South Africa defend 189 against Australia to earn bonus point

South Africa beat Australia by 47 runs

Kagiso Rabada bowled brilliantly to take three wickets for just 13 runs. (AFP)

 

 

GEORGETOWN (Guyana): Pace bowler Kagiso Rabada took 3-13 as South Africa beat Australia by 47 runs on Tuesday in the third match of the one-day tri-series in the West Indies.

South Africa's total of 189-9 in difficult batting conditions was built around Farhaan Behardien's composed top-score of 62 off 82 balls.

In pursuit, Australia stuttered early and was bowled out for 142 off 34.2 overs.

Opener Aaron Finch provided isolated resistance with 72 off 103 deliveries, with six fours and three sixes. Of the top nine in Australia's batting order, Finch was the only one to reach double figures.

Exciting 20-year-old Rabada led the way, while his new-ball partner, left-armer Wayne Parnell, took the key wickets of David Warner and captain Steve Smith on his way to 2-23.

Left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso took 2-26 while leg-spinner Imran Tahir added 2-39.

Earlier, the 32-year-old Behardien, batting at No. 6, struck four fours and a six to help South African recover after pacemen Josh Hazelwood (2-20) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (2-38) ripped through the top order.

South Africa, opting to bat on winning the toss, lost left-handers Qunton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw inside the first 10 overs. De Kock was lbw to Hazelwood while Rossouw, who later badly injured his right shoulder in the field, departed to Nathan Lyon.

Hashim Amla and captain A.B. de Villiers rebuilt in a second-wicket stand of 40 before a runout ended their association and the innings went into decline.

Amla, after hitting two fours in 35 off 46 deliveries, was undone by a brilliant diving stop and pinpoint return from Smith.

Coulter-Nile removed de Villiers (22) and J.P. Duminy (13), and Hazelwood got Parnell (2) to leave the South Africans in peril at 112-6 in the 29th over.

But Behardien found useful allies in Aaron Phangiso and left-hander Rabada, sharing successive partnerships of 37 and 39 to give the innings respectability.

Parnell and Rabada quickly put the skids under Australia as its run chase dipped to 21-3 in the eighth over.

Parnell gained lbw verdicts against Warner and Smith, while Rabada rattled the off-stump of Usman Khawaja.

Rabada added the wickets of Matthew Wade and Coulter-Nile to put the result beyond doubt.

Last pair Lyon (30) and Hazlewood (11) threatened to deny South Africa a bonus point but Phangiso, who ended Finch's resistance at 113-9, also claimed Lyon as the final wicket to lift his team to the top of the standings on net run rate.

The series now heads to St. Kitts with Australia and South Africa, who play each other again on Saturday, on five points each. West Indies have four.

Brief Scores

South Africa: 189 for 9 in 50 overs (Farhaan Behardien 62, Glenn Maxwell 2-15, Josh Hazlewood 2-20).

 

Australia: 142 all out in 34.2 overs (Aaron Finch 72, Kagiso Rabada 3-13).

 

SA beat Aus by 47 runs.