(With Australia leading the series 2-1, the teams move to Melbourne for the fourth encounter. Catch Live cricket scores and live update of the match here)
THAT’S IT!!!! Australia have done it again and they have chased down the target after recovering from an extreme pressure situation after South African bowlers had rattled apart the top-order. South Africa just couldn’t get it right at the end, but credit goes to the batsmen, especially Smith, Wade and Faulkner for making the chase incredibly possible.
Steven Smith 104(112) b Peterson
Century for Steven Smith, his 2nd ever. Australia have really closed in on a victory here and have a high chance of making it 3-1. It’s chaos all around MCG as it could still go either way. 250 comes up for the Aussies. Both the batsmen are smashing it all around the park with nothing to stop them now. Great comeback by the Australians.
GONE FINALLY!!!! Wakey-wakey Wayne and he wakes up to get one. Wade goes for a pull of a short one, goes up high in the air to be brilliantly taken by McLaren at Deep Square Leg. James Faulkner comes in. Smith nears his century as well.
Fifty up for Mathew Wade as he scores his fifth ODI half-century. Both Smith and Wade also bring up the 100-run partnership for the sixth wicket off 110 deliveries. 62 more required off 42 deliveries. Very much gettable. 200 up as well for the Aussies.
No harm done in the next three overs as well. Same story with occasional boundaries along with a misfield off Wayne Parnell. Smith continues to bat good entering the seventies while Wade nears his half-century as he almost enters the forties.
Good next four overs for Australia as they continue to bat without any harm while South African bowlers too continue to bowl the same line and length. Steve Smith is going strong as he enters the sixties and goes for the biggies. The 150 comes up as well for the Aussies.
Good three overs with quite a no. of biggies as Steven Smith brings up his much-needed half-century while Mathew Wade also goes for some big shots and steer the innings towards the required target.
Pressure bowling from South Africa continues as Steyn, Mc Laren and Petersen hardly are giving any room to the Australian batsmen to free their arms. Quick setbacks in the form of Bailey and Maxwell has slowed down the pace of the run flow. No boundaries in the last five overs. Smith nears his half-century as he is in the forties.
GONE AGAIN!!!! Steyn is on a roll here as he gets rid of the dangerous Maxwell and what a beauty it is. An out-swinging delivery, Maxwell goes to defend, takes the outside edge and comfortably to Hashim Amla. 100 comes up as well for the Aussies, but they need more than that to win this.
OUT!!!! It’s the skipper, George Bailey. Great delivery from Dale Steyn. Shot and wide with extra bounce, Bailey looks to defend with straight bat, outside edge and on to De Kock. Explosive Glenn Maxwell comes in now and quickly changes his bat as well, as he breaks the handle.
George Bailey 16(29) c de Kock b Steyn
Another good four over, but this time, it’s from South Africa’s perspective as they have bowled heavily and in the right length giving no room for the Australian batsmen to play big shots. Both Steyn and Peterson turning it on for the Proteas.
No harm done after Aaron finch’s dismissal as both Steven Smith and skipper, George Bailey make sure that no more harm is done and they help Australia chase down the target comfortably. Just a boundary in the last four overs so far.
GONE AGAIN!!!!!!!!! Aaron Finch is the next to fall off Wayne Parnell for 22. Short ball, looks to pull on the on-side, but couldn’t time it well enough only to be comfortably taken by Faf du Plessis at deep square leg. Skipper, George bailey makes his way in.
GONE!!!!!!!!! Shane Watson has to depart for cheap and it’s 19 off 25 deliveries as McLaren sends him packing after he edges a full-length ball outside off to de Kock.
Shane Watson 19(25) c de Kock b McLaren
Good next four over for Australia as they continue to bat sensibly while south Africa continue to ball dangerously putting immense pressure on Finch and Watson with quite a few close calls. Steyn and Abbot are bowling extremely well so far.
GONE!!!!!!!!!! First break-through for South Africa and it’s the explosive David Warner who has to depart foe a mere four runs off Kyle Abbot who traps him leg-before of a good-length rising delivery. All-rounder Shane Watson comes in after a long break from International cricket.
David Warner 4(8) lbw b Abbot
A reserved start to the chase by Aussies as the openers David Warner and Aaron Finch look to chase it down comfortably without suffering early setbacks. Dale Steyn has opened the bowling attack for South Africa.
So they finish on 267 for the loss of eight, which means that the Aussies would need 268 to win in 50 overs. de Villiers’s Half-century helped the Proteas greatly to put up this total after a disappointing start. Credit goes to David Miller as well for his brilliant 45. Will get back to shortly with the chase.
2 In A ROW!!!!!!!!! Peterson has been dismissed off James Faulkner. He was looking good and was going for the biggies but was dismissed in the process as the ball shattered the stumps. While Behardien has been dismissed for an unfortunate run out. The last over is going to be interesting. Can they get 280 here?
Robin Peterson 11(12) b Faulkner; Farhaan Behardien 22(22) run out
OUT!!!!!!! It’s McLaren now who gets dismissed in a weird fashion. A slow but short one from Starc as McLaren looks to leave it but the ball clips off the bat and safely in to the hands Wade.
OUT!!!!!!!!! Iit’s the big one, it’s de Villiers. Slower length ball from Cummins, de Villiers charges to go for a big one, couldn’t connect it well and sends it in the air to be safely collected by Steven Smith at mid-wicket. Ryan McLaren comes in. This is the third instance when de Villiers has been dismissed in 90s in the ODIs.
AB de Villiers 91(88) c Smith b Cummins
The 200 is up for the Proteas. Just 31 runs in the batting powerplay phase for South Africa as they lost just the wicket of Miller for 45. de Villiers approaches his century as he is in to his 80s along with Behardian who looks to support de Villiers instead of going for the biggies.
150 comes up for South Africa and so does the half-century for skipper, AB de Villiers. It comes off 46 balls and includes a couple of boundaries as well. With that fifty, he looks to open up as well and steer the innings to a big total while Miller is still playing sensibly and a composed innings. 100 partnership comes up as well between the two.
Good four overs as both de Villiers and Miller playing a good innings as they bring up the first 50-run partnership of the game. Australia continue to bowl perfectly and not give any room to the batsmen to free their arms. Boundaries have been and still are very limited with no six so far.
The hundred comes up for the Proteas as we are half-way down of the innings. Just three wickets lost so far, but the big ones. de Villiers and Miller playing a composed innings as the Australian bowlers continue to dominate with the pace, especially Pat Cummins. few brilliant fielding as well is piling extra pressure on the South African batsmen.
Couple of quick wickets for Australia has surely put South Africa’s steady innings in a pressure situation. de Kock and du Plessis departing quickly off Maxwell and Cummins have made way for two fresh batsmen as skipper, de Villiers and David Miller take control of the innings.Just a boundary off the last four overs.
Just the 845 days between ODI wickets for @93Cummins – last one was Alastair Cook on 29 June 2012 #AUSvSA
EDGED & GONE!!!!!!!!! du Plessis doesn’t last long as well and it’s no. 3 for the mighty Aussies. Good short-pitch one from Cummins, du Plessis doesn’t have any idea initially what to do as he tries to fiddle with it, takes the edge and is collected by Wade. David Miller comes in. Meanwhile, there is news coming in for Nathan Coulter-Nile that he has pulled his hamstring and not going to further participate in this game.
GONE AGAIN!!!!!!!!! de Kock has to depart off Maxwell and it’s he himself who completes the job after Watson dropped him the previous time. A loose flighted one from Maxwell on to the off-stump, de Kock looks to play towards mid-on but take the edge and straight back to the bowler. Skipper, de Villiers comes in.
Quinton de Kock 17(38) c & b Maxwell
Another sensible four overs as it is a tight game so far. Not much to be excited as big shots have been limited. Shane Watson also comes in to the attack and has bowled decent overs so far. Fifty comes up as well for the Proteas as de Kock and du Plessis make sure that they take control of the innings and aim for a big total. Just a boundary scored in the form of a bye off Watson till the 13th over.
As Australia get an early break-through in the mandatory powerplay phase in the form of Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis comes in third down and so far, it’s a sensible gameplay from him as well as Kock. Wheras Coultire-Nile interestingly has left the field owing to some sort of discomfort. Two bowling chnges made as Cummins and Maxwell come into the attack. Cummimns interestingly is playing his first-ever ODI in Australia. During the last delivery of the eighth over, de Kock was dropped of Maxwell after he went for a shot over the mid-wicket but was edged to Watson at first slip who lost his balance and as a result dropped almost a sitter. A boundary by de Kock to end the ninth over.
GONE!!!!!!!!! First break-through for Australia and it’s the all-important wicket of Hashim Amla. Short from Coulter-Nile, Amla fail to play it properly. Goes for the shot early and is given straight to Cummins at short mid-wicket.
Hashim Amla 18(20) c Cummins b Coulter-Nile
Good gameplay from both the opening batsmen at the initial stages of the game. Just a couple of boundaries in the next four overs as both Mitchell Starc and Nathan Coulter-Nile bowl brilliantly in the right line and length hardly giving room for the batsmen to play their strokes in the crucial powerplay phase. What was expected to be a full house at the MCG is an unexpected deserted stands.
It’s a huge concern that South Africa go into a must-win game by dropping three players. Still don’t know their best team? #AUSvSA
Good start to the first over of the third game here as opening batsmen, de Kock and Amla take control. Consecutive dot balls to start off from Mitchell Starc with the fourth one almost into the block hole but well defended from de Kock as Starch finishes the over for just three.
South Africa have won the toss and have elected to bat first.
Teams:
Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, George Bailey (c), Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, James Faulkner, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc.
South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Ryan McLaren, Robin Peterson, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, Kyle Abbott.
Team changes: Both teams have made a handful of them. Australia have brought back Glenn Maxwell. Pat Cummins and James Faulkner are in the XI.
For South Africa, Kyle Abbott replaces Vernon Philander, Ryan McLaren comes back, Robin Peterson and Wayne Parnell also come in. Imran Tahir misses out due to the knee sprain
Hello and welcome to CricketCountry’s coverage of the fourth game of the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series between Australia and South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday. I am Ayush Gupta, and I will take you through the day’s proceedings.
According to PTI, following Wednesday’s third ODI in Canberra in which Australia defeated South Africa by 73 runs, George Bailey’s charges have leapfrogged into second place on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings and are just two points adrift of leader and ICC World Cup 2011 champions India who have 117 points.
If Australia win the two remaining ODIs, they will move into first place on 117 points, edging out India by one-fifth of a ratings point. A Proteas victory tomorrow and then on Sunday would see South Africa return to second place, a point adrift of India and Australia drop to third.
Squads:
Australia: George Bailey (c), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner, Shane Watson.
South Africa: AB de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla, Kyle Abbott, Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn.
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