Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
It’s Miller time again as Tahir and Wiese torment Aussies
DAVID MILLER came in from the cold last night, striking South Africa to a last-over victory against Australia in a thrilling first T20 international of the series.
Man- of- the- Match Miller held his nerve to strike his first T20I half-century off 35 balls (3x4s, 3x6s) after he came in with the Proteas wobbling on 72/4 in the 10th over chasing Australia’s seemingly moderate total of 157/9.
The Proteas had looked good at the halfway stage, but a firstballer for AB de Villiers and the cheap dismissal of his partner Quinton de Kock – preferred to Hashim Amla – got the Aussies back in the mix.
The balance then tilted the Australians’ way when Miller was involved in two runouts – though neither was his fault – as skipper Faf du Plessis, who had played so well for his 40, ran himself out before David Wiese did the same soon afterwards.
But Miller, who has been struggling for form since the World Cup last year, at last began to look his old self. In the 16th over a short punch was enough to deposit an Andrew Tye full toss into the crowd and then, two overs later, he powered John Hastings out of the ground into NMR Avenue.
It was enough, and his Dolphins teammate Kyle Abbott put the 17 000 crowd out of its agony as he straight-drove Tye for four to clinch a three-wicket victory with four balls to spare.
Australia caused a surprise when they batted first with David Warner not occupying an opening slot for the first time in his career. He was replaced by Usman Khawaja who was Aaron Finch’s partner.
It was Finch who looked the more assured, immediately driving Kagiso Rabada back over his head for four while Khawaja struggled with the pace of the slow pitch, missing three pulls in a row off Abbott.
The stocky Finch improved further with an on-drive six in Rabada’s next over but the fast bowler struck immediately afterwards when Khawaja pulled a short delivery to Wiese on the deep square-leg boundary.
Khawaja’s dismissal merely served to energise the visitors, however, as Warner walked in to join his usual opening partner. The pair got off to a sensational start with Finch dispatching JP Duminy’s first three deliveries into the crowd when he came on surprisingly early to bowl the fifth over.
With Chris Morris’ next over flying for 15, the partnership had added 46 in only 20 balls as Australia reached a healthy 69/1 at the end of the power-play.
That, as it turned out, was almost as good as it got with Wiese stopping the rot with his first ball as Warner guided a back- of- a- length delivery to point where Duminy took a good low catch.
In the next over, Imran Tahir also hit the jackpot with his first ball, a full toss that Finch smacked straight to Rabada at deep midwicket. No wonder he smacked his pad angrily with his bat as he walked off with a promising but unfulfilled 40 in 18 balls, including four sixes.
Wickets fell regularly after that with Wiese leading the charge as he bowled his quota of four overs for just 16 runs, adding the dangerous Glenn Maxwell to Warner’s scalp. It was an outstanding spell of disciplined medium-pace bowling with Steve Smith struggling to hit him off the square. It was no surprise when a frustrated Australian captain edged a slower-ball bouncer to De Kock, as he departed for six in 18 balls.
Leg- spinner Tahir wasn’t going to miss out on the party as the innings lost momentum, tormenting the lower order and picking up an impressive 3/21 in his spell.
Only Mitchell Marsh prevented a more palpable collapse as he helped the tail to wag with a useful 35 in 25 balls, including a face-saving partnership of 35 off 20 balls with Nathan Coulter-Nile that took the Aussies to their moderate total.