Head takes a diving catch at a very close backward point! Good length leg break outside off, he reverse sweeps and it balloons high of the glove and Head charges forward to take a diving catch
Australia vs South Africa, 3rd ODI at Mackay, AUS vs SA, Aug 24 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
3rd ODI (D/N), Mackay, August 24, 2025, South Africa tour of Australia
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That concludes our coverage of South Africa's tour of Australia. They walk away 2-1 winners of the ODI series after Australia won the T20I series 2-1. South Africa head to England for three ODIs and three T20Is starting on September 2. Australia have a break before starting their summer in New Zealand with three T20Is from October 1. On behalf of the entire team, thanks for your company.
8.33pm Presentation
Mitchell Marsh: "It was a crazy day. Great performance from the lads. Shame it was too late. But full credit to South Africa. They played outstandingly well in the first two games. Too good for us."
Temba Bavuma: "We were under the pump from the first ball. They put us under pressure and we really didn't have any answers. They were far better than us today. It's a good learning curve for all of us. Even the batters, it's not every day you have to chase down 432 and we can only get better from that. We don't feel that we've played near our best so it's a good effort to win the series. We need to keep getting better."
Keshav Maharaj is player of the series: "I was fortunate enough to get a good spell under my belt in the first game and contributed a little bit in the last two games. Hard work over the years paid off and really honoured to get career best figures in Australia. Today, the wicket was flat but if we're honest we didn't bowl with too much discipline. Credit to the Aussie batters."
Travis Head is player of the match: "Disappointing this has come at the end. Good signs for a couple of players. We've got a little bit of a break before a heavy white-ball block ahead of the Ashes. So a little bit of confidence going into the break. I felt like I threw a start away in Cairns. My tempo was really good today. I surprised myself with the way I played."
8.27pm South Africa suffer their largest ever ODI defeat. They lose by 276 runs. Cooper Connolly becomes the youngest Australian to take five in an ODI and finishes with the best ever figures by an Australian spinner in ODIs if you can believe that. The game was set up with the bat. Centuries to Head, Marsh and Green, off 47 balls, set up the 431 total. South Africa folded in the chase. But they still won the series 2-1.
Senzo: "Great dead rubber win from Australia "
David: "Travis Head about 15 short - prophetic"
Aqib ali: "Batting 1st is the key of success in this series" Something for CA to consider for future matches in north Queensland at this time of year. There was a clear advantage batting in the day and bowling under lights
24.5
W
Zampa to Maphaka, OUT
Kwena Maphaka c Head b Zampa 0 (5b 0x4 0x6 4m) SR: 0
Around the wicket
24.4
•
Zampa to Maphaka, no run
beaten by a wrong un. 84kph, pitching on off, it spins past the bat as he plays back
24.3
•
Zampa to Maphaka, no run
looping leg break on middle, 78kph, he presses forward to defend
24.2
•
Zampa to Maphaka, no run
tossed up on off, 84kph, he leans out to defend
Slip in
24.1
1lb
Zampa to Muthusamy, 1 leg bye
tossed up outside leg, it comes off pad and runs fine for a leg bye
end of over 241 run • 1 wicket
SA: 154/9CRR: 6.41 • RRR: 10.69 • Need 278 runs from 26 overs
Kwena Maphaka0 (1b)
Senuran Muthusamy9 (9b 1x4)
Cooper Connolly 6-0-22-5
Adam Zampa 4-1-31-0
zak: "Aussies win the series on aggregate. A moral victory as the English would say. Getting in an early jab before the summer "
23.6
•
Connolly to Maphaka, no run
86kph, tossed up outside off, he defends on the front foot
Slip in
Connolly is now the youngest Australian with a five-wicket haul in ODIs
23.5
W
Connolly to Maharaj, OUT
stumped! Connolly has five! Flighted outside off, Maharaj charges and was nowhere near the pitch trying to slog across the line, easy stumping for Inglis
Keshav Maharaj st †Inglis b Connolly 2 (13b 0x4 0x6 18m) SR: 15.38
23.4
•
Connolly to Maharaj, no run
flighted on middle, he's back to defend
23.3
1
Connolly to Muthusamy, 1 run
darted on middle, he sweeps to long leg
23.2
•
Connolly to Muthusamy, no run
shorter length outside off, he punches off the back foot to cover-point
23.1
•
Connolly to Muthusamy, no run
beaten. Tossed up outside off, it slides on past the edge as he plays for spin
end of over 231 run
SA: 153/8CRR: 6.65 • RRR: 10.33 • Need 279 runs from 27 overs
Keshav Maharaj2 (11b)
Senuran Muthusamy8 (6b 1x4)
Adam Zampa 4-1-31-0
Cooper Connolly 5-0-21-4
22.6
•
Zampa to Maharaj, no run
slower leg break, 81kph, he's back to glide to short third
22.5
•
Zampa to Maharaj, no run
wrong un, outside off, he forces straight to cover
22.4
•
Zampa to Maharaj, no run
quicker topspinner on middle, he is hurried trying to pull to midwicket
Ben: "Say what you like about Labuschagne, but he's clearly a great team man, reminiscent of Hussey. Even setting aside his great batting from a few years ago, It's not hard to understand why the selectors persist with him."
22.3
1
Zampa to Muthusamy, 1 run
short wrong un wide of off, he cuts to deep cover-point
22.2
•
Zampa to Muthusamy, no run
shorter on middle, he pulls to midwicket
22.1
•
Zampa to Muthusamy, no run
leg break on off, 80kph, he defends on the front foot
Zampa again
end of over 229 runs • 1 wicket
SA: 152/8CRR: 6.90 • RRR: 10.00 • Need 280 runs from 28 overs
Senuran Muthusamy7 (3b 1x4)
Keshav Maharaj2 (8b)
Cooper Connolly 5-0-21-4
Nathan Ellis 4-0-25-0
21.6
1
Connolly to Muthusamy, 1 run
good length, spinning into leg, he's back to work it to midwicket
150 up
21.5
2
Connolly to Muthusamy, 2 runs
edged but no slip. Tossed high outside off, he drives hard and the thick edge runs away as Zampa give chase
21.4
4
Connolly to Muthusamy, FOUR runs
sweeps behind square! Tossed up on middle, he's down on one knee to thump it behind square
Over the wicket to the left-handed Muthusamy
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