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Proteas crash to third straight defeat to Australia, lose series 3-0
Australian batter Travis Head starred with the bat in the third match in Durban on Sunday.
Australia batter Josh Inglis scored 42 runs in Durban on Sunday. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The Proteas crashed to a third successive defeat in their T20 series against Australia at Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday afternoon, bringing the curtain down on a miserable three matches for coach Rob Walter and captain Aiden Markram.
Australia won the first match of the series by 111 runs last Wednesday and the second match by eight wickets on Friday. All the matches have been played in Durban.
Travis Head
The big star for the Australians on Sunday was middle-order batter Travis Head who bludgeoned 91 from 48 balls to put his team on the path to victory.
When Head was eventually dismissed in the 17th over, when Australia needed only five to win. They’d been set 191 for victory in their 20 overs after South Africa had earlier posted a solid 190 for eight.
In the end, Australia won by five wickets after reaching their target with 13 balls to spare.
There were other good contributions with the bat from Josh Inglis (42 from 22) and Marcus Stoinis (37 not out from 21) while Bjorn Fortuin and Gerald Coetzee were the best bowlers for South Africa, with each man taking two wickets.
Donovan Ferreira
Earlier, South Africa’s total of 190 was largely due to the late innings hitting of Donovan Ferreira, who was on debut. He hammered a brilliant 48 off 21 balls.
The powerful middle order batter hit five sixes before being run out in the final over of the South African innings.
There were also good contributions from opener Reeza Hendricks (42) and Aiden Markram (41). Rising star Dewald Brevis, who scored five and nought in the first two T20s respectively in his first series in the Proteas setup, was dropped from the side for this match.
Australian seam bowler Sean Abbott, who was man of the match in the second game on Friday (3/22), was again in excellent form, taking four for 31.
South Africa rested the likes of Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Kagiso Rabada for the series.
The teams will next clash in a five-match ODI series, starting in Bloemfontein later this week. There are also matches in Potchefstroom, Centurion and Joburg.
