DURBAN: Sean Abbott took four wickets and Travis Head made 91 as Australia completed a series clean sweep with a five-wicket win in the third and final Twenty20 international against South Africa at Kingsmead on Sunday.
Seam bowler Abbott followed up a player-of-the-match performance in the second match with a career-best four for 31 as South Africa made 190 for eight after deciding to bat first.
The left-handed Head slammed eight fours and six sixes in a 48-ball innings before being caught at long-off when just five runs were needed for victory. Head´s innings was typical of the aggressive approach of the Australian batsmen in dominating all three matches.
"With the power we´ve got in this team it puts pressure on the bowlers," Head said at the after-match presentation after being named player of the match. Australia captain Mitchell Marsh was named player of the series after scoring 186 runs off 100 balls and only being dismissed once in the three matches.
"It was not just me, it was a collective effort," said Marsh. South Africa put up a slightly better performance after being outplayed in the first two matches, with newcomer Donovan Ferreira hitting 48 off 21 balls in a late-innings assault to take the hosts to a competitive total.
South Africa captain Aiden Markram dismissed Matthew Short with the first ball of Australia´s reply but Head, supported by Marsh (15), Josh Inglis (42) and Marcus Stoinis (37 not out) ensured another comfortable win for the tourists.
The batsmen were aided by some poor South African fielding, with three catching chances going down. A five-match one-day international series starts in Bloemfontein on Thursday as both teams intensify their preparations for the World Cup in India next month.
"We´re not exactly where we want to be. We hope to get some momentum before the World Cup," said Markram, who will hand over the leadership to Temba Bavuma for the one-day games.
South Africa had added two new players Matthew Breetzke and Donovan Ferreira in their final T20I match against Australia. They returned to international cricket for left-arm spin bowler Keshav Maharaj who suffered a ruptured left tendon in March.
Meanwhile, Australia did three changes from the side that clinched the series with an eight-wicket win at the same venue on Friday. Ashton Turner, Tanveer Sangha and Spencer Johnson replaced Aaron Hardie, Adam Zampa and Jason Behrendorff.
Teams:
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, Tristan Stubbs (wkt), Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams.
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Matt Short, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wkt), Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Ashton Turner, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson, Tanveer Sangha.—AFP
South Africa won the toss
South Africa Innings
Hendricks c Inglis b Sangha 42
Bavuma c Head b Stoinis 0
Breetzke c David b Stoinis 5
Markram (c) c Turner b Abbott 41
Stubbs c Short b Abbott 25
Ferreira run out (Inglis) 48
Fortuin c Marsh b Abbott 0
Coetzee c Hardie b Abbott 13
Keshav Maharaj not out 9
Lungi Ngidi not out 2
Extras: (b 1, lb 1, nb 1, w 2) 5
Total: 20 Ov (RR: 9.50) 190/8
Bowling: Marcus Stoinis 4-0-39-2, Spencer Johnson 4-0-29-0, Sean Abbott 4-1-31-4, Nathan Ellis 4-0-50-0, Tanveer Sangha 4-0-39-1
Australia Innings
Short lbw b Markram 0
Head c Bavuma b Fortuin 91
Marsh (c) c Fortuin b Coetzee 15
Inglis c Coetzee b Fortuin 42
Marcus Stoinis not out 37
Tim David c Ferreira b Coetzee 1
Ashton Turner not out 2
Extras: (nb 1, w 2) 3
Total: 17.5 Ov (RR: 10.71) 191/5
Bowling: Aiden Markram 4-0-37-1, Lizaad Williams 2-0-24-0, Bjorn Fortuin 4-0-36-2, Lungi Ngidi 1-0-18-0, Gerald Coetzee 3.5-0-36-2, Keshav Maharaj 3-0-40-0
Match result: Aus won by 5 wickets
Player of the match: Travis Head
Umpires: Paleker, Bongani
