South Africa A steamroll Australia A for first win

South Africa A knocked over Australia A for 107 at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville, before breezing to the target with eight wickets in hand and 174 balls to spare. In doing so, they registered their first win of the quadrangular series and picked up a bonus point, much as Australia A had done against India A a week ago at the same venue.

The toss was just about the only thing to go Australia's way, and, after electing to bat, they lost opener Marcus Stoinis for a duck on the third ball of the innings. Captain Chris Lynn followed three overs later, with an inside edge to the keeper off Dane Paterson to leave the score at 2 for 5. After a 63-ball hiatus, during which the hosts added a laborious 29 runs, Peter Handscomb was run-out when opener Cameron Bancroft drove a ball straight back and the bowler Andile Phehlukwayo got his fingers to the ball which hit the stumps, catching Handscomb well outside his crease.

Soon, Bancroft chopped a ball from medium-pacer Malusi Siboto onto his stumps for a 48-ball 16. Paterson then had two more batsmen caught behind - Glenn Maxwell with a short ball and Alex Ross with a stifling line outside off. Then it was Tabraiz Shamsi's turn - he trapped Kurtis Patterson lbw and had John Mennie caught at midwicket, to leave Australia reeling at 8 for 68 in the 30th over.

An unbeaten 43-ball 34 by No. 9 Kane Richardon helped Australia crawl into three figures, before they were bowled out in 37.2 overs. Australia could have been dimissed much earlier but Richardson was dropped twice - on 27 by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas and on 29 by Dwaine Pretorius at mid-off. Paterson and Shamsi bagged three wickets apiece, while Siboto chipped in with two.

"We had a look at [their] videos and we had specific plans and they came out good today," Paterson said after the match. "As a bowling unit we clicked well today. We have been clicking but there were play and misses and stuff like that. All in all, everything clicked today."

South Africa lost Reeza Hendricks for 1 in the second over of the chase when he edged Mennie to third slip. Captain Heino Kuhn departed for 15 in the tenth over, to give Mennie his second wicket and leave South Africa A at 2 for 43. But a target of 108 never seemed to challenge the tourists. Theunis de Bruyn, at No. 3, stroked an unbeaten 57 off 73, and he was kept company by David Miller who ended up unbeaten on 20. The two guided South Africa past the finish line in 21 overs without any further losses. Legspinner Cameron Boyce was the most expensive bowler as he leaked 30 runs in only three overs.

"Obviously 107 is going to be a big task for the bowlers to defend. But I think they were too good from pretty much the starting," Richarson reflected later.

The win catapults South Africa from bottom to second in the points table, behind National Performance Squad.