Fantastic fielding helps Aussies to big win
A dominant display in the field has helped Australia defeat South Africa by 110 runs in a rai-interrupted third ODI to claim the ODI portion of their multi-format series.
The Australians batted first, and made 9/277 from 50 overs. The beginning of their innings was slow and steady, with wickets not really falling, but runs not scored at a particularly fast pace.
Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy then put together a really solid partnership for the second wicket, before Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney also continued the solid partnership in the fourth wicket.
Mooney was the pick of the Australian batters with 82 not out, while Healy finished on 60 and McGrath made 44. Meanwhile for the South Africans, Masabata Klaas was the star of the bowling brigade with four wickets to her name, while four other bowlers picked up a wicket each.
South Africa made an okay start to its batting innings, but quickly found itself at 3/52 after 10 overs, then 4/52 four balls later after losing Marizanne Kapp for a duck. Then the rain decided to make an appearance, and once it cleared South Africa’s target dropped to 238 from 31 overs.
Already a tough task from the outset, the end goal got even harder for South Africa when Australia’s catching and tight bowling lifted and combined to really rip through the second half of the South African innings.
Alana King had a particularly destructive spell which included a triple wicket maiden as things really just fell apart for the South Africans. The tourists were ultimately bowled out for 127 halfway through the 25th over. The top scorers for the Proteas all came early, with Sune Luus making 34 and Tazmin Brits made 31.
Meanwhile King, Tahlia McGrath and Kim Garth were the main destroyers for Australia with the ball, picking up four wickets, three wickets and three wickets each respectively.