Cairns (Australia): Glenn Maxwell’s unbeaten half-century led Australia to a sensational two-wicket win over South Africa in the final T20 and clinched the series 2-1 on Saturday.
With four needed off the final two balls, Maxwell reverse swiped Lungi Ngidi to third and stayed unbeaten on 62 off 36 balls as Australia reached 173-8 and denied South Africa its maiden T20 series win in Australia.
Young T20 batting sensation Dewald Brevis had earlier made 53 off 26 balls that featured four sixes in one over off Aaron Hardie before Australia pulled back nicely and restricted the Proteas at 172-7.
Both teams observed a minute of silence before the game and paid tribute to former Australia captain and coach Bob Simpson, who died at the age of 89.
Captain Mitchell Marsh (54), who won the toss and elected to chase, and Travis Head had provided Australia a strong start of 66-1 in eight overs but South Africa stormed back with four wickets in four overs.
Head couldn’t capitalize on an opportunity when South Africa skipper Aiden Markram couldn’t hold onto a tough return catch but the left-handed Head spooned an easy catch to short fine leg in the same over.
Josh Inglis recovered from illness after missing out the last game but was clean bowled by Corbin Bosch off the first ball he faced. But Kwena Maphaka dealt a twin blow when both Marsh and Cameron Green couldn’t clear the fielders in the outfield as Australia slipped to 88-4 in the 11th over.
Experienced fast bowler Kagiso Rabada then removed Tim David and Hardie in one over as Australia further slipped to 122-6 before Maxwell farmed the strike and shielded Ben Dwarshuis from the South African pacers.
Dwarshuis contributed just 1 off six balls in a partnership of 41 with Maxwell as the power-hitter didn’t let the asking rate shoot up.
With 12 needed off the last two overs, Bosch once again turned the game around with the wickets of Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis off successive balls before Maxwell sealed the game by smashing two boundaries.
“It was a little bit nerve wracking,” Maxwell said after hitting eight fours and two sixes in his player-of-the-match knock. “When we lost a couple of wickets in a row, Corbin Bosch bowled a brilliant over to sort of keep the run rate near 9 or 10 … and I probably had to do the majority of the striking, but it was it was nice to get a couple out of the middle (of the bat) right near the end.”
Earlier, Brevis’ dismissal in the 12th over proved crucial for South Africa when Maxwell plucked a stunning diving catch at wide mid-on to end another blistering knock from a 22-year-old batter as the Proteas could add further 62 off the final 50 balls.
Brevis hit six sixes and raised his half-century off just 22 balls when he smacked Hardie for four consecutive sixes before he was undone by Ellis’ short ball and Maxwell took a blinder.
Ellis picked up 3-31 while Adam Zampa (2-24) also squeezed the runs in the middle overs and Josh Hazlewood chipping away with 2-30.
