Tim David bludgeoned eight sixes in his robust 83 and led Australia to a 17-run win over South Africa in the first T20 on Sunday as international cricket returned to Darwin after 17 years.
David’s aggressive knock off 52 balls pushed Australia to 178 all out after the home team had lost five big hitters inside the first seven overs.
Opening batter Ryan Rickelton (71) and Tristan Stubbs (37) kept South Africa in the hunt, but Josh Hazlewood’s (3-27) twin strike in the 15th over and Glenn Maxwell’s spectacular catch of Rickelton in the final over limited the Proteas to 161-9 and earned Australia its ninth successive win in T20.
Stubbs and Rickelton revived South Africa hopes with a 72-run stand after the visitors had lost three wickets inside the batting powerplay and slipped to 48-3.
Captain Aidan Markram, returning to lead the side after being rested for the triangular series in Zimbabwe, struck three boundaries in Hazlewood’s first over before he was caught in the covers in the same over.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius (14) attempted an inside out shot against Glenn Maxwell’s offspin and was caught at wide long off while Ben Dwarshuis (3-26) dismissed power-hitter Dewald Brevis for just two runs off six balls.
Rickelton and Stubbs started picking up the pace in the second half of the run-chase as leg-spinner Adam Zampa struggled to grip the wet ball. But Hazlewood’s return slowed South Africa, which lost four wickets for just three runs.
Stubbs got a faint inside edge to Hazlewood’s slower ball before George Linde was caught at slips by Maxwell without scoring. Zampa then bagged the wickets of Corbin Bosch and Senuran Muthusamy off the final two balls of his four-over spell to finish with 2-33.
Earlier, Kwena Maphaka (4-20) became the youngest bowler among the full ICC member countries to bag a four-wicket haul at the age of 19 years and 124 days. But David’s phenomenal hitting, which included some of his sixes landing on the roof of the stadium, gave Australia a respectable total to defend.
Captain Mitchell Marsh started the three-match series with a first ball six to Lungi Ngidi over long off but Australia lost a flurry of wickets inside the first six overs of the powerplay with Kagiso Rabada (2-29) striking for the wickets of both openers and Maphaka also denting the middle-order.
Travis Head (2) sliced a catch to Maphaka at short third man only a ball after he got dropped by Linde at point. Maphaka then took a well-judged running catch to dismiss Marsh at square leg.
Despite losing two early wickets, Australia didn’t hold back. Cameroon Green made a quickfire 35 off 13 balls but skied a catch to wicketkeeper Rickelton and Linde struck off his first ball when Josh Inglis couldn’t clear the fielder at point.
But some scrappy fielding also cost South Africa with Stubbs dropping a sitter of David in the outfield soon after the batter had completed his half-century.
David put on 59 runs with Dwarshuis (17) before Maphaka struck twice in his final over. He first had David finally caught by Stubbs at long-on and then Zampa flicked the fast bowler straight to square leg.
Nathan Ellis made 12 off 11 balls but was run out off the final ball as South Africa bowled out Australia for the first time in a T20.