a slower ball is cracked past two diving fielders at midwicket, and there's the game for Australia!
South Africa vs Australia, 1st T20I at Cape Town, Oct 13 2011 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
1st T20I (N), Cape Town, October 13, 2011, Australia tour of South Africa
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Next146/7
(19.3/20 ov, T:147) 147/5
Australia won by 5 wickets (with 3 balls remaining)
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AUS
Full commentary
So, we've had a match that just about went the full distance, but Australia were in charge for almost all of their run chase and have started their tour with a five-wicket victory at Newlands. As good as JP Duminy's knock was, South Africa's 146 always looked a little under par. They would, of course, have given themselves a much better chance had they held their catches in the field. Smith dropped one at slip - allowing Watson, who went on to make fifty, a life - and Botha put down to very hard chances. Read all about Australia's victory in Brydon Coverdale's report, and stick with us for the presentations and interviews.
"Drop catches, lose matches! Drop catches, lose matches! Drop catches, lose matches! Hope I don't have to say it again!" So do I, Doc.
"As frustrated I may be, when you look at our team, its easy to be happy, Steyn, Tahir, AB and Kallis all still need to come in. We shouldn't look too deeply into this match." Fair point, Zubair Haffajee.
"I think we've had some good training sessions, I don't want to put any excuses on that," says losing captain Hashim Amla. "We could have done a few things better in the field. From 10 for 2, JP did well to get us to 146. It was a good effort to take this match to the last over. With the start Australia had, Watson did well to give them momentum, and I'm proud of the way we pulled it back."
Cameron white gets a cheque for R30,000 as winning captain. He looks stoked. "We made hard work of it at the end, but it's nice to get the victory. We've only got six more t20s before the t20 world cup, so they're all important. This is an exciting team, it's a nice balance and some good players."
Shane Watson is the man of the match, he only gets R6,000, but he seems pretty happy too.
Thanks for joining us today. Andrew McGlashan and Liam Brickhill were your commentary team, with Brydon Coverdale on bulletin duties and Firdose Moonda filing from Newlands. Do join us for England's match against India tomorrow, and don't forget that Australia and South Africa will be meeting in the second Twenty20 at the Wanderers on Sunday. Goodbye!
19.3
1
Theron to Smith, 1 run
19.2
4
Theron to Smith, FOUR runs
a slashed square drive brings Australia level! Smith has played some horrific shots this evening, but this was a good one. He angled the bat just right to pick the gap, and timed it pretty well too
Long on, long off go back, third man comes up.
19.1
1
Theron to Wade, 1 run
in the air ... and safe! Wade lofted the ball down towards long on, or at least tried to, it was a slower ball and it looked to have flummoxed him. Botha came charging in from long on but couldn't get to it
Six runs required off the final over, Rusty Theron to bowl it. He hasn't had the best night. Will Amla bring the field in? He can't allow easy singles. Four men are in saving the one on either side of the wicket. Mid off is coming up too now, and fine leg is dropping back
end of over 198 runs • 1 wicket
AUS: 141/5CRR: 7.42 • RRR: 6.00
Steven Smith3 (7b)
Matthew Wade0 (0b)
Lonwabo Tsotsobe 4-0-21-1
Morne Morkel 4-0-24-1
18.6
•
Tsotsobe to Smith, no run
past the edge! Smith stood frozen at the crease and swung at a length delivery, the ball buzzing past his outside edge
18.5
W
Tsotsobe to Hussey, OUT
gone! Hussey falls. He was trying to end the match with a single shot, clearing the left leg and slogging across the line. It was a slower ball from Tsotsobe, he sliced underneath it, and Duminy safely pouched the skied shot. Can South Africa pull it back from here?
David Hussey c Duminy b Tsotsobe 25 (27b 1x4 1x6 41m) SR: 92.59
18.4
1lb
Tsotsobe to Smith, 1 leg bye
Tsotsobe strikes Smith on the pad and they set off for a single as the ball goes nowhere. Tsotsobe raced Hussey to the other end, and Tsotsobe's left boot couldn't get the ball onto the stumps
18.3
1
Tsotsobe to Hussey, 1 run
another length delivery, and it's chopped to extra cover for a single
18.2
•
Tsotsobe to Hussey, no run
past the edge! Tsotsobe zinged one down on a length, Hussey backed away to cut but couldn't lay bat on ball
Tsotsobe comes back over the wicket after that shot.
18.1
6
Tsotsobe to Hussey, SIX runs
good grief, where has this landed? There was a real buzz in the crowd as Tsotsobe charged in, but Hussey just skipped down the track and sent the ball straight back over his head. Huge six, just huge. Is that the game?
Lonwabo Tsotsobe is back now. Can he maintain the pressure Morkel built up? Can South Africa hold their catches?
end of over 184 runs
AUS: 133/4CRR: 7.38 • RRR: 7.00
David Hussey18 (23b 1x4)
Steven Smith3 (5b)
Morne Morkel 4-0-24-1
Robin Peterson 3-0-29-1
17.6
1
Morkel to Hussey, 1 run
dropped by Botha at backward point! The ball leapt on Hussey off a length as he backed away and poked, flying low to Botha's left. He did really well just to get to it, but again it didn't stick
17.5
1
Morkel to Smith, 1 run
that's better, he stands up on tip-toe to ride the bounce and get the ball to third man
17.4
•
Morkel to Smith, no run
oh dear, what a horrid shot - if you can even call it that - from Smith. He cleared the left leg and flailed at the ball in ungainly fashion, a rising delivery beating his top edge. Filthy shot
17.3
1
Morkel to Hussey, 1 run
it's a tip-and-run single to cover, but this was very tight. A direct hit from Duminy, running in from point, may well have caught him short. The throw, however, is wide
17.2
•
Morkel to Hussey, no run
Hussey charges out aggressively at Morkel, but swings across the line too much and ends up toe-ending it to midwicket. He exposed all three stumps for the shot too ...
17.1
1
Morkel to Smith, 1 run
he offers up some width on a length delivery first up, and it's cut down to third man
Amla has decided to go back to his strike bowler, Morne Morkel. He's only got the one over left though. There's a solitary wide slip in place.
end of over 178 runs • 1 wicket
AUS: 129/4CRR: 7.58 • RRR: 6.00
Steven Smith1 (2b)
David Hussey16 (20b 1x4)
Robin Peterson 3-0-29-1
Jean-Paul Duminy 1-0-4-0
16.6
1
Peterson to Smith, 1 run
tapped to cover, the call is immediate and they charge through for a single
16.5
•
Peterson to Smith, no run
flighted up temptingly by Peterson, and Smith drives back to the bowler
16.4
1
Peterson to Hussey, 1 run
a touch too short, and the ball is punched out to deep cover off the back foot
16.3
•
Peterson to Hussey, no run
driven back down the wicket, and Peterson does well to slide across and field off his own bowling
16.2
W
Peterson to White, OUT
gone this time! White tried to repeat the shot but swung across this one a little. The ball went really high again, but the distance wasn't there and Miller set himself beneath the swirling chance. Well, Australia still shouldn't panic, but this wicket will have given South Africa hope
Cameron White c Miller b Peterson 28 (22b 1x4 1x6 25m) SR: 127.27
16.1
6
Peterson to White, SIX runs
a towering hit! White is hurrying South Africa's demise here. He jumped out at Peterson and sent the ball sailing into the night sky over long on with a controlled thwack
Peterson continues. Amla has got to go leftfield with his tactics.
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