Marsh pulls it in the gap behind square. Inglis goes to the other end and applauds, ball races to the boundary. It was at the body and hit with lesser power than some of the previous shots but the placement was perfect.
South Africa vs Australia, 2nd T20I at Durban, SA v AUS, Sep 01 2023 - Match Result
Australia won by 8 wickets (with 31 balls remaining)
A thorough, clinical win for Australia. The balls that were used during Australia's innings would probably be relieved that they won't get bashed around anymore. Australia have the chance to make it 3-0 in a couple of days. Can South Africa stop them? Join us then to find out. For now, you can check out Firdose Moonda's match report here. Goodbye from me, Ekanth, and our scorers, K Vairavan and Chandan Duorah.
Mitchell Marsh, Australia captain: It's great. Proud of the boys. Series win in South Africa has been hard to come by in my time. Tonight, the game was set up by the bowlers. Always tough to leave out players. Spencer was rested, he'll have a role to play in the ODIs. Lucky to have Jason, who's experienced. All our bowlers were fantastic. Not every day you get the chance to get a 3-0 win. Hope we put on a show in front of a big crowd.
Sean Abbott, POTM: The pitch suited the bowlers. For most of the night, we got that right. Credit should go to the batters, great intent. Wasn't an easy pitch to bat on at times. Hundred partnership on that wicket was a very good effort. It's a great dressing room to be a part of. Getting to hang around these lads and beat a side as good as South Africa. One of Mitch's great strengths is he takes the pressure off you, provides a great environment, and gives a great vibe within the group.
Aiden Markram, South Africa captain: Temba got us off to a great start, played with good intent. Loss of wickets made it challenging. Wanted to take it deep and give yourself a chance to win the game. But we felt they bowled nicely. When they came on to bat, it was hard when you've got two big boys trying to smoke it out of the ground all the time. Good opportunity for a young group to learn. They have found matchwinners every game. Doesn't matter what team you field, it's still international cricket. You gotta find a way to be competitive. Hope to do that on Sunday.
Louis : "Wow, this is depressing."
Brett: "Australia (Marsh) got 4 off the last ball not 1." We're trying to figure it out. Both batters did get to the opposite end when the ball rolled to the boundary. Update: looks like the ball made it through just before Inglis. So, four it will be.
8:56pm: Phew, that was a demolition job to seal the series. Australia were led/bulldozed from the front by Marsh again. The score was around par, maybe slightly under, but Marsh made it look like it was, what, 70-80 short? Speaking of Short, he was just as good, belting all comers to finish with a 66 at a strike rate of 220. That was just a strength-and-conditioning session, an exhibition of brute power. South Africa's pacers and spinners often took pace off the ball but the batters manufactured their own, with a healthy surplus, to nail 18 fours and 10 sixes in just under 15 overs!
Anticlimax as Marsh misses again. Slower one at 122kph. On a length, outside off, Marsh wanted to launch it over long-on. Missed it
Smoked over cover, scores level! Scary strength. Length outside off, a hard cover drive. Pinged off the bat, went over the infield and no one stood a chance
Seemed hardly possible but Marsh can actually miss the ball. Slow on a length, outside off, Marsh tried to clobber it over cover. Got done for the lack of pace
Saleem: "Marsh wants to finish it off before 9 PM. "
Greg Dill: "It looks like Bison has dinner reservations in 30 mins from now! :O "
Flayed over point! Full and slow, wide outside off, Marsh got on one knee and muscled the square drive with brute strength! Ball seems to have been lost. Might have gone into the basement
Just 11 needed. This might be the last over.
Raju Gupta: "This is savage batting by Marsh."
Goes back to a slightly back of length ball that spins in. Shamsi went quicker to Marsh. Tucked to forward square leg
Slow on a length. Clipped from leg stump to deep midwicket
George: "Unfortunately, this is carnage at every level."
Slow on a length. Fourth-stump ball. Inglis tries to cut it, underedges it towards mid-off
Tucks the length ball to midwicket
Marsh's power compensates for the lack of timing. He got to the pitch last time, not this time. It was outside off again, he went very hard and got it just behind square. Clears the boundary again though.
Slog swept over midwicket. Story of the day, as Mark Nicholas says. Tossed up outside off, Marsh nails it again!
Slaps the length ball outside off to deep point
Spins away sharply. Marsh had made room, ball landed on a length on leg and spun to middle. Marsh had to adjust to block it straight
Goes back to a flat fullish ball on middle and leg, Inglis is late on it but manages to punch it to mid-on
Length on middle and leg, slapped to deep cover. Fifty for Marsh, raises his bat. Music is loud, crowd are quiet.
Pummelled through midwicket. Not very short, Marsh was in his crease and pulled it powerfully through midwicket
Where is that? Stubbs rotates 360 degrees to find it. Turns out it went to the vacant leg-slip are. Marsh tried to pull the length ball behind square, think it went off the flap of the pad. Not sure if there was an edge. Popped right up but fell in the gap.
Shamsi finally foxes Short. Tossed up on a length, angling away outside off. Short tried to drive it in the air and over mid-off/cover. Got a thick outside edge. Easy catch at backward point
Back of length outside off, guided to deep third. Hundred partnership up in just 46 balls!
Waseem: "For Cricinfo users, Short isn't short, instead he's over 6 feet. "
Sits up off a length outside off. Slapped hard. Markram leaps to his left from cover point and stops it
1W | ||||
1W | 1W | |||
2W | 1W | |||
Kingsmead, Durban | |
Toss | Australia, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2023/24 |
Player Of The Match | |
Series result | Australia led the 3-match series 2-0 |
Match number | T20I no. 2228 |
Hours of play (local time) | 18.00 start, First Session 18.00-19.30, Interval 19.30-19.50, Second Session 19.50-21.20 |
Match days | 1 September 2023 - night (20-over match) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee |