MACKAY, Australia: Australia’s top three batters bossed an understrength South Africa pace bowling attack with blazing centuries to hand the tourists their largest ever ODI defeat in the third and final game on Sunday.
Travis Head (142), captain Mitchell Marsh (100) and Cameron Green’s (118 not out) maiden ODI hundred powered Australia to its second-best ODI total of 431-2 after the home team failed to cross the 200-run mark while chasing in the two earlier games of the series.
All-rounder Cooper Connolly, playing his first game of the series, took 5-22 to rattle South Africa as the tourists fell to 155 all out in 24.5 overs.
None of the South African batters could score more than Dewald Brevis’ knock of 49 as Connolly ran through the lower order with his left-arm spin and helped lead Australia to its 276-run win.
Fast bowler Shaun Abbott (2-27) had picked up the wickets of Aiden Markram (2) and captain Temba Bavuma (19) inside the batting powerplay before Connolly closed out the game quickly.
Earlier, Australia fell just short of its highest-ever ODI total of 434-4, also made against South Africa in 2006, and had the first three batters score hundreds in an ODI innings for just the second time.
Head and Marsh, who won the toss and elected to bat, pushed the home team to 250-0 in 34 overs and raised Australia’s fourth-highest opening stand against some wayward bowling by an inexperienced South African attack.
Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi was rested for the dead rubber after South Africa had already sealed its fifth successive bilateral ODI series against Australia with convincing 84-run and 98-run wins at Cairns and Mackay.
With Kagiso Rabada already ruled out of the series due to an ankle injury, South Africa’s pace bowlers lacked the experience to control the aggression of Australia’s top three batters.
Kwena Maphaka, playing in only his third ODI, conceded 73 off his six overs, Wiaan Mulder returned expensive figures of 0-93 off his seven overs and spinner Senuran Muthusamy ended up with 1-75 off his nine overs.
Despite Keshav Maharaj going for less than six-an-over, Head and Marsh kept scoring at a rapid pace as Head raised his half century off 32 balls while Australia eyed a big total in reaching 86-0 in 10 overs.
Marsh was less aggressive of the pair in completing his run-a-ball half century, while Head reached his hundred off 80 balls when he drove Muthusamy for a single.
Head, who hit 17 fours and five sixes, raised Australia’s first double-century stand since the 2023 World Cup in the 28th over and then pushed the scoring further over the next six overs by smashing Aiden Markram for 19 runs in one over.
Maharaj finally broke through when Head holed out at long-off and Marsh departed soon after completing his century when he top-edged a slog sweep off Muthusamy and wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton took a well-judged catch by running to square leg.
Green, promoted ahead of Marnus Labuschagne, then dominated the last 10 overs as Australia scored 126-0 off the final 60 balls. Young Maphaka had a forgetful outing when Green completed his half century off 28 balls with a pulled six off the fast bowler. Maphaka later spilled a catch of Alex Carey when the batter was on 29.
Green unleashed his power-hitting in the death overs by smashing Muthusamy for three consecutive sixes in an over and then reached the 90s with two more sixes off Mulder before running for two runs to complete his maiden ODI hundred.
Carey also played his part in Australia’s massive total with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls as he added a whirlwind 164 with Green, who hit six fours and eight sixes, at more than 12-runs-an-over.
