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On Sunday, August 24, in the third and final ODI of the three-match series, Australia thumped South Africa by a massive margin of 276 runs at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. In one of the most one-sided ODIs in recent memory, Australia posted a big score of 431/2 on the board, their second highest in the format before bundling out South Africa for just 155 runs in 24.5 overs, but still, the series went the way of the visitors with a 2-1 margin.
For the unversed, Mitchell Marsh, the captain of Australia, won the toss and decided to bat first before he and his opening partner Travis Head piled on the agony on the South Africa bowlers. While Head went into overdrive from the start of his innings, Marsh started to dominate after settling in the early stages of his batting effort, but ultimately, these two stitched together a 250-run stand for the first wicket.
Travis Head brought up his seventh ODI hundred in just 80 balls before going on a rampage, and he ended up scoring 142 runs in just 103 balls with 17 fours and five sixes. After Keshav Maharaj broke the big partnership, Mitchell Marsh got to his fourth ODI hundred in 105 balls, and on the very next ball, Senuran Muthusamy got the better of him, to give South Africa the much needed double break in quick succession.
But then, it was the Cameron Green show with the bat in Mackay as he lit up the entire Great Barrier Reef Arena with some scintillating strokeplay, going past fifty in just 28 balls before hitting three sixes in a row against Senuran Muthusamy. He brought up his maiden ODI hundred in just 47 balls, the second fastest for Australia prior to staying unbeaten at the end for his 118 off just 55 with six fours and eight sixes, while Alex Carey ended up with 50 off 37 to his name, to take Australia to 431/2 in their allotted 50 overs.
In the pursuit of the daunting 432-run target, South Africa never really looked in the hunt after losing early wickets, with their openers Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton heading back to the pavilion inside five overs to Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett respectively. Captain Temba Bavuma, who returned to action after resting in the previous match, got off to a flyer before Abbott cleaned him up for 19 off 10, and then, Tristan Stubbs lost his wicket for one to Bartlett.
Tony de Zorzi was looking quite impressive during his stay at the crease before Cooper Connolly picked up his first of the afternoon, dismissing him for 33 off 30, an innings which had six fours. After this, except for Dewald Brevis’ quickfire 49 off 28 with two fours and five sixes, none of the South African batters were able to take on the Australian bowlers with a huge target in front of them.
Cooper Connolly became the youngest Australian bowler to take a five-wicket haul in ODIs at 22 years and two days old, to help bowl out South Africa cheaply and win the match for his team in more than a convincing fashion.
