Backing up from a recent 5-0 series sweep against the West Indies, Australia signalled their intent early with Marsh slamming a six off the first ball.
But he lost opening partner Travis Head (two) and Josh Inglis (golden duck) in the space of three deliveries and then skied Kagiso Rabada on 13, with Maphaka taking a tricky catch before Green and David let loose.
They put on a quickfire 40 for the fourth wicket before Green was undone by a slower ball from Lungi Ngidi.
Australia were in trouble on 75-6 when Mitch Owen was out for two and dangerman Maxwell went for one.
But David dug in and, with Dwarshuis (17), added 59 for the seventh wicket.
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David was dropped by Tristan Stubbs on 56, although Stubbs made amends by holding the catch that finally removed the big Australian after a power-packed knock.
South Africa’s chase started badly with skipper Aiden Markram out to Hazlewood in the first over, and they had lost three wickets for 48 by the sixth over.
Rickelton and Stubbs (37) knuckled down in a threatening 72-run stand but Hazlewood struck again with two wickets in an over to shatter their momentum.
South Africa’s hopes were all but over when Adam Zampa matched Hazlewood’s feat in the next over.
“It got close, but we were pretty far from our best tonight,” Markram said.
The second of the three-game series is in Darwin on Tuesday.
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