Mitchell Marsh has continued his dream run as Australia’s Twenty20 captain, punishing the South African bowlers for the second time in three days to give his side a crucial eight-wicket win in Durban. After scoring a 92-point unbeaten run in his first game as captain, Marsh delivered an equally daring encore on Friday night in Kingsmead, going 76 of 39 balls unbeaten.
He made South Africa’s eight of 164 look utterly inadequate as Australia sprinted to victory with 31 balls remaining and secured an unassailable 2-0 lead. The Proteas were powerless to find an answer for Marsh, who hit six sixes in his thrilling shot and hit 168 86-ball runs in the streak without being dismissed.
He had a wonderful ally in Matt Short, who followed his promising 20-ball debut in the series opener with 66 30-balls, including four sixes. After Travis Head went to 18th, Short’s clean shot and Marsh’s raw power paved the way for a second straight hit.
Short cracked Lungi Ngidi’s second over for 20 to finish the power play strong before Marsh smashed spinner Bjorn Fortuin’s first over for 18. Short then made easy work of hapless seaman Gerald Coetzee sinking two back-to-back wides before going to 4-4. 4-6 Marsh created a tough chance at 32 when Tavemba Bavuma nearly hit a screamer on the outside.
The dynamic duo managed 100 runs together – Australia’s best second-wicket partnership against South Africa – before Short, the dominant partner, sliced through the spinner Tabraiz Shamsi to Aiden Markram. But Marsh ramped up his aggression after Short’s exit and hit hard to the finish.
Earlier, South Africa captain Markram’s 49 points helped the Proteas to a respectable eight for 164 after their top spot was gambled away.
Opener Bavuma hit 35 of South Africa’s first 36 runs, but his exit triggered a collapse of four wickets for 10 runs in the final three overs of the power play. Seven of those runs came from six clean balls and free hits that Rassie van der Dussen hit on Sean Abbott.
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Markram and wicketkeeper Tristan Stubbs (27) tied at four for 46 and put on 51 for the fifth wicket to give their attack something to bowl with.
Sailors Sean Abbott (three for 22), Nathan Ellis (three for 25) and Jason Behrendorff (two for 25) all managed to create significant sideways movement and regular breakthroughs before Marsh and Short caused the real fireworks.
