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Australia claim consolation victory in third ODI

cricket30 September 2026 20:41| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Alex Carey top-scored for Australia with a feisty 74 as the tourists posted a total of 322 for nine before completing a consolation victory by 47 runs on the DLS method after rain ended the match with South Africa on 145 for four in the third and final one-day international at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Wednesday.

South Africa won the series 2-1 after victories by 67 runs in the first game in Durban and 32 runs in the second at the Wanderers on Sunday.

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The hosts still had hopes of victory when the rain came with Ryan Rickelton unbeaten on 71, but the run-chase was always hampered by the loss of top-order batsman Tony de Zorzi, who injured a hamstring in the first innings and could not bat. Corbin Bosch was 13 not out when the game was finally abandoned.

All of the top seven Australian batsmen reached at least 20 after being asked to bat first, with captain Mitchell Marsh adding 56 from just 42 balls to the scores of 60 and 84 he made in the first two matches but, like his teammates, he wasn’t able to complete the significant innings to put his team in the driving seat.

South Africa’s bowlers chipped away with wickets every time a partnership was forming, with Bosch collecting 4-60 from his nine overs and Gerald Cotzee claiming 2-61 from his nine.

Travis Head (24) was bowled off a bottom edge pulling a Bosch delivery which was too full, and Marsh was trapped lbw attempting to sweep the excellent Bjorn Fortuin (1-50).

Cooper Connolly (23) was clean bowled by a ripping yorker from Coetzee and Oliver Peake’s measured 48 from 53 balls ended when a cut shot against Bosch was well caught by Fortuin at backward point.

Carey’s 74 from 88 deliveries (4x4, 2x6) ended when a Bosch short ball cramped him for room, resulting in a simple catch to short third while a leading edge from Matt Renshaw (30) against Coetzee was caught by Aiden Markram at mid off.

Bosch claimed his fourth wicket with another short ball to Cameron Green (23) who could only glove it to ‘keeper Quinton de Kock.

In the reply, De Kock (0) flicked his fifth delivery from Xavier Bartlett (2-25) to fine leg before fellow opener Markram was trapped lbw by the same bowler for 15. Matthew Breetzke’s robust 25 ended with a marginal stumping by Carey off legspinner Adam Zampa (2-34) and Tristan Stubbs (14) was lbw to his googly.

The home side made five changes from the starting XI which clinched the series with a 32-run victory at the Wanderers on Sunday with test stars Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and captain Temba Bavuma all rested. Player of the match in the second game, David Miller, was also omitted.

Fast bowler Nqobani Mokoena (7-0-42-0) bowled tidily in his first game of the series while Markram once again looked like a frontline spinner bowling eight overs of off-spin at a cost of just 42 runs.

Australia welcomed back Pat Cummins, who was playing just his third ODI since leading his country to the World Cup title in 2023.

Australia are scheduled to play a two-day warm-up match against a CSA Invitation XI in Potchefstroom on Saturday and Sunday before the first test starts at Kingsmead, in Durban, on Friday, October 9.

SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wkt), Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Gerald Coetzee, Nqobani Mokoena, Lizaad Williams.

AUSTRALIA: Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Alex Carey (wkt), Cameron Green, Xavier Bartlett, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.

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