Australia v South Africa, 2006-07

At Brisbane, January 9, 2006 (day/night). Australia won by 95 runs. Toss: Australia. Twenty20 international debuts: N. W. Bracken, S. R. Clark, B. J. Haddin, M. L. Lewis; J. Botha, H. H. Dippenaar, A. J. Hall, G. J-P. Kruger, J. A. Rudolph, M. Zondeki.

Australia overwhelmed South Africa in every area of the game. Although Hopes never quite settled, the other home batsmen certainly did. Martyn, in particular, was a revelation, lofting five sixes in his 56-ball innings before falling, four short of a hundred, to Zondeki, who otherwise failed to stem the flow of runs. Symonds was predictably brutal, though if South Africa had fielded as well as Australia did later, they would have been chasing many fewer. Their pursuit got off to a calamitous start when Bracken took two wickets in the third over, and tight bowling from the Australian attack never allowed the South Africans to gain momentum. Two acts of brilliance in the field - a diving catch by Lewis in the deep to dismiss Pollock, and Ponting's athletic run-out of Kallis - typified an electric all-round performance by Australia.

Man of the Match: D. R. Martyn. Attendance: 38,894.