South Africa has taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against Australia after defeating the hosts by 98 runs in a one-sided contest at Cairns’ Cazalys Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Chasing a 297-run target for victory, Australia was rolled for 198 courtesy of a career-best performance from spinner Keshav Maharaj, who claimed 5-33 from ten overs.
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Keshav ripped through the Australian middle order during a frantic collapse of 6-29, sealing his maiden ODI five-wicket haul in just 26 deliveries.
The second ODI between Australia and South Africa gets underway at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena on Friday at 2.30pm AEST.
All FOUR Travis Head wickets | 01:32
MARNUS FLOPS ON LONG-AWAITED RETURN
Marnus Labuschagne’s quest for an Ashes recall began in Cairns on Tuesday — but unfortunately, his scratchy form continued in northern Queensland
Playing his first match in Australian colours since being dropped from the Test side, the Queenslander was trapped on the pads by Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj for 1 during the ODI series opener, a dismissal that sparked a horror collapse of 4/14 from 27 balls.
It was the 14th time Labuschagne had been toppled by a left-armed spinner in ODIs, exposing a potential flaw in his technique.
To make matters worse, the 31-year-old wasted a review following his dismissal, which proved costly later in the innings when teammate Nathan Ellis couldn’t overturn an incorrect LBW decision, with ball-tracking technology suggesting the delivery would have missed leg stump.
Labuschagne hasn’t reached fifty in his nine most recent ODI knocks, averaging 15.22 with a strike rate of 76.53 during that period. Meanwhile, he hasn’t scored a Test hundred since July 2023.
The right-hander was axed from the national red-ball side following June’s World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s — and while his performances in white-ball cricket won’t determine whether he earns a recall for the Ashes, cheap dismissals won’t help the cause.
“If he wants to make the first Test in Perth in the Ashes, it starts here tonight,” former Australian all-rounder Brendon Julian said on Fox Cricket commentary during the innings break.
“His summer starts now.”
PROTEAS SPINNER EXPOSES AUSSIE SELECTION BLUNDER
Australia’s decision to omit strike spinner Matthew Kuhnemann for the ODI series opener came under scrutiny after the tweakers wreaked havoc in Cairns on Tuesday.
The dry Cazalys Stadium deck offered more turn than Australia anticipated, with South Africa’s spin-heavy attack proving the difference between the two sides.
Maharaj magic with incredible FIFER | 01:20
During South Africa’s innings, tweakers accounted for five of the seven South African wickets, while the seamers found success with cutters and slower balls. Part-timers Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne produced 11 overs of spin between them.
“I just wonder whether the Australians will be ruing not playing Matt Kuhnemann in the eleven,” former Test batter Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket commentary.
“Kuhnemann should have played … they misread the pitch.”
Former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe agreed: “The precision of the left-arm orthodox spinner would have been a telling factor. Kuhnemann would have lobbed everything into the shoebox.”
Later during the run chase, South Africa’s finger spinners generated massive turn as Keshav Maharaj — a left-armer just like Kuhnemann — ripped through Australia’s middle order in a spell of 5-9 from 26 balls, repeatedly beating the outside edge of the bat.
During the match, spinners took 11 wickets at 20.81 with an economy rate of 4.87 compared to six wickets at 40.83 with an economy rate of 5.85 for seamers.
“There was certainly more spin than we expected,” Australian captain Mitchell Marsh confessed during the post-match presentation, with rival captain Temba Bavuma echoing those remarks.
Asked whether Australia would consider adding a second strike spinner for the second ODI in Mackay, Marsh responded: “We’ll look at the conditions and make a decision based on that.”
Waugh also questioned Marsh’s decision to bowl first in Cairns, arguing the Australian captain was too preoccupied by the threat of dew. The West Australian has won the toss on 21 occasions as national skipper, choosing to field first each time.
HEAD PUSHES CASE FOR ALL-ROUND STATUS
Travis Head continues pushing for all-rounder status, with the South Australian producing another impressive bowling performance in Cairns on Tuesday.
Introduced to the attack in the 11th over of South Africa’s innings, the off-spinner snared Australia’s first breakthrough of the afternoon when Proteas opener Ryan Rickelton picked out mid-off for 33.
Head then bamboozled South Africa’s middle order during the death overs, including the crucial scalp of young gun Dewald Brevis. He finished with 4-57 from nine overs, the second-best figures of his ODI career.
“Nine overs wasn’t on the bingo card this morning,” Head laughed during the innings break.
“I’ll feel every bit of that tomorrow.”
Earlier in the spell, Head had an LBW dismissal overturned — with the Kookaburra narrowly missing the top of middle stump on ball-tracking technology — while wicketkeeper Josh Inglis dropped a chance off his bowling.
“He’s better than part time,” Waugh said in commentary.
“He’s a wicket-taker, gives the ball a rip, gets some drop on the ball.
“He does spin it.”
Since the start of June 2022, Head has taken 30 wickets at 23.90 in international cricket — for comparison, Mitchell Starc (25.84), Pat Cummins (24.77) and Josh Hazlewood (24.42) have averaged more during that period.
‘IT’S A WASTE’: AUSSIE GREAT ‘CANNOT UNDERSTAND’ DEMOTION
Following his extraordinary feats in the T20 series last week, South African young gun Dewald Brevis was rewarded with a long-awaited ODI debut in Cairns.
The talented 22-year-old clobbered his maiden international hundred in Darwin last week, a record-breaking 41-ball century, before backing it up with a rapid fifty during the series decider.
Brevis, who batted at No. 4 during the T20s, walked out at No. 6 on Tuesday, but Waugh argued he should have batted higher in the order. In his eyes, he’s better than a pinch-hitter to unleash during the death overs.
“I can’t believe that,” Waugh said when Tristan Stubbs walked out to bat at No. 5 ahead of Brevis.
“I just cannot understand that.”
He continued: “It’s a waste you’ve got your Ferrari sitting in the garage. You’ve got to get it out and give it a spin.
“I’d like to see him come in at least at No. 5.
“No. 6 is too low for him.”
Julian agreed: “You’ve got to go for a batsman who’s in form.”
Stubbs was dismissed by spinner Travis Head for a second-ball duck after holing out to long-off, while Brevis struck his first delivery in ODIs down the ground for six. However, he fell victim to Head the very next ball after attempting to replicate the stroke.
PROTEAS OPENER’S ‘SOFT SPOT’ FOR AUSSIES
The Australian bowlers must be getting sick of the sight of Aiden Markram.
Opening in an ODI for the first time in four years, Markram top-scored with an 81-ball 82 to get the South African innings off to a solid start, setting a foundation for the middle order.
He scored in all corners of the Cairns venue, driving firmly through the covers whenever width was offered while lofting overpitched deliveries down the ground.
Markram’s knock came to an abrupt end when he poked at a wide delivery from seamer Ben Dwarshuis in the 24th over, throwing his head back in disbelief after gloving the ball through to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis.
“I wanted heaps more to be honest,” Markram confessed during the innings break.
“Nice to get a few, but definitely wanted some more.”
The stylish half-century continues Markram’s superb record against Australia — he averages 45.64 when facing the Australians across formats, the highest figure for any nation (minimum ten innings).
The right-hander, who cracked a stylish 136 during June’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s, has four hundreds against Australia across formats, three more than any other nation.
Markram has also had the wood over Josh Hazlewood in ODIs, scoring 0-82 from 71 balls against the veteran seamer in the 50-over format.
“He’s got a real soft spot for playing against the Aussies,” Waugh said.
Aiden Markram’s batting average by opposition
45.64 vs Australia
41.32 vs Pakistan
38.38 vs Bangladesh
38.28 vs West Indies
32.07 vs England
31.81 vs Sri Lanka
21.39 vs India
* Minimum 10 innings
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