Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Cameron Green's centuries, followed by Cooper Connolly's five-wicket haul, helped Australia to register a dominating 276-run win against South Africa in the third ODI at Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay. However, South Africa won the series as they won the first two matches of the three-match series.
After opting to bat in the third ODI, opening batters got off to a great start as Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh scripted history, adding 250 runs for the opening pair. fifth-highest opening partnership for Australia in ODI cricket, and it's the first one in which David Warner isn't included. In 2017, Warner and Travis Head scored 284 runs for Australia's first wicket in Adelaide against Pakistan.
Head departed on 142 runs off 103 balls, while his partner and Australian skipper Marsh was removed for 100 off 106 balls. After the duo's dismissal, Cameron Green, who was promoted to number three for batting, slammed the second-fastest hundred in ODI for Australia, after Glenn Maxwell's 40-ball ton in the 2023 World Cup against the Netherlands. He took 47 balls to reach the 100-run mark.
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He remained unbeaten on the crease at the end of Australia's innings, slamming 118 runs in just 55 balls, including six fours and eight sixes. His 164* runs partnership with wicketkeeper/batter Alex Carey powered Australia to register 431/2, their second-highest total in ODI history.
While chasing, South Africa’s innings got off to a poor start as WTC hero Aiden Markram was dismissed in just the second over. Things got worse when Ryan Rickelton followed him back to the pavilion in the fifth over. The visitors were reeling, losing half their side for just 107 runs after Tony de Zorzi was dismissed in the 14th over. Dewald Brevis, who is in a purple patch of his career, tried to steady things and shift the momentum, but he too fell in the 18th over, taken out by Cooper Connolly. In the end, South Africa were bowled out for just 155 runs.