Johannesburg [South Africa]: An all-round effort from speedster Marco Jansen, half-centuries from Aiden Markram and David Miller helped South Africa script a memorable series win over Australia after defeating them in the fifth and final ODI by 122 runs at Johannesburg on Sunday.
With this win, Proteas has won a tightly-fought ODI series 3-2.
Put to bat first by Aussies, SA lost skipper Temba Bavuma for a duck through a run out by Marnus Labuschagne. Proteas could not go hard on the Australian bowling attack in the first ten overs of the mandatory powerplay, with the score just being 32/1 at the end of 10 overs.
Nathan Ellis removed De Kock, who was playing his final ODI at home, for 27 off 39 balls, with four boundaries after he was caught by Cameron Green at slips. SA was 37/2 in 11.4 overs.
Proteas reached the 50-run mark in 14 overs. Rassie van der Dussen and Markram were slowly stitching a solid partnership, but a delivery by Sean Abbott caught at the cover region by Labuschagne ended Rassie’s knock at 30 in 48 balls, with two fours and a six. SA was 80/3 in 18.2 overs.
Proteas reached 100 run mark in 22.1 overs, but in a great leveller, Adam Zampa, who was mercilessly thrashed by Heinrich Klaasen in the previous ODI, now got the batter for just six runs, reducing SA to 103/4 in 23.2 overs. Markram had also reached his fifty in 54 balls, with five fours and three sixes.
Markram and Miller then stabilised the innings after these quick wickets. They smashed Aussie bowlers all over the park, finding gaps at will. 150 runs were up in 31.3 overs and 200 runs were up in 39.2 overs.
The century partnership between the duo came in 102 balls. Miller smashed his second-successive fifty in 59 balls, with three fours and two sixes.
Abbott struck once again, removing Markram for 93 off 87 balls with nine boundaries and three sixes. SA was 212/5 in 41.1 overs.
Jansen (47 in 23 balls, four boundaries and three sixes) and Miller went on to have another crucial 68-run partnership and Andile Phehlukwayo smashed a quickfire 38* in 19 balls with two fours and three sixes, helping SA end at 315/9 in 50 overs.
Zampa (3/70) and Abbott (2/54) were the pick of the bowlers for Aussies.
Chasing 316, Australia started decently with openers Mitchell Marsh and David Warner, before losing Warner (10) and Josh Inglis (0) to Jansen in the fourth over, sinking Australia to 34/2.
Australia reached the 50-run mark in eight overs. Labuschagne and Jansen stitched a 90-run stand for the third wicket, with Jansen ending it by dismissing Marsh for 71 off 56 balls, with six fours and six sixes. Soon, Jansen also removed Labuschagne (44 off 63 balls with three fours) and Alex Carey (2), reducing the Aussies to 136/5 in 22 overs.
After that, spinner Keshav Maharaj weaved his spin web and removed the majority of the middle order, tail end to end Australia at 193 in 34.1 overs. The visitors slipped to a 122-run loss.
Jansen (5/39) and Maharaj (4/33) absolutely demolished the Aussie line-up.
Jansen’s all-round performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
