Breetzke's ton riles Aussies as Jansen hanger seals first ODI

Matthew Breetzke riled up Australia after a sparkling maiden home century, before a sensational one-handed Marco Jansen catch sealed South Africa's 67-run first ODI win over Australia in Durban.

Mitch Marsh (60 off 36 balls) launched a new-ball assault against the depleted Proteas pace attack, but his team crumbled after the early carnage as the hosts' dual left-arm spin threats led a stirring fightback to roll the Aussies for 230.

The exit of Matthew Renshaw (44 off 49) under Kingsmead's lights to Jansen's diving snare, on the same short eastern square boundary he had earlier peppered in a 59-ball 75, proved terminal.

After Marsh and Travis Head added 90 for the first wicket in only 9.2 overs, Australia flopped mightily in then losing 9-101. It consigned them to a first defeat on their African tour having accounted for Zimbabwe 3-0 in an ODI series in Harare last week.

Australia had gone pace-heavy in recalling Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, as well as blooding debutant Jack Edwards with Cameron Green unable to bowl, but the spin of Keshav Maharaj (4-20 off 9.2 overs) and Bjorn Fortuin (2-34 off eight) proved more effective.

The visitors were well ahead of the required rate for the bulk of their chase but that pair made regular inroads thanks to Australia's determination to take them down.

Jansen more than made amends for an expensive afternoon with the ball when he caught Renshaw off a fired-up Gerald Coetzee, playing his first ODI in three years.

It brought the vocal Kingsmead crowd, celebrating the Heritage Day public holiday, to full voice on a balmy afternoon.

Earlier, it had not taken even a full 50 overs into the match for tensions to flare between the rivals as Breetzke (112 from 106 balls) left the usually mild-mannered Ellis incensed after running a single from a deflection off his body.  

Ellis exchanged heated words with both Breetzke and Jansen as the pair pushed the Proteas to 8-297 after scoring 89 from the final 10 overs.

With spearheads Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi missing along with a host of other first-choice seamers, Jansen and Corbin Bosch (2-67 off nine) copped the brunt of the early fireworks.

Marsh took just 31 balls to reach his half-century, clearing the rope six times in a furious start to Australia's pursuit, hitting 46 of his side's first 53 runs to relegate Head to mere bystander.

The introduction of spin proved telling. After Maharaj bowled the first boundary-less over of the Powerplay, he had Marsh caught at cover.

Head's exit attempting a strange flick off Jansen exposed the middle-order to the crafty pair who were the prime architects of a mini collapse of 4-46. Fortuin accounted for both Inglis (attempting a reverse sweep) and Cooper Connolly, who could have been out three times in his first eight balls before miscuing an attempted slog sweep after reaching 38.

Green, playing as a specialist No.6 bat in his comeback from a sore shoulder, lasted 10 balls in his comeback before he too was caught on the boundary trying to hit Maharaj for six.

Breetzke continued an extraordinary start to his ODI career, handling a strong Australian bowling attack in a 107-run sixth-wicket partnership.

It took Breetzke's ODI batting average to 63.23 – the third highest all-time among those have batted at least 10 times – and came after he hit 57 and 88 against Australia in a Top End ODI series last year.

After reaching his second ODI ton, South Africa's No.4 had looked to the heavens, dropped to his knees and took off his gloves while pumping his fists in a lengthy celebration.

He then found himself at the centre of Australia's outrage when he feigned to take a single before touching back in his crease and copping a throw from wicketkeeper Josh Inglis' to his back.

Jansen called him through off the deflection – an action that goes against convention, but not the rules. Umpire Lubabalo Gcuma had to intervene when a furious Ellis took umbrage, as Jansen spanked the next two balls to the boundary.

Ellis eventually had Jansen lbw but not after the No.7 had bashed four sixes to lead a rousing fight back from the hosts, not helped by Australia's slow over rate forcing them to bowl the final overs with only two fielders out.

The Proteas had been 5-168 with 16 overs to go when Jansen joined Breetze after Ellis and Adam Zampa (2-50 from seven overs) took regular wickets through the middle overs.

Bowling first-change behind Starc and Hazlewood, Ellis dismissed dangerman Quinton de Kock for 14 with his first ball before taking an athletic caught-and-bowled to remove David Miller for 9.

Edwards came back strong at the death, going at a run-a-ball for his last four overs, but did not take a wicket. He had men's ODI cap No.254 presented to him before play by Pat Cummins, who was sitting out the match with one eye on the Test series next month.

South Africa XI: Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj 

 

Australia XI: Travis Head, Mitch Marsh (c), Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Jack Edwards, Mitch Starc, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Qantas tour of South Africa 2026

All matches to be broadcast exclusively in Australia on Kayo and Fox Cricket

First ODI: September 24, Kingsmead Stadium, Durban, 6pm AEST (10am local)

Second ODI: September 27, Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, 6pm AEST (10am local)

Third ODI: September 30, JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom, 9:30pm AEST (D/N, 1:30pm local)

South Africa ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Duan Jansen, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Nqobani Mokoena, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs

Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Marsh, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Joel Davies, Jack Edwards, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa