Fifth ODI
Australia: 327/8
(Rossouw 122, Duminy 73, Mennie 3/49, Tremain 3/64)
Cape Town - Centurion Rilee Rossouw and JP Duminy combined perfectly at Newlands to ensure the Proteas posted a competitive 327/8 in the fifth and final ODI.
With the Proteas leading 4-0 already in the series, the Australians will be hard pushed not to suffer their first-ever whitewash in a five-match One-Day International series.
The two left-handers came to the crease with South Africa in a spot of bother at 52/3 in the 11th over with both openers Quinton de Kock (12) and Hashim Amla (25) plus captain Faf du Plessis (11) all back in the hut already. The beleaguered Australian bowling attack appeared to finally have found a way to make inroads into the Proteas batting line-up.
But such has been the strength of South Africa’s performances during this series that every time they have looked to be in some trouble, the home team have found a batsman able to step up and take responsibility.
In Durban it was David Miller. Here in Cape Town it was his fellow southpaws Rossouw and Duminy. The former took upon the role of aggressor, as he only he knows how, striking his third ODI century from exactly 100 balls.
There were some sublime shots square of the wicket, with Rossouw unleashing a flurry of cut shots, while he also pulled with authority. However, the feature of his innings was how he transferred his weight on to the front foot, driving straight down the ground with extreme power.
Content for his partner to take on the Australian bowling attack, Duminy quietly accumulated at the other end through elegant late cuts and an understanding of the field and he eased the ball through the gaps without exerting much power. The pair complemented each other perfectly, most notably when they took 17 runs off Mitchell’s Marsh’s first over from the Kelvin Grove End.
The 178-run partnership for the fourth wicket was eventually brought to a close when Duminy unselfishly tried to get Rossouw, who was on 99 at the time, back on strike through an attempted lofted carve through the off-side that only managed to George Bailey at backward point.
Duminy has looked the player of old that once slayed the mighty Australians in their own backyward all those years ago during this series and thoroughly deserved a century here and at the Wanderers in the second ODI.
Rossouw, though, was not going to let the opportunity pass him – like he die too during the first couple of matches of this series when he struck two half-centuries – and duly raised his bat to applause of the Newlands crowd by pulling the next delivery to the square-leg boundary.
The Newlands faithful were on their feet a few overs late to applaud Rossouw again, but this time it was his dismissal after the left-hander had gone in search of quick runs.
Miller, who was back in the side for Farhaan Berhardien after missing out at St George’s Park with a groin strain, clubbed a quickfire 39 of 29 balls (4x4), while Kagiso Rabada also entertained the capacity crowd with on-bended knee six over mid-wicket during Scott Boland’s last over.
Independent Media