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Australia rode on Tim David's blistering knock and Josh Hazlewood's superb spell to register a thrilling 17-run win over South Africa in the first T20I, as Ryan Rickelton and Kwena Maphaka's efforts went in vain. With this Australia took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Australia beat South Africa in 1st T20I
Batting first, Tim David came to Australia's rescue and rallied his team from a precarious 75/6 to a competitive 178 despite Kwena Maphaka's sizzling four-fer. In reply, South Africa could only post 161/9 on the board despite Ryan Rickelton's fighting 71. Meanwhile, the second T20I between South Africa and Australia will be played on August 12.
fter winning the toss and choosing to bowl, South Africa's decision initially paid off as they dominated the Australian top order. Openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head fell cheaply, scoring just 13 and 2 respectively. Josh Inglis was dismissed for a duck, and even Glenn Maxwell was restricted to only one run. This left Australia in a vulnerable position with their key batters back in the pavilion.
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However, the middle order mounted an impressive fightback. Cameron Green provided a vital boost, scoring a rapid 35 runs from just 13 balls, which included 4 fours and 3 sixes. The real game-changer was Tim David, who came in at a critical moment and played a sensational innings, smashing 83 runs from just 52 deliveries. His knock, featuring 4 fours and a staggering 8 sixes, single-handedly turned the momentum. Late contributions from Ben Dwarshuis (17 off 19) and Nathan Ellis (12 off 11) helped Australia reach a competitive total of 178 before being bowled out on the final ball of their innings.
The South African bowlers had their moments of brilliance, with young left-arm pacer Kwena Maphaka being the star performer. He impressed with a brilliant spell, taking 4 wickets for just 20 runs from his four overs. Kagiso Rabada provided crucial breakthroughs, finishing with 2 wickets for 29 runs. Other bowlers, including Lungisani Ngidi, George Linde, and Senuran Muthusamy, each took a wicket, but Corbin Bosch struggled, conceding 44 runs without any success.
While chasing a target of 179, South Africa's innings started with an early flourish from Aiden Markram, who scored 12 off 6 balls before being dismissed. The chase was anchored by Ryan Rickelton, who played a composed but aggressive innings, top-scoring with 71 runs from 55 deliveries, including 7 fours and a six. He received support from Lhuan-dre Pretorius (14 off 9) and Tristan Stubbs, who contributed a valuable 37 runs from 27 balls.
However, Australia's bowlers maintained control throughout the innings, taking wickets at regular intervals to prevent any major partnerships from developing. Josh Hazlewood led the attack with an exceptional spell, taking 3 wickets for just 27 runs. His pace partner, Ben Dwarshuis, was equally effective, also claiming 3 wickets for only 26 runs. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa chipped in with 2 wickets for 33 runs, and Glenn Maxwell took 1 wicket. While Nathan Ellis went wicketless and was a bit expensive, the sustained pressure from the Australian bowlers was too much for the Proteas. Despite Rickelton's impressive half-century, South Africa fell short, finishing at 161/9.
For his blistering match-winning innings, Tim David was named Player of the Match. Both teams will now look ahead to the second T20I, slated for August 12.
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