Ballr Tri Nation ODI series…South Africa stun World Champs at Providence

Jun 08, 2016 Sports

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By Sean Devers

On a low and slow Providence pitch, South Africa demolished World Champions Australia by 47 runs in the third ODI in the Ballr Tri-Nation series last evening to join Australia at the top of the points table with five each. West Indies, the other team involved are on four points from their win against South Africa in the opening match.

Kagiso Radaba (15) added 39 for the eighth wicket with Man-of-the-Match Farhaan Behardien whose resilient 62 from 82 balls with four fours and two sixes helped South Africa to a challenging 189-9 from 50 overs. Hashim Amla stroked two fours in a 46 off 35 at the top of the order.
Such was the slowness of the pitch that the entire innings included only nine fours and two sixes at a time when t20 games regularly produces 200 plus totals.
Pacers Josh Hazelwood (2-20), Nathan Coulter-Nile (2-38) and Glenn Maxwell (2-15) were the most successful bowlers for Australia who were bowled out for 142 in 34.2 overs despite a one man show from Aaron Finch. His 11th ODI fifty yielded72 runs from 103 balls with six fours and three sixes.
Pacers Kagiso Radaba (3-13) and Wayne Parnell (2-23) had prized out David Warner (1), Usman Khawaja (2) and Skipper Steve Smith (8) as the mighty Australians stumbled to 21-3 and never recovered despite Finch’s heroics.
Imran Tahir (2-39), Aaron Phangiso (2-26) and Shamsi (1-36) spun webs around the batsman as only three South Africans including Hazelwood (11*) reached double figures.

South Africa strengthened by the inclusion of debutant left-arm googlie bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, would have backed themselves to defend 190 and when Parnell trapped Warner LBW in the second over with just a run on the board the lads from down under could not have had a worst start.
Parnell soon trapped Australia’s most consistent batsman Steve Smith (8) LBW at 21-3 after Khawaja was bowled by Rabada (1) 11 runs earlier.
With South Africa in the ascendency Finch fought fire with fire and hammered Parnell for six and smashed him past cover for four. He then danced into Tahir and stroked him for four through cover and effortlessly deposited Phangiso for six.
Maxwell (3) provided Tabraiz Shamsi his first ODI wicket but Finch pushed Phangiso into the Green stand to move into the 40s and Finch was batting like a one man army.
Finch genuflected and swept Shamsi for a murderous four, while Mitchell Marsh (8) was caught behind off Tahir. Finch, who has never played Test cricket, soon reached his fifty off 58 balls but Shamsi and Tahir continued to befuddle Matthew Wade.
Radaba ended Wade’s misery when he edged the pacer to the Keeper at 83-6 and Coulter-Nile (0) did not last long and was bowled by the lively Radaba.

Finch sweep Tahir for four but when Zampa was LBW to Tahir at 90-8, Australia were in danger of registering the lowest total at Providence which is 98 by the West Indies against Pakistan in 2013.
A boundary from Finch off Tahir and sweep for four from Nathan Lyon saved Australia that embarrassment before Finch fell to Phangiso at 113-9.
A short shower and a 29-run last wicket stand between Lyon (30) and Hazelwood (11) frustrated the South Africans before Lyon fell to Phangiso.
Earlier, South Africa opted to bat in brilliant sunshine and watched by a small working day crowd began cautiously on the same track on which Australia beat the West Indies on Sunday.
Quinton deKock stroked Nathan Coulter-Nile for the game’s first boundary before Hashim Amla elegantly slapped him to the point boundary.
deKock punished Coulter-Nile over mid-wicket for six when he over-pitched on leg-stump before edging the pacer to the third man for a fortuitous boundary.
Hazelwood made the break-through in 7th over when deKock (18) was LBW after a successful review by the Aussies to leave the score on 29-1.
A strong breeze produced a cooling effect in steaming hot conditions and stretched out the Guyana, Australia and South Africa flags in the Party Stand as Amla and Rilee Rossouw, who made 68 in the first match, carried their team to 41 before Nathan Lyon trapped Rossouw (7) LBW in the 10th over.
The 32-year-old AB deVilliers quickly adapted to the surface and played the ball late. He manipulated the ball into the gaps with ‘soft hands’ and ran hard and along with Amla, also realizing this was not a ‘boundaries’ track, batted intelligently and brought up the 50 in 69 balls.
The pair continued to accumulate runs instead of going for the ‘big shots’ and displayed impressive shot selection. But when the partnership had reached 40 and the score 81 in the 19th over, Amla (35) was run out after facing 46 balls and reaching the boundary just twice.
With 24 ODI tons to his name and 201 matches of experience the Australians knew deVilliers was then man for ‘testing conditions’ and when he had his off-stump knocked out by Coulter-Nile, the Aussies were standing a tall as Kangaroos.
At 97-4 in the 23rd and deVilliers gone for 22 from 38 balls, the South Africans had their backs against the wall.
Coulter-Nile produced a beauty to dismantle JP Duminy’s stumps before Wayne Parnell (2) was bowled eight runs later with one that crept from Hazelwood and at 112-6 the vocal gathering of fans in the stands, being entertained by pulsating music, was in danger of being robbed of the game going the full distance.
Berhardien and Aaron Phangiso revived the position with a dogged 37-run stand in 13 overs before Phangiso (9) ran out of patience and tried a big shot off Adam Zampa and was taken at long-off as the commitment, skill and intensity of the Australians never dipped.
On a pitch which made batting a nightmare and slow outfield, no team in this series has made more than the West Indies’ 191 when Kerion Pollard clobbered six sixes in 67 and South Africa knew if they could get as close as possible to the 188 they made against the West Indies their three spinners would have a chance.
Berhardien, who lofted Zampa for six in 18th over was bowled in the last over at 188-8 and his innings was as valuable as Guyana’s Gold
The second leg in St Kitts starts on Saturday before ending in Barbados where the final will be on June 26.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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