SA vs AUS 1st ODI Live Commentary - Durban (24 September 2026)

On a length and on off, Temba Bavuma taps it out towards short cover.

A bit fuller, on off, shaping in, Temba Bavuma blocks it out.

FOUR! First signs of aggression from the skipper! Full again and around off, Temba Bavuma backs away a bit to free his arms. He hits it through the line, thumping it over the bowler's head for a boundary.

No run, the batter has just watchfully blocked this out.

Short of a length and around off, shoots up off the deck, Matthew Breetzke leaves it alone.

Goes a bit fuller, on middle, attacking the stumps, Matthew Breetzke blocks it out down the pitch.

Back of a length and on off, takes off again. It takes Matthew Breetzke by surprise but he does well to hang his bat away and pat it down to the left of point.

Hard length and on middle, angling in, Matthew Breetzke steps across and glances it towards fine leg for a single.

Good length and just around off, Temba Bavuma guides it off the outer half of the bat to deep third for a run.

FOUR! Lovely shot! A half-volley, on off. Matthew Breetzke leans onto his drive nicely and creams it right from the middle of the bat past mid off. Mitchell Marsh gives chase but the ball wins the race to the fence for a boundary. 50 up for South Africa after 13 overs.

Jack Edwards starts his spell with a back-of-a-length delivery, on off, Temba Bavuma tucks it through square leg for a single.

Short of a length and around off, Matthew Breetzke hangs back and dabs it down to point.

Lands this on a good length and on middle, angling in. Matthew Breetzke gets behind the line and blocks it out.

Much fuller and on off, shaping in, Matthew Breetzke defends it with a straight bat back to the bowler.

Hard length and around off, Matthew Breetzke rides the bounce and steers it to point.

Pitched up and on middle, angling in, Matthew Breetzke clips it towards wide mid on and sets off for the run. He has to hurry a bit but the fielder misses his shy at the bowler's end.

On a length and around off, Matthew Breetzke opens the bat face and steers it towards point. He sets off for the run but the fielder fails to pick it up cleanly, with Bavuma making his ground safely.

Good length and on off, Temba Bavuma runs it down to deep third for a run.

Touch fuller and on off, Matthew Breetzke strides out a bit and taps it towards short cover for another quick single.

Josh Hazlewood bangs in a quick and sharp bouncer, on middle. Temba Bavuma stays inside the line of it and tries to hook it away but misses, with the ball passing very close to the gloves. Josh Inglis, the keeper grabs it and there is an appeal for caught behind, but turned down.

Hard length and on off, Temba Bavuma takes his front foot out and pushes it towards cover-point for one.

Just back of a length and on off, nips back in a bit. Matthew Breetzke stays in his crease and tries to block it but gets an inside edge onto his pads.

Stacks it on a length, around off, Temba Bavuma leaves and watches the ball carry all the way through to the keeper.

Fuller ball, around off, Temba Bavuma cracks the cover drive off the front foot. A half-stop by the man at cover means the ball deflects towards mid off. The batters cross for a quick single.

Too full on the middle stump, Matthew Breetzke forces the drive to the mid on region and dashes off for a single. The mid on fielder gets to his right, picks and throws the ball to the bowling end but misses his shy.

Good shot, but for nothing. Fractionally full and outside off, Bavuma nails the drive to the off side but finds the fielder at cover.

Aims the off stump, on a good length, Temba Bavuma plays close to the body and stabs it into covers. He is off for a single and is almost halfway but Breetzke sends him back on a very loud call.

Well fielded! A tad fuller in length, on off, Bavuma presses forward and drives it away nicely, but the fielder from cover dives to his right to make a fine stop. South Africa end the Powerplay with 40/2 on the board.

Nips in from a good length, Temba Bavuma is cut in half and the ball beats the inside edge before deflecting off the thigh pad to short third.

Short of a length, darting back in and around off. Bavuma hops on the toes and nudges it between mid-wicket and square leg for a quick single. Good coordination between the two batters there.

Seams into the batter, on a good length, on middle and leg. Matthew Breetzke presses forward to block but gets a little inside edge onto the back thigh. The ball then lobs and drops in front of the second slip fielder.

Attacks the stumps on a fuller length, at 135 kph. Breetzke blocks it firmly off the front foot.

FOUR! Pinged through the gap! Shortish in length, outside off, not much pace from the surface. Matthew Breetzke stands up on his toes and square cuts it between backward point and cover for a cracking boundary.

Not that full, not too short either, on off and nipping back. Breetzke blocks it to covers.

 OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Wowza! A first-ball wicket for Ellis and the Aussies are up and about. Starts off with a perfect seam-up delivery, full and on middle. It lands and nips considerably away from the surface. Quinton de Kock is sucked on the front foot to play at it but loosely hangs his bat away from the body and gets a thick outside edge. Josh Inglis dives to his left, in front of the first slip fielder, and takes a spectacular catch. South Africa are 29/2 in 7.1 overs.

 Peach of a delivery! Back of a length, outside off, nipping away. Breetzke pokes at it and gets beaten on the outside edge by a kitten-whisker. One away from the left-hander, and one away from the right-hander from Ellis so far.

Fuller than a length, outside off, Matthew prods forward and eases it to the point region.

Full on the leg stump, Breetzke plays with a straight bat and knocks it down to mid on.

 Beats the bat! This is really good bowling from Ellis. Hits the length, outside off and gets it to cut away from the batter. Matthew Breetzke stays put and plays at it to access the off side, but the ball beats his outside edge by just a few centimeters.

 FOUR! Incredible shot! Full and straight on the middle stump. Matthew Breetzke presents a straight bat, and with lovely elbow extension, he creams the ball back past the bowler. It goes gun-barrel straight down the ground for a boundary.

WIDE! Short but down the leg stump line. Bavuma misses to pull. Wide called.

Slants across off, on a length, Temba Bavuma flirts with it, looking to defend, but withdraws the bat inside the line to let it pass.

Swing and a miss! On a good length, pushed across the right-hander with some bounce. Temba Bavuma stays put and tries to loft it over mid off, but fails to get any connection.

 FIVE WIDES! Free runs for South Africa. A big hooping inswinger from Starc, but the radar is wrong. Full and far down the leg stump. Temba Bavuma misses his flick and the ball beats Josh Inglis' dive to his left to race away to deep fine leg fence.

Short and on top of off, Bavuma hops back and dabs it to the cover region.

Full at 143.8 kph, on off. Bavuma carefully blocks it to the off side.

Very full and outside the off stump, Temba Bavuma throws his hands for the cover drive, but the ball squirts off the inside half and rolls to the right of mid off. Bavuma calls QDK for a quick single as Ellis swoops to his right and makes a diving stop. One run taken. Looks like Ellis jarred his right knee badly into the surface while making the stop but eventually gets back on his feet. Thankfully, nothing serious or threatening.

Slightly full and on the leg stump, Quinton flicks it into the mid-wicket and mid on gap for a single.

Nips in from a length, on middle, Bavuma presents full face of the bat to block but the ball rolls off the inside edge to square leg.

Nagging length, outside the off stump. Bavuma gets on top of the bounce and taps it to backward point with soft hands.

A sizzling bumper from Josh, on the bodyline. Temba Bavuma is rushed on the back foot and looks to pull but gets it off the inside half of the bat. A single taken as the ball trickles in front of square leg.

 Top seed! Good length ball, nipping in off the seam, Quinton de Kock is drawn forward to play the cover drive, but is cut in half and the ball beats the inside edge.

 SIX! Just goes the distance! A yard behind fuller length, on off, Quinton de Kock goes across in the crease, picks it up and swings it over the deep backward square leg fence for the first six of the match. Zampa sprints across from deep fine leg for a second, threatening to pull off something special, but the ball has too much distance on it and sails clean over his head.

Swings back into the batter, on a fullish length, Quinton de Kock tries to defend, but gets an inside edge on the front pad.

Past the outside edge! Angled across the right-hander, on a fuller length, Bavuma is lured into the cover drive but gets beaten on the outisde edge.

And again! Shapes it away from the batter, full and wide outside off, Temba Bavuma again goes for an expansive cover drive, only to get beaten on the outside edge.

Slams it short and outside off, Bavuma sways away to leave it.

 FOUR! Counterattack from Bavuma! A bit short of a length, around the off stump. Bavuma transfers the weight on his back foot, stays leg side and nicely lofts it over covers for a boundary.

Short of a length on top of middle and leg. Bavuma gets across and tucks it to mid-wicket.

Too much leg side on a length, Bavuma misses to flick it away and the ball clips his front pad before rolling to the left of the keeper. Josh Inglis dives to his left but fumbles to collect it cleanly. The ball deflects away and is mopped up by the first slip fielder. They get a leg bye.

OUT! CAUGHT! There's the first wicket through Hazlewood. He bashes the length very hard and gets the ball to nip away from the leg stump. Tony de Zorzi tries to create room by clearing his front leg and attempts to hammer it down the ground but still gets cramped up for space and gets a fat outside edge. The ball flies behind to first slip where Matt Renshaw takes a fine catch over his head. Not a good shot selection from De Zorzi, though. South Africa are 6/1.

 Tight single! Good length, rising up, around off, Bavuma taps it off the back foot to the cover region and sets off for a quick single. The South African captain is off the mark.

Tap and run. A smidge shorter in length, on off, Quinton de Kock hangs back and stabs it down to the covers for a quick single.

Well-directed short ball, on top of off, nipping in a touch. Temba Bavuma watches the ball very closely before dropping his wrists to make the leave.

 Beaten! In-between length, in the corridor of uncertainty, Temba Bavuma looks to defend it to the off side but the ball straightens up the pitch and beats the outside edge.

 Height on the ball saves Bavuma! Gets the ball to jag back into the batter from the fourth-stump line, on a length. Temba gets stuck in the crease and looks to defend it off the back foot, but the ball sneaks past the inside edge to hit the flap of the back pad. A massive shout for LBW, but the umpire is unmoved. A long chat between the keeper, Inglis, captain Marsh and Hazlewood follows before Marsh signals for a review. There's a clear gap between bat and ball but the Ball Tracking shows that the ball is projected to miss the middle stump on height. Australia burn an early review. They have only one review left now. And it is a leg bye as the batters crossed over as the ball rolled to short third.

No run, this is down the off side and let through.

Bangs it short and on top of off, and extracts bounce off the track with a little away shape. Quinton de Kock is half-forward and tries to drive it through covers but the ball leaves him to beat his outside edge.

Fuller and angled onto the pads, Quinton de Kock clips it to mid on as the ball keeps sliding in.

On a fuller length, around the leg stump, de Kock flicks it to mid-wicket.

 FOUR! Excellent adjustment from QDK and that's the first boundary. Short of a length, around the off stump. Quinton de Kock arches back, and carves it late over and wide of the slip cordon for a boundary.

Very full and straight, on off, Quinton de Kock looks to crack the cover drive but loses the shape and gets an inside edge as the ball rolls back to the bowler.

Starts with a good-length delivery, angling it outside off with a bit of bounce. Tony de Zorzi leaves it alone. Already signs of the pitch being tacky and slowish in nature.

On a back of a length, outside the off stump. Tony de Zorzi chops it towards backward point.

Slightly shorter than a length, on middle and leg, kicking up. Tony de Zorzi looks to steer it across into the leg side but gets a bit of an inside edge onto the back pad.

Fuller and on off, de Zorzi leans on and taps it into covers with soft hands.

No run, the batter has just blocked that from the crease.

Tidy start from Hazlewood as well. A maiden.

Steams in from over the stumps, does Starc. Gets a little bit of shape away from the left-hander, full and outside off, Quinton de Kock offers no shot.

Shortens the length, outside off, shaping away. Quinton de Kock rocks back and cuts it square, but straight to the fielder at cover-point.

Full now, outside off, de Kock leans forward and pushes it to covers.

South Africa and QDK are off the mark! Attacks the stumps and tries to get the ball to swing away but it goes straighter, on a length. Quinton de Kock tucks it off the inner half of the bat and through backward square leg for a couple of runs.

Back of a length, outside off, Quinton de Kock plays off the back foot and punches it to cover.

Fuller and straighter on the stumps, Quinton de Kock gets on the front foot and drives it back to the bowler. In fact, the ball crashes into the stumps at the non-striker's end. A disciplined start from Starc.