–Australia raced to their third-highest total in ODIs, and defended it with ease
DAVID Warner struck his 20th ODI century, and Marnus Labuschagne his second, as Australia put on their third-highest total in the format and second-highest against South Africa. They fell seven runs short of the record in Bloemfontein, on a surface as tame as the one England scored 399 on more than seven years ago, and took advantage of a home attack that did not find its rhythm.
Warner’s hundred was his fifth against South Africa, equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s century count against this opposition, and a record 46th as an opener in all formats – going past Tendulkar. Labuschagne’s was his first since March 2020, when he scored 108 against South Africa in Potchefstroom, and he has given Australia’s selectors a headache they did not expect to have.
They left Labuschagne out of Australia’s World Cup squad, but, with the form he is in, may have to rethink their decision ahead of the September 28 deadline.
South Africa has more serious concerns. Their first-choice seamers looked both hapless and careless, and Anrich Nortje left the field with lower-back spasms after bowling only five overs. Andile Phehlukwayo, who lost his central contract earlier this year, and was nowhere near the World Cup playing group until this morning when he was brought into the squad as cover for Sisanda Magala, looked the best of the quicks. Aiden Markram and Tabraiz Shamsi each bowled their full quota of overs, and, between them, conceded at just under seven runs an over.
Australia took advantage of the width offered by Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada up front, and brought up 50 inside seven overs. Nortje threatened to pull things back with an opening over that cost three, but then completely lost his lengths, and conceded 36 runs off the next two overs he bowled.
South Africa was forced to turn to part-time spin in the powerplay, but Markram’s fortunes were no different to the rest. Australia racked up their third-highest powerplay score in the format, of 102 without loss, with Travis Head the aggressor of the early exchanges. He went to 52 off 26 balls when he sent Nortje over midwicket for his second six.
Head only added 12 more to his score, before he tried to hit Shamsi over mid-on, but David Miller ran back to take a good catch. Shamsi’s success continued straight away when Mitchell Marsh missed a reverse-sweep first ball, and South Africa reviewed the on-field not-out call. Ball-tracking showed the ball crashing into middle stump.
Enter Labuschagne, who was actually on the team sheet this time after he had replaced Cameron Green as a concussion substitute in the first ODI. Four fairly quiet overs followed, with the only shot in anger Labuschagne’s first boundary, off Markram, but the noise didn’t stop once it began.
Warner reached 50 off 52 balls, and took only 33 more to get to a hundred. It was his second-fastest century in the format, and included all his usual back-foot power hits, as well as a down-on-one-knee loft over long-on off a Phehlukwayo slower ball, and a massive launch over long-on when Jansen took pace off. The century came off a pull from a Shamsi long-hop, and was followed by a signature leaping celebration.
At the other end, Labuschagne had one nervy moment when he bottom-edged Phehlukwayo, but de Kock, who was standing up to the stumps, could not hold on to a difficult chance. Labuschagne was severe against spin, and showed off exquisite footwork.
He took 66 runs off the 45 balls he faced from Markram and Shamsi. He got to 50 off 54 balls, and then, like Warner, accelerated. His next 50 runs took just 26 balls. Together, Warner and Labuschagne put on the second-highest third-wicket partnership for Australia against South Africa, and it seemed that they would not be separated.
It took a delivery from Phehlukwayo, playing his first ODI since October last year, that stayed low to beat Warner’s pull and bowl him. Warner left the field with a smile, and to a standing ovation.
With 17.2 overs still to be bowled, Josh Inglis, in his 5th ODI, had a licence to play freely, but at first, he didn’t seem able to take it. Another Phehlukwayo ball kept low, and Inglis did well to keep it out, and he survived a South African review for lbw off Markram, which found a thin under-edge. But he showed his class with a late glide off Phehlukwayo, and then raced to a 36-ball fifty. He holed out off the very next ball, which allowed South Africa to mount a small fightback.
Starting with the Inglis dismissal, they took five wickets in 27 balls, including Labuschagne’s, and gave away only 26 runs, which ensured that Australia was kept to under 400. Shamsi finished with the second four-fer of his ODI career, and his success was celebrated by his teammates, even as they may have been a little worried.
The surface showed some signs of the variable bounce that made run-scoring so difficult on Thursday, but they will take some comfort in knowing that the only higher total Australia scored them – 434 – was chased successfully.(Cricinfo)
