Keshav Maharaj took 4/20 with the ball after Matthew Breetzke hit his second career ton in the ODI format.
Proteas players celebrating a wicket during the first ODI against Australia at Kingsmead on Thursday. Picture: Gerhard Duraan/Gallo Images
South Africa crushed Australia by 67 runs in Durban on Thursday, opening their home tour in style by cruising to victory in the first of three one-day international (ODI) matches.
While the SA team’s second-string seam attack struggled to contain the touring side’s batting line-up, their spinners stood up to lead the charge.
Chasing 298 runs to win, Australia were anchored by captain Mitchell Marsh who bashed 60 off 36 to get them off to a solid start, and he was well backed by Travis Head (36), Cooper Connolly (38) and Matt Renshaw (44). But their lower-order crumbled as the visitors were bundled out for 230 in the 42nd over of their innings.
Veteran slow bowler Keshav Maharaj took 4/20 and fellow spinner Bjorn Fortuin grabbed 2/34, while seamer Corbin Bosch (2/67) also snatched two scalps though he was more expensive.
Proteas innings
Earlier, after being sent in to bat, the Proteas top order was carried by Matthew Breetzke, who hit his second career ODI century.
And though he didn’t get a great deal of support from the rest of the team’s specialist batters, with wickets falling regularly as the hosts struggled to build partnerships, all-rounder Marco Jansen joined the party down the order.
Breetzke and Jansen shared 107 runs for the sixth wicket before Breetzke was run out in the latter stages of the innings after contributing 112 off 106 in an innings which included 14 fours and two sixes.
Jansen, who was removed in the penultimate over when he was trapped leg-before by seamer Nathan Ellis, made 75 off 59 (his fourth ODI fifty), smashing four sixes along the way.
Ellis was the best of Australia’s bowlers, taking 3/57 from his 10 overs and grabbing some key scalps, but South Africa did well to compile 297/8.
Bavuma pleased with all-round effort
“The way Matthew Breetzke played, the positions and intensity was something to commend. The way Marco Jansen played as well was great,” said Proteas captain Temba Bavuma.
“And it helps to have a guy like Keshav (Maharaj) in terms of experience with the ball. The spinners did an incredible job.”
The second fixture of the ODI series between SA and Australia, the annual Pink Day match in support of breast cancer awareness, will be held at the Wanderers on Sunday (10am start).
