Australia vs. South Africa, 1st T20: Highlights, Scorecard and Report
South Africa heaped more woe on Australia with a comfortable seven-wicket success in the opening Twenty20 international.
Australia arrived in Adelaide on the back of a Test-series defeat to Pakistan, but the return to home soil did not arrest their slide, as they posted a below-par score of 144-for-6 and South Africa chased it down at a canter.
Australia elected to bat after winning the toss in Adelaide and made a brisk start, with Cameron White and Aaron Finch putting on 33 at less than a run a ball.
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The Adelaide wicket was not conducive to rapid scoring, with the ball stopping in the wicket, and a run of four wickets for 34 runs had Australia tottering at 67-for-4.
Shane Watson witnessed the carnage from the non-striker’s end, as White (24), Ben Dunk (2) and Nathan Reardon (4) followed Finch (14) back into the pavilion.
Watson was in need of an ally, and he found it in the shape of James Faulkner. They put on 57 in seven overs to set a platform for a late assault, but the dismissal of Watson to Kyle Abbott checked Australia’s momentum.
Superb death bowling from Abbott and Wayne Parnell ensured there were no boundaries in the final 26 balls of the Australia innings, which resulted in a total of 144-for-6 as opposed to something above 160.
South Africa’s chase began poorly, as Doug Bollinger teased an edge out of Reeza Hendricks, who fell for a duck on debut.
Bollinger should have claimed a second wicket in his following over, but Reardon made a complete hash of a steepling catch—failing to get even a hand on the ball—to gift a life to Rilee Rossouw.
The following ball was clubbed for four by Rossouw to rub salt into open Bollinger wounds.
It was a drop Australia were made to rue, as Rossouw cashed in in some style. Australia were guilty of not bowling a consistent line and length, and Rossouw and Quinton de Kock took full advantage.
"Rilee Rossouw ODI Debut: Golden Duck (run out) T20I Debut: Becomes only 2nd SA batsman after Graeme Smith to score 50 on debut. #AusvSA
— Jacquelyn Mosley (@jacquelyn_mosle) November 5, 2014"
Rossouw passed 50 with a huge six over midwicket off Faulkner, and he powered on until top edging a catch off Pat Cummins for 78.
De Kock fell two balls later, but it was just a minor blip as JP Duminy and David Miller saw South Africa over the line with six balls to spare.
| Batsman | How out | Runs | Minutes | Balls | 4s | 6s |
| RR Hendricks | c †Dunk b Bollinger | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Q de Kock† | c White b Boyce | 46 | 66 | 39 | 4 | 1 |
| RR Rossouw | c Cutting b Cummins | 78 | 60 | 50 | 7 | 3 |
| JP Duminy* | not out | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | |
| DA Miller | not out | 9 | 10 | 1 | 0 | |
| Extras | (lb 2, w 4) | 6 | ||||
| Total | (3 wickets; 19 overs) | 145 | ||||
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ | |
| DE Bollinger | 3 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 7.33 | |
| PJ Cummins | 4 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 5.25 | |
| KW Richardson | 3 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 9.33 | |
| SR Watson | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13.00 | |
| CJ Boyce | 4 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 7.75 | |
| JP Faulkner | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 5.66 | |
| BCJ Cutting | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11.00 |
The schedule hardly played to Australia's advantage, as they came from a Test match on Monday to a T20 on Wednesday, but they would have hoped for better—even without some star names such as David Warner and Mitchell Johnson.
"People keep saying its a different team..yes it is..it's not Australia's best team! No Warner no Johnson etc...
— Adam Hollioake (@adamhollioake) November 5, 2014"
Australia have only two days to regroup before the second T20 on Friday. Coach Darren Lehmann has plenty to work on.
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