South Africa’s spinners, a four-wicket burst by Dale Steyn and a glorious century by Herschelle Gibbs took South Africa to a 61 run victory over Australia in the fourth MTN one-day international at St George’s Park on Monday.
The victory means they have an unassailable three-one lead in the five match series, and retain their position at the top of the ICC standings.
Chasing 318 for victory, Australia were bowled out for 256 with four overs and one ball to spare.
Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke got the visitors off to the best possible start, with a first wicket partnership of 129. It was the two South African spin bowlers — Johan Botha and Roelof van der
Merwe — who got the first wickets and slowed the visitors down, even though Botha’s first over saw him hit for two successive sixes.
Botha struck first, claiming the wicket of Haddin, who was caught on the boundary by Wayne Parnell, for 78 off 61 balls, but it was Van der Merwe who took three wickets in successive overs to bring South Africa right back into the match, which had been slipping away from them.
Van der Merwe bowled Clarke for 50 and in his next over, had danger man Callum Ferguson stumped by Mark Boucher for three. Ferguson was top scorer for Australia in the second and third ODIs, and the Proteas would have been very pleased to see the back of him. Van der Merwe continued to put the brakes on in his next over, when he trapped Michael Hussey, who has had a disappointing tour, leg before wicket for two and Dale Steyn took a very good catch off his own bowling to dismiss younger brother David Hussey
for 20.
Ricky Ponting and James Hopes shared a sixth wicket partnership of 38 and were beginning to look threatening, but Steyn brought the stand to an end when he captured the very valuable wicket of Ricky
Ponting, who was caught by Albie Morkel for 53.
The required run rate continued to climb and South Africa maintained the pressure by taking wickets at regular intervals.
Albie Morkel claimed Mitchell Johnson’s scalp and Wayne Parnell took the wicket of Hopes, who was caught by Herschelle Gibbs for 31, and then it was all over bar the shouting. Steyn wrapped up the Australian innings with two wickets in his eighth over, to dismiss Nathan Hauritz and Shane Harwood.
Earlier, a scintillating partnership of 136 between Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers and a sparkling partnership of 65 off 45 balls between Mark Boucher and JP Duminy helped South Africa to a formidable total of 317 for six. Gibbs, showing why Proteas coach Mickey Arthur describes him as a genuine match winner, went to his 21st ODI century off 106 balls, hitting eight boundaries and two sixes. It took Australia’s number one bowler, Nathan Bracken, to get him out, caught in the deep by Michael Clarke for 110.
De Villiers continued his golden summer with 84 off 74 balls, including six fours and three sixes — one of which landed on the roof of the press box and sent journalists diving for cover.
Duminy, backed up by Boucher, played a beautiful cameo innings, scoring 40 runs off 25 balls.
A feature of the South African innings was the very good running between the wickets, which kept the scoreboard ticking over even when boundaries were hard to come by.
All the Australian bowlers came in for punishment, with the two spinners, Nathan Hauritz and Michael Clarke, the most expensive. – Sapa