Australia edge South Africa in last-ball thriller to clinch T20I series

The beauty of cricket is captured in the short nails of its fans and supporters.

And once again on Saturday, not only a game, but the T20I series came down to a nailbiting thriller in the match between South Africa and Australia, played at Cazaly’s Stadium.

The teams delivered a thrilling series decider, with Australia ultimately securing a 2-1 victory in the three-match series, this after Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first.

South Africa's Innings: Brevis Shines Amidst Collapse 

South Africa were looking good at one stage, and posted a competitive total of 172/ 7 in their 20 overs on what was described as a “difficult batting surface”, where, according to the batsmen, timing proved elusive. 

SA skipper Aiden Markram fell early for just one run. While Lhuan-dre Pretorius (24 off 15) and Ryan Rickelton (13 off 13) provided some early impetus, the standout performance came from Dewald Brevis. 

Nicknamed “Mini AB”, Brevis scored a breathtaking 53 runs off just 26 balls, including six sixes. He was in overdrive mode and hitting the ball just so cleanly, powering South Africa’s scoring rate. 

Notably, Brevis was dropped on nine runs by Glenn Maxwell, making Australia pay in full for the dropped chance. At one stage, South Africa looked set to cruise past 200, reaching 110/3. 

However, after Brevis's terrific knock was ended by a stunner catch from Maxwell, the innings nosedived, and fluency vanished, with the team slumping to 138/6. 

Mr Reliable, Rassie van der Dussen remained unbeaten with a composed 38 off 26 balls. For Australia, Nathan Ellis was the top wicket-taker with 3/31, supported by Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa, who both claimed 2 wickets.

Australia's Chase: Marsh and Maxwell Deliver 

Chasing 173, Australia secured a dramatic 2-wicket victory with just one ball to spare. 

Aussie openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head got off to a flier, putting on a 50-run opening stand. Mitchell Marsh notched his 10th T20I half-century, scoring 54 off 37 balls, marking his first 50 after 18 T20Is. Marsh rode his luck, getting dropped early by Kagiso Rabada. 

Despite the strong start, Australia experienced a middle-order collapse, falling from 66/0 to 88/4 and then 120/5. Glenn Maxwell then played a pivotal, unbeaten innings of 62 off 36 balls, anchoring the chase with eight fours and two sixes. 

He anchored the innings, keeping Australia alive. In a thrilling finish, Australia needed 10 runs from the final over. Maxwell hammered a boundary and then sealed the victory with a seriously audacious shot, a reverse sweep for four, winning the match with one ball left. 

South African bowlers Corbin Bosch (3/26), Kagiso Rabada (2/32), and Kwena Maphaka (2/36) made significant breakthroughs. South Africa felt unfortunate due to small margins and dropped a few catches.

Series Outcome 

Australia's win secured the series 2-1. This also extended South Africa’s struggle to win a multi-game T20I series against Australia in Australia.

Glenn Maxwell was named Player of the Match for his match-winning performance, while Tim David was named Player of the Series for his 150 runs at a strike rate of 176.47.