Australia vs South Africa, 2nd Match at Harare, Aug 27 2014 - Match Result

5.50pm So that's all from me, George and Chandan for today. It was an awesome game of cricket, and a pleasure to commentate on. Thanks for tuning in, as always, and sending in your comments. Do join us for our next live game, wherever in the world it's from. Until next time, bye!

5.40pm Presentation time. First up, George Bailey: "We certainly had enough runs on the board, created enough chances, but hats off to Faf and AB, two extraordinary innings." On not playing Lyon: "One of the challenges for us is Maxi is a good enough spinner to not be a part-timer, like JP Duminy is for South Africa, and Steven Smith is going to be a massive one-day bowler for us."

AB de Villiers is Man of the Match. "Haven't scored a lot of runs of late, to score a few here is pleasing. Had a lot of chances, and luckily I made it count. Two guys stood out today, first of all Faf. I know he's had a rough start to his ODI career, but he is in magnificent form. The other guy is Imran Tahir. It was a good wicket, but areas to improve on. Too many extras. I think there is enough experience to carry the young guys through and carry them forward. I think the hunger we showed, especially in the last series against Sri Lanka, and I was very pleased to see that hunger again today."

Kranthi: "When was the last time (in an ODI) that every Australian bowler's economy rate went up over 6?"

5.25pm Australia will be shell-shocked by how easy it was for South Africa. But poorly as they ~~sometimes~~ bowled, most of the credit must go to Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers, who made the most stunning centuries you can imagine in a chase of this magnitude. How well they paced their partnership, soaking up the pressure early on, getting set, and then there was no stopping either of them.

Faf du Plessis says it was a special day. "Got my first Test hundred against Australia, and to get my one-day hundred as well... I'm very happy. Happy I got the opportunity to bat at three, important for me to get those hundreds. Unfortunate I couldn't get over the line. With AB cramping it was important I was the guy there at the end. Was a little two-paced, and there was something if you took some pace off. The chase was a great effort, but a lot of areas we can improve on."

46.4

Faulkner to Duminy, 1 run

it's a slower ball on middle stump, and a quick single down to mid-on does it for South Africa. What a chase this has been!

Just one to get now

46.4

Faulkner to Duminy, 1 wide

now he bowls this down the leg side, and Duminy, shuffling across, can't quite get his bat on that flick

46.3

Faulkner to Duminy, FOUR runs

full on middle stump, and he clips it away into the gap between midwicket and mid-on. That races away to the boundary, super timing

46.3

Faulkner to Duminy, 1 wide

short ball, and again it bounces over head high as Duminy lets it go

46.2

•

Faulkner to Duminy, no run

back of a length, rising towards the rib-cage, and he manages to ride the bounce and drop the ball down into the off side. He's nursing his fingers, so I guess it's hit him on the glove

46.1

Faulkner to de Villiers, 1 run

full on off stump, and he plays a controlled drive out to the deep cover sweeper

Adnan: "Is it possible to send copy highlights of this match to Misbah & Co. :(" Sounds like you might go down the Panyangara route...

Over46

10 runs

SA 320/3CRR: 6.95 RRR: 2.00

AB de Villiers 135 (105b 11x4 2x6)JP Duminy 28 (26b 1x6)

KW Richardson1/68 (10)

45.6

Kane Richardson to de Villiers, 1 run

full-toss on the pads, and he tucks it away to the right of deep midwicket

At some point during this innings, AB's average has crossed 50

45.5

Kane Richardson to Duminy, 1 run

short ball, and he pulls it round to deep backward square leg

stays over the wicket now

45.4

Kane Richardson to de Villiers, 1 run

now he backs away from the stumps and slaps this wide-ish yorker to deep cover, falling over a touch as he does so

45.3

Kane Richardson to de Villiers, FOUR runs

length ball on off, and he's in the perfect position, having given himself a little bit of room, to launch that over mid-off

45.2

Kane Richardson to Duminy, 1 run

short again, and he works this off his hips towards square leg

45.1

Kane Richardson to Duminy, 2 runs

short, and it's pulled away to the left of the deep backward square leg fielder

Richardson comes around the wicket now, to JP

Over45

5 runs

SA 310/3CRR: 6.88 RRR: 3.60

JP Duminy 24 (23b 1x6)AB de Villiers 129 (102b 10x4 2x6)

JP Faulkner0/51 (8)

44.6

Faulkner to Duminy, 1 run

short, and this time it's only shoulder-high, at a gentle pace off the pitch, and he controls the pull down to deep backward square leg

44.5

•

Faulkner to Duminy, no run

short ball, lots of bounce, and he decides against pulling it, swaying away instead

44.4

Faulkner to de Villiers, 1 run

now he drives it down to long-off and walks the single. "More of this!" his hamstring must be telling him.

44.3

Faulkner to Duminy, 1 run

back of a length, just outside off, dabbed down to third man

44.2

Faulkner to de Villiers, 1 run

That was a one-handed slap over short fine leg. He walked across the stumps, fell over, and hit it with only his bottom hand over the fielder. Didn't quite time it, but how do you time a shot like that?

44.1

Faulkner to Duminy, 1 run

angles this down leg, and he nurdles it down to fine leg

Faulkner now

Wow. I got so caught up in the ball-by-ball descriptions that I forgot the equation completely. South Africa are absolutely walking this. 23 to win from 36 balls.