Ngidi five-for helped Proteas seal an unassailable 2-0 series lead

South Africa: 277 all out (Matthew Breetzke 88; Adam Zampa 3/63)
Australia: 193 all out (Josh Inglis 87; Lungi Ngidi 5/42)

South Africa won by 84 runs

South Africa beat Australia by 84 runs in the second One Day International in Mckay and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi was at the forefront of the victory as he produced one of his best bowling performances to date, taking his second-career five-wicket haul and his second against Australia.

Ngidi, alongside Nandre Burger with the new ball, had an impressive start with South Africa defending a low 277. Burger was the first to strike, accounting for the dangerous Travis Head (6) before Ngidi set up Marnus Labuschagne (1) and had him caught behind.

Two wickets down, Ngidi almost bagged South Africa’s third wicket in the very next ball as he induced an outside edge off Cameron Green’s bat, only for Tristan Stubbs to put the catch down at second slip.

South Africa’s fielders would go on to drop two match catches, with Stubbs dropping his second of the match while Tony de Zorzi dropped one at cover.

However, Ngidi stepped dug deep and cleaned up the tail, including the prized wicket of Inglis (87), who was teeing off after being dropped.

Burger would go on to finish with figures of 2/42, while Senuran Muthusamy (2/30) and Wiaan Mulder (1/31) gave good contributions with the ball.

Earlier, Proteas batters Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs reached half-centuries in the first innings, helping the visitors post 277 all out.

To start off the day, the Proteas were rocked by the news that captain Temba Bavuma was to be rested for the match as part of his workload management as he recovered from a hamstring strain, which he sustained during the World Test Championship Final in June.

That meant senior batter Aiden Markram would make the step and stand in for Bavuma. The 30-year-old won the toss and opted to bat on what looked like a deliciously good pitch.

However, Markram (0) and his opening partner Ryan Rickelton (8) did not last long as they were dismissed off poor shots inside the first six overs of the match.

Replacing Bavuma at number three in the batting order, Tony de Zorzi had a golden opportunity to fight for a spot in the starting XI, and he had the in-form Matthew Breetzke to bat with for the third-wicket partnership.

The duo put on a 67-run stand, with both batters looking rock solid despite the shaky start that South Africa endured.

However, De Zorzi was dismissed on 38 after a leading edge off his bat located wrist-spinner Adam Zampa.

Breetzke and Stubbs, having batted together for years in domestic cricket down in Gqeberha, assembled in the middle and weathered the storm for South Africa.

The pair were explosive and rotated the strike regularly as they put together 89 runs before Breetzke was caught in the deep off a mistimed pull-short.

The 26-year-old had already reached his fourth consecutive 50-plus score in as many ODI matches for the Proteas when he was dismissed and was visibly disappointed having missed out on a second ODI century.

Stubbs went on to score an 87-ball 74 as South Africa lost wickets in clusters toward the back end of the innings, while Dewald Brevis (1), Wiaan Mulder (26) and Senuran Muthusamy (4) missed out.