Australia made 178 against South Africa in the 1st T20I on Sunday at Darwin. While this isn’t anything noteworthy, the unique part here is that this is the first time South Africa managed to take all of Australia’s wickets in the 26 T20Is these two countries have played so far.
There was a host of other records in the first innings as well with Australia hitting 13 sixes, their joint-most against South Africa in an innings alongside as many maximums in Durban in 2023. Protea bowler Kwena Maphaka also became the youngest pacer to pick a four-wicket haul in a T20I among full member teams. Maphaka’s 4/20 is also the best bowling figures by a South Africa player vs Australia in the shortest format.
Tim David was his blistering best for the Aussies, scoring a 52-ball 83, carrying on his good form from the recent West Indies series. Cameron Green also chipped in with a swift 35 off 13 deliveries but other big hitter like Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell failed to fire.
Last Month, Australia completed a sweep of the Twenty20 international cricket series with a three-wicket victory over West Indies to finish its Caribbean tour with an 8-0 record.
Australia went into the last game on a 7-match winning streak following the 3-0 test series sweep and victories in the first four of the T20 internationals. It was Australia’s first sweep of a five-game T20 series and only the second at the most elite level after India’s in New Zealand in 2019-20.
Australia had a three-wicket win to open the T20 series before Josh Inglis and Cameron Green spearheaded an eight-wicket victory that spoiled Andre Russell’s last game for West Indies in the second game at Kingston, Jamaica.
The tourists then clinched the series on the back of a 37-ball century by Tim David in St. Kitts on Friday before Inglis and Green again combined to help them win the fourth game.
