Finch, Smith spark Aussie victory

Australia have inflicted capital punishment on South Africa, taking the third Carlton Mid ODI by 72 runs in Canberra.

Opening batsman Aaron Finch thumped 109 from 127 and Steve Smith 72 not out off 55 balls to propel the hosts to a venue-high score of 5-329.

The Proteas made a fist of the chase off the back of Hashim Amla’s first one-day international century against Australia, and when he and AB de Villiers (52 off 34) were at the crease, South Africa looked to be favourites.

But their wickets sparked a collapse of 4-14, with Mitchell Starc (4-31) and Josh Hazlewood (3-51) the standouts with the ball.

George Bailey’s men now head to Melbourne for Friday’s fourth ODI with a 2-1 lead in the five match series.

Australia named three changes to the side that lost on Sunday, with pace duo Starc and Kane Richardson joining left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty in the starting side, while allrounder Glenn Maxwell and Nathan Coulter-Nile were dropped and Mitchell Johnson rested.

George Bailey won the toss, and like he did three days ago, elected to bat.

His opening pair in Aaron Finch and David Warner played with caution and care in the early going, resisting the urge to play at anything on the stumps, instead waiting for width and freedom.

In the 10th and final over of the first Powerplay, Finch lofted Morkel over mid-off to lift Australia’s score over 50 and give the hosts the initial momentum. 

South Africa were disciplined in the field, scrambling to knock down and deflect the Australian stroke play, but when it came to front-foot no balls, the tourists over-stepped thrice before the first drinks break to gift three free hits and let the home side build a solid foundation.

Moments after the pair raised their century stand, Finch was the first man to lift the bat for his own milestone, reaching 50 from 65 balls that included four fours and two sixes.

Canberra then witnessed something rarer than a double dissolution – the batting Powerplay taken before the 35th over.

With momentum and confidence at a series-high, Warner and Finch made Proteas skipper AB de Villiers marshal all bar two of his troops inside the 30-yard fielding restriction circle, and the move paid early dividends when Warner cut Philander to the boundary to join his partner with fifty next to his name.

But as the batting Powerplay so often does, a wicket fell soon after; Warner mistiming a pull shot to de Villiers at mid-wicket to join the men he saluted just the ball before.

The going was good when Finch featured in his second 50-run stand of the match; the Victorian and Watson taking down de Villiers’ own gentle medium pace for 13 runs to end 30 overs on 1-184.

But as Watson began eying his fifty, the veteran allrounder was undone by the pace, or lack thereof, of Farhaarn Behardien, caught at wide long-on by David Miller to fall for 40 (38).

Finch however, was locked on to his fifth ODI century, and after a brace of boundaries through the off-side off the leg-spin of Imran Tahir moved him to 99, a push down the ground brought up his ton from 117 balls to produce an emotional fist pump and wave to the standing ovation from the sell-out Canberra crowd.

Finch’s knock would come to an end on 109 (127) in the 41st over when his lusty swipe across the line failed to make contact, losing his middle stump to the persistent de Villiers.

The Proteas were stingy in the final stages, dismissing Bailey for 12 (15) and conceding only one boundary in six overs before Mitch Marsh’s powerful bunt down the ground found the rope in the 46th over off Behardien.

Smith worked, glided, swatted and lobbed his way to a half-century from 45 balls as the 300 was raised with two overs remaining.

The Australians kept Steyn wicketless for the first time in 10 ODI matches in the penultimate over, before two brilliant pieces of fielding from Faf du Plessis robbed Smith of four extra runs when he slapped a certain six infield, then took a screaming catch off a no ball.

Smith incredibly clipped the free hit through his legs for four to finish the innings on 73 not out from 55 balls, guiding Australia to the equal highest score at Manuka Oval.

South Africa’s pursuit of 330 started in positive fashion. Hashim Amla drove Josh Hazlewood freely for two fours through cover to get his innings off to a flying start.

Left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc caught the no ball bug, but instead of conceding a boundary off the resulting free hit, the NSW Blues fast bowler uprooted Quinton de Kock’s leg-stump, all for nothing.

Amla was a man possessed during the mandatory Powerplay, elegantly stroking seven boundaries off Australia’s quick men to leave the run chase on track at 0-62.

De Kock then played the aggressor, targeting bearded fast bowler Richardson in the 12th over, taking him for four over mid-on before sending him five rows deep over long-leg.

Bailey was desperate for a breakthrough, but as the overs ticked on the opening pair made the seemingly mountainous target look more like a distant molehill. When Amla raised his fifty from 46 balls, South Africa had left base camp and we’re already 100 runs down by the 16th over.

With de Kock on the footsteps of an ODI half-century, a wild pull shot was top-edged to the safe hands of Marsh at short third man to go for 47 (53), giving Hazlewood the much needed wicket, and as Marsh retreated to the fine-leg boundary, he motioned to the applauding crowd that his heart skipped a beat under the high ball.

A wicket traditionally brings joy to the fielding side, and while the Australians were elated they’d made the breakthrough, the sight of du Plessis striding out to the centre put the dismissal in perspective.

But the wicket did change the course of the match. Boundaries became a little harder to find, the required run rate continued to creep skyward, and when the big shot was needed to release the pressure valve, du Plessis’s hoick to deep mid-wicket was swallowed by Warner to see him depart for 17 (21).

There’s a saying in cricket that goes something like ‘one wicket brings another’, and so it did when Rilee Rossouw edged Starc behind to go for two (5) to leave the match on an even keel at 3-148 from 28 overs.

The boat began tipping back towards the visitors as soon as AB de Villiers marked centre. Within a flash he was 24 off 16 balls, arrogantly clubbing Watson over cow corner, then sweeping the allrounder from outside off over deep backward square-leg for the most impressive six of the night.

Amla’s path to his 17th ODI ton was made easier with de Villiers’s domination of the bowling, hitting three consecutive boundaries, all behind square of the wicket, off Marsh to ease the asking rate and keep the bubble between balls remaining and runs required at an acceptable level.

But before Amla reached triple-figures, the South African captain first acknowledged the applause of the crowd for his fifty, coming off only 32, and two balls later his Test captain reached his first one-day ton against Australia.

When the tide looked to have completely turned, it changed again when Richardson removed de Villiers lbw. The batsman referred the decision, but the umpire’s call was upheld to the joy of the packed crowd and their team in the middle.

That old saying wrung true again next over when Hazlewood castled Amla for a superb 102 (115), bringing together new pair Behardien and David Miller needing 104 from 71 balls.

Bailey then called upon his one-day wizard Starc to ice the game, and in his first over back a reverse swinging yorker trapped Miller leg before for 3 (6), and when Philander (3 off 12) and Steyn (12 off 5) both fell, the left-armer had four wickets in his comeback match.

Hazlewood claimed his third wicket when Behardien chipped the fast bowler to Finch at mid-off, and when Tahir failed to bat due to a knee injury, the match was over with the Australians heading south with the series lead.