South Africa vs Australia 2nd T20I Highlights: South Africa’s bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, left, jumps as he attempts a catch off his own bowling. (AP)
South Africa vs Australia (SA vs AUS) 2nd Highlights: Quinton de Kock-led South Africa pulled off a stunning 12-run win over Australia in the second T20I at Port Elizabeth to level the series at 1-1. Chasing 158, Finch and Warner were terrific upfront and Australia looked odds-on for the victory. However, a mini-collapse helped South Africa find a way to cut off the boundaries and Australia finished short on 146/6.
Australia in South Africa, 3 T20I Series, 2020St George's Park, Port Elizabeth 24 February 2020
South Africa 158/4 (20.0)
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South Africa vs Australia 2nd T20I Highlights: Ashton Agar took a five-wicket haul in the first T20I (Source: Reuters)
Highlights
South Africa WIN by 12 runs! Absolutely spectacularly brilliant death bowling by Nortje & KG Rabada. Series tied 1-1 with the final game at Newlands on Wednesday. Excellent bowling and fielding in the last 5 overs. Great game and great comeback after the Wanderers! Meanwhile, For the first time in his T20 career (279 T20Is), David Warner has remained unbeaten in a losing run chase.
17 required off the last over! South Africa are having a conference out at the center. If they can get Warner, no meeting required. Warner stands between South Africa and the series.
It's all happening right now! Now Wade goes, his leading edge caught by Rabada in his follow through. Aus need 20 from 11 balls and in walks Agar.
Brilliant catch two fielders helping each other, Faf and Miller and much dot ball needed in this game for SA. Marsh skies Ngidi high to the straight boundary, Faf takes the catch and as he falls shovels a pass to Miller who completes the dismissal diving forward. Much better over from Ngidi as Marsh is GONE for 6. 21 from 13 needed by Australia.
Fifty up for David Warner, now he'll look to finish the chase with Australia needing another 55 in seven overs. Meanwhile, Shamsi completes his spell of 4 overs for 17 runs, at 4.25 RPO.
Steve Smith pulls straight, hard and flat - Faf takes an excellent low catch. He was diving forward at long-on to intercept that bullet from Smith. Out for 29, Australia 98/2. South Africa have hope..
10 overs gone and Australia are 84-1 with Warner (40*) & Smith (23*) at the crease. Aus need 75 off 60. Warner and Smith are enjoying themselves out there.
DROP & WICKET! Ngidi gets Finch clean bowled for 14 just after he was dropped. Ngidi thumps his chest. That ball was back of a length which closed in on Finch as he looks to force it through the off-side and is chopped back on off the inside edge. AUS- 49/1 after 5 overs
Warner works the short ball past the third man region. This is poor bowling really. Nortje's straying it on the pads when fine leg is inside the ring while Rabada's doing the mirror opposite but just as worse. AUS- 29/0 after 3 overs
Warner and Finch are at the crease. Warner is on strike. Rabada will open the attack. Eight of the first over. AUS- 8/0 after 1 over
Australia fightback after a hot start by Quinton de Kock to restrict South Africa to 158/4 from 20 overs
OUT! Kane Richardson caps off a brilliant day with the wicket of van der Dussen for 37 to record figures of 2-21 from four overs. SA- 147/4 with an over to go.
Pat Cummins has bowled a marvellous over and conceded just four runs in it. Van der Dussen is batting on 34(23) and giving him company is David Miller on 5(7) | SA- 142/3 after 18 ovs
IN A LOOP
Just when things were looking a bit better for South Africa after van der Dussen's six, de Kock falls to Zampa's delivery as he tried to recreate his partner's shot. The catch was taken by Starc. The Proteas captain departs for 70. SA are 121/3 after 14.5 overs.
Kane Richardson continues his brilliant bowling, maintaining his economy below 6, but couldn't stop from South Africa reaching the century mark in his over. While de Kock is on 63*, van der Dussen is on 4*. Just the five runs off the over. SA are 100/2 after 13 overs.
de Kock brought back the boundaries in the last over against Cummins after scoring his fifty, but the singles ruled large again in Zampa's subsequent over. Both van der Dussen and de Kock are taking it a bit slow now. SA are 95/2 after 12 overs.
Faf du Plessis came. Faf du Plessis hit a four. Faf du Plessis went back to the pavilion, trying to hit a maximum. His mistimed shot landed in the hands of Richardson. Pat Cummins gets his first wicket of the day. The batsman departs for 15. SA are 81/2 after 10.1 overs.
Australia have done really well ever since the powerplay ended, as they have put the Proteas completely on the backfoot. Although du Plessis hit a boundary in the last over, their runrate has been hindered a bit. South Africa — from 59/0 after 6 overs to just 81/1 after 10 overs.
After the arrival of Faf du Plessis, South Africa have taken some time to compose themselves. Ashton Agar came in after Richardson's wicket-taking over and maintained the pressure on the hosts. Eight runs off the over only. SA are 70/1 after 8 overs.
Powerplay ends, Reeza Hendricks'innings ends. The batsman trid to pummel it over the boundary but his miscalculated shot lands right in the hands of Ashton Agar. Kane Richardson scalps Australia's first wicket of the match. SA are 60/1 after 6.3 overs.
After Pat Cummins stopped the home juggernauts a bit in the previous over, conceding just six runs, Adam Zampa comes into the attack. de Kock pulls him way way long, but Steve Smith comes up with a world class piece of fielding and stops the ball mid-air and throws it inside the boundary line. But de Kock is not deterred as he hits the spinner for a confident four to bring up the fifty for South Africa. And another six, my oh my! 13 runs off the over. While de Kock is on 43*, Hendricks is on 14*. SA are 59/0 after 6 overs.
Aaron Finch brings in Kane Richardson, and nothing is seeming to work for him here as the opposition captain smacks the tall bowler for two consecutive boundaries. Absolute class, especially the one he hit down the ground. Ten runs off the over. SA are 40/0 after 4 overs.
After Hendricks gets his first boundary of the innings, de Kock again goes for the biggie and punishes Starc with a pull over backward square. The Proteas captan is in devastating form. 12 runs off the over. SA are 30/0 after 3 overs.
Pat Cummins comes into the attack, and in the second ball of the over, the trusted de Kock just smacks the ball out of the park to deep mid-wicket. And he follows it up with another cheeky maximum, just over the wicketkeeper's head. 14 runs off the over. SA are 18/0 after 2 overs.
After a fresh start by Starc, de Kock gets a single after nudging a delivery to mid-on and gets the first run of the match. Hendricks follows suit soon after. Starc maintains his line and length for the rest of the over and concedes just 4 runs off the over. SA are 4/0 after the first over.
Here's Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks opening for the Proteas, while Mitchell Starc begins the proceedings from Park Drive End of the St. George's Park. Can South Africa withstand the bowling force of Down Under this time?
- Aust's last seven T20Is have seen Warner/Smith/Finch record their highest score.
- de Kock has top scored for SA in 3 of their last 6 T20Is.
- Seamers concede an average of just 6.81rpo at PE.
Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa
Quinton de Kock (c, wk), Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, Dale Miller, Pite van Biljon, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
After going down 1-0 in the home series against ICC World T20 hosts Australia, much will be at stake for Quinton de Kock-led South Africa when they play the Men from Down Under in the penultimate clash on Sunday. Unless they win at St George's Park, South Africa will face the reality of going a full year since their last series triumph (against Sri Lanka in March 2019) and patience in the new regime could start wearing thin. Stay tuned for live updates