Australia has sealed victory within the best-of-three one-day worldwide sequence towards South Africa, avenging its upset loss in match two with a rain-affected 110-run triumph at North Sydney Oval.
After successful the toss on Saturday, captain Alyssa Healy (60) laid the groundwork for the hosts’ 9-277 earlier than slow-starting Beth Mooney fired to 82 not out.
The pair’s efforts left the Proteas requiring their largest-ever profitable run chase to repeat Wednesday’s shock victory and seal a fairytale sequence win.
With out fellow opening bowler Megan Schutt, who was lacking for private causes, Kim Garth (3-14) had an early breakthrough dismissing out-of-sorts Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt (3) caught behind.
In her first over, Tahlia McGrath enticed Tazmin Brits, the one batter who had made a begin to that time, into holing out to deep midwicket the place she was caught for 31.
McGrath (3-23) then gave Marizanne Kapp the identical therapy, the architect of Wednesday’s upset win going for a fourth-ball duck after discovering Darcie Brown within the deep.
South Africa had slumped to 4-63 when rain stopped play after 14 overs, and it was left to chase a revised complete of 238 from 31 overs when the match resumed greater than 90 minutes later.
Legspinner Alana King (4-26) wreaked havoc after the restart, exposing the guests’ lack of batting depth with career-best ODI figures.
After she dispatched Sinalo Jafta and Masabata Klaas, every with out scoring, King got here inside inches of a hat-trick, however the ball bounced simply extensive of off-stump and spared Ayanda Hlubi.
However South Africa however misplaced 4-0 and was all out for 127 within the twenty fifth over when Garth bowled Hlubi.
The win places Australia again in command of the multi-format sequence forward of subsequent week’s one-off Take a look at match in Perth.
To attract the sequence on factors combination South Africa have to win that match.
In Australia’s innings, Healy rode her luck after being dropped on 31 at deep backward sq. leg by Anneke Bosch, who had two different doable catches fall at her ft on a day of blended fielding for the vacationers.
Healy notched her seventeenth ODI half-century with back-to-back fours straight down the bottom off Nadine de Klerk, earlier than being caught at a lot the identical place Bosch dropped her.
When Healy went, McGrath (44) reignited the hosts by hitting younger fast Hlubi (0-41) for 5 consecutive fours however misplayed Chloe Tryon the subsequent over and misplaced her center stump.
With a single to mid-wicket within the forty third over, slow-and-steady Mooney introduced up her sixteenth half-century earlier than a affected person knock started to change gears.
A scoop shot that bounced to the boundary off Kapp was probably the most memorable of Mooney’s 10 fours.
After belting fast Klaas for consecutive sixes, King (17) stored the strike late and Mooney’s ton eluded her.
Klaas (4-56) took career-best ODI figures, and threatened to set off one other top-order collapse when Litchfield hit her to Brits at cowl within the sixth over.
She dispatched Ellyse Perry (24) with an inswinger that collected center stump and broke her 82-run partnership with Healy.
Klaas restricted Australia to 4 runs within the closing over and tempted King into holing out to the deep.
AAP
