what a catch that is! Or is it? He came down the track and looked to slog it over mid-on. Didn't get to the pitch of the ball and didn't middle it. Went in the air to the right of mid-on, and Miller threw himself horizontally and came away with the ball in his right hand and a look of disbelief on his face. They aren't sure he took it on the full, and they're checking now. Yeah, it's bounced, and Australia have won, because the batsmen crossed. They looked dead and buried when Wade joined Smith, but they've ended up winning with an over to spare.
Australia vs South Africa, 4th ODI at Melbourne, Nov 21 2014 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
4th ODI (D/N), Melbourne, November 21, 2014, South Africa tour of Australia [November 2014]
267/8
(49/50 ov, T:268) 268/7
Australia won by 3 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)
New
AUS
Full commentary
end of over 498 runs • 1 wicket
AUS: 268/7CRR: 5.46
Pat Cummins1 (1b)
James Faulkner34 (19b 6x4)
Robin Peterson 8-0-44-1
Kyle Abbott 10-0-43-1
10.35pm Short and sweet presentation ceremony there. No interviews with the captains and so forth. Just how it should be, methinks, but I'd say that, having been typing all this while and being grateful to avoid any more transcribing and whatnot. So that brings an end to our coverage as well. Australia have taken the series 3-1, and South Africa have a lot of pondering to do about how they handled the last 10 overs, with bat and ball. They might need a rethink about some of their personnel as well. In any case, join us for the fifth ODI in Sydney. Until then, it's ta ta from all of us. I'll leave you with a few of your comments.
Mal: "Great innings from Smith. Shades of Michael Bevan v West Indies. "
David: "This game proves why 50 over game is far superior to the monotonous thing that is 20/20. The build up to victory."
Dave: "Any selector who thinks of picking Bailey or "the Big Show" over Smith should not have a job. "
GermanPlayer: "With this win, Aus are now level with SA with both teams having 17 wins each in Australia against each other."
10.30pm Special innings from Steven Smith, and he's in the middle to talk about it. "You need a partnership and myself and Wade managed to do that, put on a hundred. Disappointed I was left out in the first game. It takes some time to work out what to do and I'm slowly getting there and improving every game. [Faulkner] came out there and hit it from ball one, took the pressure off me." Smith is the man of the match.
48.6
1
Peterson to Cummins, 1 run
Pat Cummins comes to the crease. One run to get. Everyone is inside the circle now
48.5
W
Peterson to Smith, OUT
gone! That was tossed up nice and slow and Smith went for the big heave over the leg side. Was through his shot extremely early and the ball crashes into middle stump. Walks in to a standing ovation from the small crowd here
Steven Smith b Peterson 104 (112b 7x4 0x6 180m) SR: 92.85
48.4
1
Peterson to Faulkner, 1 run
goes back to a length ball on off stump, makes room to punch it to sweeper cover
48.3
4
Peterson to Faulkner, FOUR runs
down the leg side now and Faulkner sweeps, and hits it nice and clean, down to the deep backward square leg boundary
48.3
1w
Peterson to Faulkner, 1 wide
fired flat and full, but also wide outside off
48.2
•
Peterson to Faulkner, no run
what happened there? Went for the big hit over the leg side, and it hit his thigh and was rolling towards the stumps, but he reached behind him and tapped the ball away
48.1
1
Peterson to Smith, 1 run
down the track, hits it hard down to long-on
Eight to win, two overs to go. Australia are walking this. Can Steyn do anything to change this? He can, because he tells AB to give the ball to Robin Peterson
end of over 4813 runs
AUS: 260/6CRR: 5.41 • RRR: 4.00
James Faulkner29 (16b 5x4)
Steven Smith103 (110b 7x4)
Kyle Abbott 10-0-43-1
Dale Steyn 9-0-47-2
47.6
4
Abbott to Faulkner, FOUR runs
boom! That was short, and that is a familiar sight by now. Left leg moves away to make room. Arms swing through free and unfettered, ball disappears to the leg-side boundary.
Brian: "Only a couple of days ago Faulkner was dead-batting Tasmania to a draw in the Sheffield Shield."
47.5
2
Abbott to Faulkner, 2 runs
back of a length on middle and leg, swatted away down to long leg
47.4
•
Abbott to Faulkner, no run
wide yorker. Looks to back away and slap it through the off side. Is too early into the shot and drags it back to the bowler
47.3
4
Abbott to Faulkner, FOUR runs
full-toss on leg stump and Faulkner clears his front leg and mows it over wide mid-on. Really poor ball, that. That was a baseball hit
47.2
•
Abbott to Faulkner, no run
middle-stump yorker, swiped down the ground to mid-on. Thought about going for the single for the misfield, turned around in the end and slid to beat the throw home to the keeper's end.
47.1
3
Abbott to Smith, 3 runs
full on off stump, and he makes a little bit of room and punches it away to the left of cover. Behardien chases back and throws to the bowler's end. They take him on and Smith wins the race, getting to the crease before Abbott can reach in front of the stumps and collect the throw
dinkfairdum: "The reason there are so many seagulls on the field is because there aren't enough chips in the stands."
end of over 4712 runs
AUS: 247/6CRR: 5.25 • RRR: 7.00
James Faulkner19 (11b 3x4)
Steven Smith100 (109b 7x4)
Dale Steyn 9-0-47-2
Kyle Abbott 9-0-30-1
46.6
4
Steyn to Faulkner, FOUR runs
length ball on off stump and he clears his front leg and launches it back over the bowler, clean, flat hit, bounces over the long-on boundary
46.5
4
Steyn to Faulkner, FOUR runs
short ball, sits up, and Faulkner clubs it away to the midwicket boundary. Poor ball, and it was severely dealt with
46.4
1
Steyn to Smith, 1 run
and that's his hundred. Ungainly way to get it, a mistimed pull that rolls away towards square leg, but what an innings this has been. Australia were sinking without a trace when he began
46.3
1b
Steyn to Faulkner, 1 bye
shortish slower ball outside off and he plays and misses. de Kock misjudges the bounce behind the stumps and they sneak a quick bye. Steyn, needless to say, is livid
46.2
1
Steyn to Smith, 1 run
full outside off and Smith takes on the fielder after driving to the right of Peterson at short extra cover. He flicks at the stumps and misses, and Smith dives to regain his crease. Peterson is left-handed but he managed to underarm it right-handed
46.1
1
Steyn to Faulkner, 1 run
back of a length outside off, dabbed away to third man
All these birds are adding a Hitchcockian element to this already suspenseful climax. Here's Steyn to bowl his ninth over.
end of over 467 runs
AUS: 235/6CRR: 5.10 • RRR: 8.25
Steven Smith98 (107b 7x4)
James Faulkner10 (7b 1x4)
Kyle Abbott 9-0-30-1
Wayne Parnell 9-0-52-2
45.6
2
Abbott to Smith, 2 runs
full on middle and leg, flicked towards deep backward square leg
Once again, Smith pulls away as a bird flies across his field of vision
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