Australia claimed the three-match T20 International series against South Africa 2-1 after David Warner and Aaron Finch powered the team from Down Under to a 97-run victory in the third and final match of the series on Wednesday (February 26, 2020) at Newlands in Cape Town.
The Australian opening pair went on a rampage from the word go after South Africa captain Quinton de Kock won the toss and opted to field. Warner and Finch carted the South African bowlers to all corners of Newlands and put 120 runs for the opening stand.
The two hit nine fours and two sixes in the Powerplay and went on to score their respective fifties. Australia reached 114 runs in 10th over and seemed all set to cross the 200-run mark by the end of their innings.
But South African left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi finally put the brakes on the scoring rate and Warner tried to regain the momentum but fell to Anrich Nortje for a blistering 57 ( 5x4, 2x6) off 37 balls. Shamsi then claimed a wicket of his own, trapping Finch LBW for 55 (6x4, 1x6) as he tried to sweep, as the pair put together a three-over stint which cost just 11 runs.
Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade each hit a six to get the innings moving again, but Lungi Ngidi and Dwaine Pretorious sent them on their way in consecutive overs to keep South Africa's fightback going, with Kagiso Rabada extending the run of wicket-taking overs to three when he bowled Alex Carey in the 19th.
Steve Smith made sure the innings ended in a bang rather than a whimper though, adding 20 runs from Nortje's final over, including two sixes, to boost the total to 193/5.
The chase began poorly for the hosts, with de Kock being dismissed in an almost identical manner to the first game of the series, bowled middle stump by Mitchell Starc's third ball of the innings. South Africa fell further behind the game as Adam Zampa announced himself in the game, holding on to a spiralling outside edge from Faf du Plessis to leave the hosts two down in only the third over.
Zampa played a role in the next three wickets as well, bowling Heinrich Klaasen and Pite van Biljon either side of another fantastic piece of fielding, anticipating van der Dussen's scoop shot and coming round from short third man to take a diving catch.
David Miller and Pretorious then fell in the space of three balls, gifting a catch to cover and trapped plumb in front respectively, ending any realistic hopes left for the home side.
Ashton Agar dismissed Nortje and Ngidi with consecutive deliveries, and although Shamsi managed to keep out the hat-trick ball, next over it was all over when Rabada was pinned LBW by Starc, who finished with figures of 3/22.
