‘Cool to see a young guy stand up to Australia in their backyard’: Mumbai Indians star lauds 19-year-old Kwena Maphaka for heated exchange with Tim David

South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton was left astonished by teenage fast-bowling sensation Kwena Maphaka after the youngster delivered a stunning spell against Australia in the first T20I of the series on August 10 in Darwin.

Maphaka dismantled Australia’s batting lineup with raw pace and precision. He clean-bowled Mitchell Owen in the seventh over, but his biggest scalp came when he dismissed the hard-hitting batter Tim David, who played a magnificent knock of 83 off 52 balls. The pair was also involved in a fiery verbal exchange, showcasing Maphaka’s fearless attitude on the big stage, in the opposition’s own backyard.

"He is quite a fiery character. But he is very relaxed, very quiet in the change room. He had a bit of a go at Tim (David) there, but he is very competitive. He backs his ability, which is great. It is cool to see a young guy stand up to Australia in their backyard. It is very promising for South African cricket," Rickelton was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

"He is quite a relaxed guy in the change room, but when he crosses that line, he has got a bit of white-line fever, which is quite exciting for us," Rickelton added.

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Maphaka’s other victims

The left-arm quick went on to dismiss Ben Dwarshuis and Adam Zampa, finishing the innings with impressive figures of 4 for 20 in his full quota of four overs.

However, Maphaka’s brilliance went in vain, as South Africa were unable to chase down the target of 179 set by Australia. Kagiso Rabada also delivered a decent performance with the ball, taking 2 wickets for 29 runs in his four overs.

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Maphaka’s four-fer, Rickelton’s fifty in vain

In response, South Africa managed to get to only 161 runs in the 20 overs. Rickelton led the charge with a well-made 71 off 55 balls, but lacked support from the rest of the batting lineup. Australia’s bowlers held their nerve, with Ben Dwarshuis and Josh Hazlewood picking up three wickets each to seal the victory for the home side.

South Africa will now look to bounce back and level the series when the two teams meet again on August 12 at the Marrara Cricket Ground.