Staff Reporter.
Australia have recovered from the batting woes that marred their last-start loss and left South Africa requiring 278 runs for a fairytale one-day international series victory at North Sydney Oval.
The Aussies won the first encounter convincingly before the Proteas came back strong in the rain-affected second match to win their first ODI ever against the world number one team.
Beth Mooney top-scored with 82 not out (91b, 10×4). It was her fourth 50 of the series after two half-centuries in the T20Is and one ODI half-ton. Masabata Klaas took four for 56, her first four-wicket ODI haul.
With Australian captain Alyssa Healy receiving, Marizanne Kapp sent down a maiden first over after her heroics in the second ODI that saw South Africa score their first victory ever over their opponents in this format of the game.
Kapp remained threatening with the new ball in her second over when Healy nicked one behind that fell just short of the slip cordon. Healy and Phoebe Litchfield crossed for a single before the latter helped the next delivery to the boundary for the first four of the match.
Klaas struck in the sixth over with the score on 17 when Tazmin Brits’ safe hands saw the end of Litchfield for 5 (16b, 1×4).
After Kapp and Klaas kept it tight for the first six overs, the Aussie batters punished Eliz-Mari Marx with the South African bowler conceding 13 runs in her first over. Another six runs in her second over saw the Australian 50 up in the 11th over, with Healy on 22 and Ellysse Perry on 12. Marx continued to be expensive, with her third over leaking 11 runs.
Nadine de Klerk was brought into the attack in the 14th over and a leaping Protea captain Laura Wolvaardt at extra cover nearly saw Healy walk back to the change room.
This was merely a blip on the radar for Healy as she steadily started building a solid innings. Klaas was on the receiving end of a massive hit when the Australian clobbered her for a massive six in the 17th over. In the next over, a four over the head of De Klerk saw Healy’s 50 up of 61 balls.
Just as it seemed Australia was starting to run away with it, Klaas got her second scalp when she found a gap between bat and pad to send the wickets of Perry flying for 24 (32b, 4×4). With that, the 82-run second-wicket partnership with Healy was broken and Australia was 99 for two.
The Australian 100 was up in the 20th over, with Healy on 56 and Mooney on 0.
After an expensive opening bowling stint, Marx finally got the prized wicket of Healy for 60 (73b, 9×4, 1×6) when Sune Luus took a catch at deep backward square leg. Australia lost their third wicket with the score on 119 (25th over).
The 50-run partnership (51* from 61) between Mooney and Tahlia McGrath was up in the 35th over. With the score on 174 for three, the duo started pushing on towards a sizeable total, McGrath clobbering Ayanda Hlubi for five consecutive fours.
Chloe Tryon provided the much-needed breakthrough when she bowled the destructive McGrath for 44 (35b, 7×4) and Australia lost their fourth wicket with the score on 186.
Just one run was added to the score before Kapp got in on the action in the next over when she trapped Ash Gardner lbw for 1.
With 60 balls remaining, Australia was on 200 for five with Mooney on 42 and Annabel Sutherland on 4. The pair raced to their 50-partnership and moved the score to 241 for five with five overs remaining.
Wolvaardt then took a ripper of a catch when Sutherland (18, 29b, 2×4) scooped a Klaas delivery straight up. It was the South African bowler’s third wicket and Australia was on 241 for six.
Georgia Wareham (1, 5b) had to depart in the next over with the score on 245 when De Klerk stuck out her right hand in her follow-through for an outstanding caught and bowl.
Klaas claimed the wicket of Alan King for 17 (12b, 2×6) with the first ball of the last over. Kim Garth was run out for three (4b) with the last ball of the innings.
Australia: Alyssa Healy (capt), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Darcie Brown
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Eliz-Mari Marx, Sinalo Jafta, Masabata Klaas, Ayanda Hlubi.