Australia v South Africa | First T20I

A Tim David six-hitting masterclass and a classic Josh Hazlewood burst has opened Australia’s international summer with a 17-run win in the first BKT Tires T20 against South Africa in Darwin.

David (83 off 52) rescued Australia’s innings with a mix of controlled rotation of the strike and trademark belligerent hitting as wickets fell all around him. 

Two hours later, Hazlewood (3-27) snared two vital wickets in the 15th over of South Africa’s chase, just as the visitors had moved into the box seat. 

Hitting the roof: David’s blazing knock lights up Darwin

Asked to bat first for the first time in seven T20Is, Australia came out swinging and profited with a run rate above 10 per over, but lost regular wickets. 

So regular in fact, the Aussies had lost six wickets before the eighth over was complete and threatened to be bowled out for under 100 as Kagiso Rabada and teenage tyro Kwena Maphaka turned up the pace.

But the red-hot David proved the difference, ultimately dismissed on 83 having struck eight sixes, after earlier being given a life by Tristan Stubbs at long on when the power hitter was on 56. 

David, who punched a record 37-ball century in the West Indies last month, sent sixes to all corners of the ground and popped a ball onto the roof of the Maurice Rioli Stand. 

Teenage Maphaka impresses with fast four-for

David’s commanding knock, which saw him turning down easy singles as early as the 16th over, threatened to reach three figures for the second time in three innings, but his dismissal in the penultimate over ended the entertainment for the 8,816 in the crowd. 

The knock lifted Australia to 178, with Green’s 13-ball 35 and Dwarshuis’ 19-ball 17 the next top scores. 

In reply, South Africa’s batters struggled to find their timing on a pitch David labelled as “two-paced” at the halfway stage, and they too lost three wickets inside the Powerplay to set their chase back.

The Proteas were in a spot of bother at 3-48 but the combination of Ryan Rickelton and Stubbs, who put on 72 runs, got South Africa into the ascendancy with six overs to go as they slowly acclimatised to conditions. 

Enter Josh Hazlewood. The experienced quick flipped the complexion of the contest with a double-strike in the 15th over of the innings, claiming Stubbs caught off the under edge and squaring up George Linde to be caught at first slip. 

Hazlewood changes game with crucial three scalps

The wicket of Linde prompted a pumped-up celebration from the ‘Bendemeer Bullet’, who charged through to the cordon at full pace. 

Captain Aiden Markram was one who looked on for the tourists, dispatching Hazlewood for three boundaries in the chase’s first over. 

But an aerial cut shot, which found a stumbling Cameron Green at cover, ended his innings after just six balls. 

Adam Zampa, who had struggled a touch with the dewy conditions in Darwin, grabbed two for himself in the subsequent over, clean-bowling Corbin Bosch and trapping Muthusamy lbw. 

Although Rickelton (71 off 54) stayed put at the other end, he couldn’t accelerate as David had done and he, along with the Proteas, ultimately fell short. 

It took a piece of fielding brilliance from Glenn Maxwell to end the opener’s stay, with Maxwell juggling a ball over the long on boundary before expertly tossing it back to himself inside the field of play. 

Earlier, home fans got their first look at Australia’s new-look batting order and frantic approach which was evident from the first ball of the innings. 

Captain Mitch Marsh set the standard with an outrageous six off the night’s opening play, clubbing a wide length ball from Lungi Ngidi over the extra cover rope. 

But wickets lost in the second, third and fourth overs meant the hosts had to decide whether to rein it or keep the foot down.  

David walked to the crease with the innings only 19 balls old and showed no signs of getting his eye in. 

Combining with Cameron Green, the pair kept swinging hard, putting together a 40-run partnership in 16 balls. 

Australia have been the top-ranked team in the Powerplay overs since last year’s T20 World Cup and their intent was evident again, finish the first six overs on 4-71. 

Nineteen-year-old quick Maphaka had two big interventions before he had the chance with the ball, taking sharp catches off Travis Head and Marsh, the latter of which stayed in the night sky for six seconds of airtime. 

When he finally took the ball, he sent Mitch Owen’s off stump cartwheeling with his fourth delivery to send back Australia’s breakout star. 

It wasn’t until Dwarshuis walked out in the eighth over with the score on 6-75 did Australia pump the brakes on their gung-ho approach. 

Maphaka was the pick of the South African bowlers, taking career-best 4-20 from four impressive overs. 

Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy started by conceding only two runs from his first two overs while also capturing the wicket of Glenn Maxwell. 

Maxwell faced four balls from Muthusamy and wasn’t able to adjust to the conditions quickly enough, with his demise coming as a result of a great catch by George Linde at deep point from a sliced drive.

And Muthusamy should have had David in his third over, but Stubbs’ error on the rope cost his side 27 runs and cost Muthusamy even more impressive figures than his 1-24. 

David made the dropped chance really hurt, by launching the next two deliveries a long way over the boundary’s edge at Marrara Stadium. 

BKT Tyres T20I Series – Australia v South Africa

August 10: Australia won by 17 runs

August 12: Second T20I, Marrara Stadium, Darwin, 7pm AEST

August 16: Third T20I, Cazalys Stadium, Cairns, 7pm AEST

Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa

South Africa T20 squad: Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Rassie van der Dussen

BKT Tyres ODI Series – Australia v South Africa

August 19: First ODI, Cazalys Stadium, Cairns, 2:30pm AEST

August 22: Second ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 2:30pm AEST

August 24: Third ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 2:30pm AEST

Australia ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa 

South Africa ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen