Miller smashes Proteas to victory
David Miller scored an unbeaten half century to steer South Africa to victory over Australia in the first T20 International.
|||David Miller scored a match-winning 53 not out off just 35 balls (3x4, 3x6) to guide the Proteas to a three-wicket victory over Australia in the first T20 clash in Durban on Friday night.
With South Africa needing 158 off their 20 overs after Australia reached 157/9, Miller walked to the crease in the midst of a middle-order batting collapse.
The Proteas were on 72/4 in the 10th over at the fall of Rilee Rossouw’s wicket for 19, but disaster followed the very next ball as Miller got an inside edge on to his pad off Mitchell Marsh.
The left-hander didn’t quite know where the ball was, but was called through for a quick single by captain Faf du Plessis. But ultimately the skipper ran himself out as he was well short of his ground as Australian wicket-keeper Peter Nevill threw down the stumps.
It was a huge blow to the Proteas as Du Plessis was the one Proteas batsman who looked relatively comfortable on a sluggish Kingsmead pitch in hitting 40 off 26 balls (4x4, 1x6).
South Africa were in deep trouble at 72/5 in 9.4 overs after the top-order failed to fire.
AB de Villiers was out first ball off Nathan Coulter-Nile as he tried to run it down to third man and was caught by Nevill, while the recalled Quinton de Kock (in place of Hashim Amla) gave his wicket away with a leading edge back to the bowler Coulter-Nile for seven.
JP Duminy’s inconsistent run with the bat continued as he pulled Andrew Tye to Aaron Finch at midwicket for five.
So it was all up to Miller, David Wiese and Chris Morris, and it was Man-of-the-Match Miller who took the initiative.
Wiese never quite got going, and was another run-out victim for 13 as he and Miller ended up at the same side of the pitch when Wiese came for a single that was never on.
The key over was the 16th by Tye, as Miller hit him for two huge sixes to bring the target down to 29 off 24 balls.
Even though Morris held out to Finch at extra cover off Coulter-Nile for eight, Miller was a stabilising force at the other end, and put the result beyond doubt when he hit Hastings for a four and six in the 18th over.
Kyle Abbott stroked the winnings runs straight down the ground, and it was another great escape for the Proteas in a tight T20 finish.
Earlier, Imran Tahir took 3/21 in four overs, Wiese 2/16 and Kagiso Rabada 2/26 as the South Africans did well to restrict Australia to 157/9 in 20 overs.
Finch gave the visitors a good start with 40 off 18 balls, but a mid-innings collapse saw them stutter to 104/6. But Marsh got 35 off 25 balls to take Australia beyond 150.
The second of the three-match T20 series takes place at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday (2.30pm start).
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