Proteas hit back with first victory on home tour against Australia

Ending a lengthy run of defeats, the Proteas hit back with force on Tuesday night, coasting to a dominant 111-run victory in Potchefstroom to keep their hopes alive in their ODI series against Australia.

Following five successive losses against the tourists (in the T20 and ODI formats), the hosts finally broke their drought after controlling the third ODI match with bat and ball.

Needing 339 to win, Australia looked set to put up a fight, as opener David Warner laid a solid foundation with another impressive effort.

Warner, who made a century in the second ODI over the weekend, contributed 78 runs off 56 balls. He was run out by Keshav Maharaj in the 19th over, however, after a chaotic shambles between the wickes which featured a missing shoe.

Following his dismissal, the rest of Australia’s batting line-up gradually crumbled as they limped to a crushing defeat. Travis Head (38) and captain Mitchell Marsh (29) were the only other players to contribute more than 20 runs in their chase.

Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, playing his fourth ODI, returned career-best figures of 4/50 to lead the Proteas bowling attack, while spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and Maharaj took two wickets each as the tourists were bundled out for 227 runs.

Proteas innings

Earlier, after being sent in to bat, South Africa got off to a spectacular start, with openers Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma sharing 146 runs for the first wicket.

De Kock (82) and Bavuma (57) were removed eight balls apart, but after they fell, Aiden Markram went on to score an unbeaten 102 to carry the middle order.

Markram faced just 74 deliveries in an innings which included nine fours and four sixes, as he guided the hosts to 338/6.

None of Australia’s bowlers made much of an impact, though all-rounder Head returned solid figures of 2/39 from 10 overs.

The fourth of five matches in the ODI series between South Africa and Australia will be played in Centurion on Friday, with the hosts needing to pick up another win to keep their hopes alive for a comeback victory as they aim to gain momentum ahead of next month’s Cricket World Cup.