Mackay [Australia], August 24 (ANI): Wiaan Mulder and South Africa hit a new low while Australia’s Cooper Connolly soared to new heights after the Baggy Greens ruthlessly pummelled the Proteas in the final ODI in Mackay on Sunday.
After allowing an unassailable 2-0 lead slip into South Africa’s hands, Australia offered no clemency to the visitors at the Great Barrier Reef Arena. The purple patch that had evaded captain Mitchell Marsh and swashbuckler Travis Head returned in the third ODI.
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Australia fired all cylinders on its way to a daunting 431/2. Connolly ripped apart South Africa’s batting order with his sizzling five-wicket haul. He cleaned up the middle order with his left-arm orthodox spinning deliveries.
Just two days after turning 22, Connolly became the youngest to scythe a five-wicket haul for Australia, taking the record over from Craig McDermott, who scripted it at the age of 22 years 204 days against Pakistan in 1987.
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Connolly’s magic with the ball left South Africa reeling and eventually surrendering a 276-run defeat, their biggest loss margin in terms of runs. Connolly returned with figures of 5/22 in six overs as Australia celebrated a consolation win.
In the first innings, Marsh (100) and Head (142) were greeted by bright sunshine in Mackay after opting to bat. The plot of the series heavily favoured the team that batted first, and the explosive pair ensured that it remained intact.
The opening pair upped the ante to raise a 250-run opening stand, the fifth-highest in the format for Australia. Cameron Green joined the party, played his heart out and handsomely contributed to the prevailing blitzkrieg.
He took a mere 47 balls to raise his bat and celebrate the second-fastest hundred for Australia in the format. Alex Carey flaunted his boundary-hitting muscle and contributed with a quick-fire 50* from 37 balls.
With the top three firing centuries for fun, this was just the second such instance in the 50-over format, behind South Africa’s rollicking effort against the West Indies in Johannesburg in 2015.
While Australia implemented its destructive approach, Mulder emerged as the ideal target practice. Mulder, who made headlines for his decision not to pursue Brian Lara’s elusive 400 against Zimbabwe last month, leaked 93 runs in his seven-over spell at 13.30.
Mulder’s economy is the second-poorest in ODIs among players who have bowled a minimum of six overs. He stands behind Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien’s 13.57, which he achieved against South Africa in 2015. (ANI),
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