Proteas cruise to big victory

South Africa have drawn first blood in the Gillette ODI Series with a comprehensive six-wicket win over Australia after the hosts suffered another batting collapse.

The Proteas chased down their target of 153 with 124 balls to spare to hand Australia their 17th defeat from their past 19 one-day internationals. It is the first time ever Australia have lost seven ODIs in a row.

The win was set up by a dominant bowling display that saw Australia reduced to 3-8 then 6-66 and on target for a record-low scored before rearguard knocks from seamer Nathan Coulter-Nile (34) and Alex Carey (28) pushed the total past 150.

Allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo was the pick of the visiting bowlers, taking 3-33 while Dale Steyn, Lungi Ngidi and Imran Tahir claimed two wickets each.

Opening batters Quinton de Kock (47) and Reeza Hendricks (44) put on 94 for the first wicket to ice the game as Marcus Stoinis collected 3-16 in front of his home crowd.

Australia now must win the last two remaining matches – in Adelaide on Friday and Hobart in a week's time – to take out the series or suffer their fifth-straight bilateral series defeat stretching back almost two years.

Adding to Australia's woes is the fitness of Shaun Marsh, who was ruled out of the match with a horrible-sounding "buttock abscess" that required surgery on Sunday, but the hosts are hoping he will be right to go for Friday's clash.

While not much went right for the skipper Aaron Finch and his charges, Proteas captain Faf du Plessis could not have asked for a more professional performance from his players.

After du Plessis won the toss and elected to bowl, his four-strong pace attack headed by veteran spearhead Steyn were equal parts disciplined and deadly.

Steyn removed Travis Head and D'Arcy Short within the space of three balls before Ngidi trapped Finch for five, but had the Victorian reviewed he would have been spared.

So suffocating were the visitors that it took 12 overs for them to concede their first boundary despite the hosts boasting a batting order packed with some of the world's most powerful stroke makers.

One of those master blasters is Chris Lynn but given the dire situation he found himself in he played a measured innings of 15 from 32 balls when he was dismissed caught behind. Lynn was given not out but began to walk from the field once du Plessis signaled for a review.

It wasn’t Australia's day. Glenn Maxwell was caught at mid-on by Henrich Klaasen, a low catch taken millimetres off the ground by the South Africa. Maxwell was not convinced the ball carried but left the ground visibly frustrated when the third umpire agreed with the on-field officials the catch was taken cleanly.

Brilliance from David Miller in the field saw Pat Cummins run out and if it wasn't for Carey's patient knock and Coulter-Nile's swashbuckling cameo – which featured a flat-batted six over deep square leg – Australia would have been bundled out for less than three figures.

Having dismissed the Australians inside 39 overs, South Africa had five overs to negotiate before the scheduled dinner break. Much to their surprise, returning paceman Mitchell Starc was not handed one of the two new balls, the first time in three years the left-armer had not opened the bowling for his country or state.

Coulter-Nile was given the second over behind Josh Hazlewood but after conceding 16 from his maiden over he was dragged from the attack by Finch, who threw the ball to Starc.

But even Starc's immense ability with the white ball could not alter the projection of the match as de Kock and Hendricks motored to the victory target.

By 10 overs the Proteas had amassed 57 runs without loss. At the same stage Australia were 3-19.

Coulter-Nile returned to take the first wicket of the innings as de Kock's skied horizontal slapshot was well caught by Hazlewood at mid-on before his WA teammate Stoinis removed a trio of Proteas – Hendricks, Markram and Klaasen all falling to the allrounder.

Unfortunately, Stoinis's efforts were too late to prevent defeat as Miller hit the winning runs to put his side 1-0 up with two matches to play.

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Travis Head, D'Arcy Short, Chris Lynn, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood

South Africa XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis (c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir

Australia v Proteas, Gillette ODI series, November 2018

First ODI: South Africa won by six wickets

Second ODI: Adelaide Oval, November 9

Third ODI: Blundstone Arena, Hobart, November 11

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

South Africa squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn.