After a rain delay, Alana King helped herself to a career-best haul as the
home team played well.
Australia defeated South Africa 127 (Luus 34, King 4-26, Garth 3-14, McGrath
3-23) by 110 runs with 277 for 9 (Mooney 82*, Healy 60, McGrath 44, Klaas 4-56)
(DLS method)
After suffering a crushing loss three days prior, Australia was able to gather
themselves and win the ODI series with strong performances from Beth Mooney and
Tahlia McGrath. It indicates that they are unstoppable with an 8-4 lead in the
multi-format competition going into the Test match.
After Alyssa Healy had made a clean half-century, Mooney led
Australia's innings with an undefeated 82 off 91 balls, but she never quite
found her game. After dismissing McGrath and Ash Gardner in quick succession,
South Africa managed to stay in the game, but Mooney was supported by Annabel
Sutherland and Alana King, who scored useful runs down the order.
The real damage was then done by McGrath and Kim Garth with the ball. Garth's
swing removed Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch, and McGrath took four balls to
hold both Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp, the crucial wicket.
After 14 overs, rain cut short South Africa's chase, and it
appeared it might not let up long enough to finish the match. However, it
eventually resumed as a 31-over match. South Africa needed ten an over right
away, but that proved to be much too much for them, and wickets fell quickly,
with King, who was one over from a hat-trick, taking three in an over.
With another toss victory for Healy, South Africa had got off to a promising
start. After finding cover, Phoebe Litchfield continued her poor series, and
after seven overs, Australia was held to 21 for 1, with Kapp putting up an
opening spell of 4-2-5-0.
But Healy, who was dismissed for 27 after a very difficult
chance was dropped at deep square-leg, began to pick up the pace with Ellyse
Perry, and the two put on 82 runs for the second wicket. Perry was removed by a
brilliant inswinger from Masabata Klaas, and Healy, having reached fifty from
61 balls, somewhat carelessly flicked the ball to deep square leg.
Though progress was frequently laborious, Mooney—who needed 13 balls to get off
the mark—and McGrath established another significant stand. After hitting five
straight boundaries off Ayanda Hlubi, McGrath broke the mold, but in the
following over, Chloe Tryon skidded through. Australia was reduced to 187 for
5 in the 37th over when Gardner was pinned leg-before wicket by Kapp.
Mooney reached her fifty after hitting 71 balls, and in the last ten overs, Australia picked up speed, scoring 32 runs from her next 20 deliveries. Australia's hopes were slightly dampened by a pair of outstanding catches, one by Wolvaardt at cover and the other by Nadine de Klerk in her follow-through, but their total was bolstered when 13 runs came from essentially a single delivery. After completely smashing Klaas' stumps with a massive full toss, King took care of the free hit as well.
In the ODIs, Wolvaardt was unable to establish himself and
quickly overtook Garth for the lead slip. Darcie Brown, who came in for a
rested Megan Schutt, was bowling quickly and giving the British players a nasty
wrist blow.
The best hope for South Africa was dashed when Kapp, who had been so motivated
in the second game, assisted McGrath to deep-backward square-leg after the
Brits battled through the agony to reach deep midwicket.
De Klerk and Sune Luus added 50 on either side of the rain delay, but Australia
had plenty of breathing room.
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