A career-best performance from captain Mitchell Marsh and a superb spell from debutant Tanveer Sangha steered Australia towards a thumping 111-run victory over South Africa at Kingsmead on Thursday morning AEST.
Marsh, leading his country for the first time, smacked a career-best 92* (49) before New South Wales spinner Sangha, who touched down in South Africa the previous day, snared four wickets to help Australia take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
It was Australia’s largest margin of victory over South Africa in men’s T20Is.
MATCH CENTRE: South Africa vs Australia first T20 scorecard
Durban spectators were literally ducking for cover throughout Marsh’s brutal assault, which featured 13 boundaries and two sixes, as Australia posted its highest men’s T20I team total against South Africa.
Despite a gritty half-century from opener Reeza Hendricks, the Proteas never looked like chasing the 227-run target, with Sangha running through South Africa’s middle order in a classy spell of 4-31, the best bowling performance by an Australian debutant in men’s T20Is since 2005.
Proteas captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to field first on a flat wicket with short square boundaries. Australia named four debutants for the series opener, with Sangha, who touched down in Durban the previous day, replacing the ill Adam Zampa at the eleventh hour.
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Australian opener Travis Head sliced the second ball of the match over deep point for six but fell victim to Marco Jansen the following delivery, edging an outswinger to Hendricks at first slip.
Debutant Matthew Short slapped his second delivery at international level over deep mid-wicket for six before Marsh smacked Proteas seamer Lizaad Williams out of the ground, with the match ball disappearing down the M12.
The 53-run opening stand was broken in the fifth over when Short top-edged a short ball from Williams towards Hendricks at long-on, departing for 20 (11).
The following over, Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis was deceived by an excellent slower ball yorker from seamer Gerald Coetzee, bowled middle stump for 1. Marcus Stoinis’ stay at the crease was just as brief, with the West Australian picking out the boundary rider at square leg for 6 (9).
The tourists had suddenly lost 3-8 in 14 deliveries, collapsing from 1-69 to 4-77 in the blink of an eye. However, Marsh and Tim David steadied the ship, combining for a record-breaking 97-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
The South Africans shot themselves in the foot with some sloppy misfields, while another match ball was lost when David clobbered Coetzee onto West Stand’s roof. Marsh brought up his half-century in 22 balls, while David followed suit with a 24-ball fifty.
A superb outfield catch from Temba Bavuma was required to break the partnership, with David departing following an entertaining 64 (28).
Western Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie, another debutant, nailed a reverse sweep and slapped a glorious cover drive for six before becoming Williams’ third victim of the match in the penultimate over for 23 (14).
Marsh, later named player of the match, fell short of a maiden T20I century but guided Australia towards 6-226 from their 20 overs, the highest T20I team total at the venue.
To the surprise of many, Stoinis was thrown the new ball, but the gamble paid off when he knocked over Proteas opener Bavuma with his fifth delivery.
After a slow start for the hosts, Rassie van der Dussen released the shackles in the third over by pumping Stoinis over deep mid-wicket for six. However, Sean Abbott removed the right-hander a couple of overs later, with van der Dussen chipping a regulation catch towards Marsh at mid-off.
Sangha was introduced to the attack after the Powerplay, dismissing rival skipper Markram in his first over at international level, caught at point for 7.
The 21-year-old tore the heart out of South Africa’s middle order in his following over, removing the dangerous Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs in back-to-back deliveries. Brevis picked out long-off for 5 before Stubbs was deceived in the air and stumped by Inglis for a golden duck.
Sangha’s fourth breakthrough came on the penultimate delivery of his spell, clean bowling Jansen for 20 (14) to end any chance of a South African comeback.
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Stoinis returned to the attack in the 14th over and immediately sent Coetzee back to the sheds, caught by David at long-on for 1. The right-armer dropped a tough return chance later in the same over, gifting Hendricks an additional life on 52.
However, Stoinis didn’t have to wait long for his third scalp, with Williams spooning a simple chance to Marsh at long-off the following delivery for 1.
Debutant Spencer Johnson ended Hendricks’ resistance in the 16th over, with David holding onto a juggling catch at long-on. The left-armed South Australian wrapped up the match two deliveries later, bowling Proteas tailender Tabraiz Shamsi for a duck.
The second T20 between South Africa and Australia gets underway at Kingsmead on Saturday morning AEST at 2am.
