Glenn Maxwell Steers Australia To T20 Series Win Over South Africa In Thriller

Australia’s Glenn Maxwell produced an unbeaten half-century successful a tense pursuit to thief nan hosts separator retired South Africa by 2 wickets successful nan 3rd and last T20 world successful Cairns connected Saturday. Maxwell’s unbeaten 62 disconnected 36 balls helped Australia pursuit down 173 pinch 1 shot to spare astatine nan Cazalys Stadium, completing a 2-1 bid triumph successful style.

After 18 overs, it was a run-a-ball target for Australia pinch Maxwell successful nan middle. The South African bowler Corbin Bosch (three for 26) claimed 2 wickets and kept Maxwell distant from nan strike. Needing 10 disconnected nan past complete from Lungi Ngidi, Maxwell took six from nan first 4 balls earlier reverse-sweeping for 4 to seal Australia’s melodramatic victory.

“It was a small spot nerve-racking,” Maxwell said aft being awarded subordinate of nan match. “I astir apt had to do nan mostly of nan striking but it was bully to get a mates retired of nan mediate correct adjacent nan end.”

Put successful to bat, South Africa overcame a top-order wobble to station a competitory 172 for 7 pinch Dewald Brevis (53) top-scoring. The visitors were 49 for 3 wrong 7 overs, but Brevis looked unfazed and deed Aaron Hardie for 4 sixes successful an over.

Dewald Brevis top-scored for South Africa pinch 53 disconnected 26 balls. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Brevis raced to a 22-ball 50 but Maxwell took a superb moving drawback adjacent nan statement to disregard him disconnected nan bowling of Nathan Ellis, who took 3 for 31. Tristan Stubbs contributed 25 and Rassie van der Dussen made 38no down nan order.

Captain Mitchell Marsh (54) led Australia’s reply, dominating his 66-run opening guidelines pinch Travis Head (19). Kagiso Rabada floored a return drawback from Marsh erstwhile nan batter was connected 26 and Aiden Markram gave a akin reprieve to Head disconnected his ain bowling. Head could not capitalise connected it though, falling successful nan aforesaid over.

Bosch bowled Josh Inglis for a first-ball duck earlier South Africa’s teenage left-arm quick, Kwena Maphaka, dismissed Marsh and Cameron Green (nine) successful nan aforesaid complete to move nan lucifer connected its head.

Rabada besides produced a two-wicket over, dismissing Tim David (17) and Hardie but Maxwell stayed calm to guideline Australia home. The three-match one-day world bid betwixt nan sides originates successful Cairns connected Tuesday.