SouthAfrica were put into bat after Autralia won the toss and elected to field. As expected Gibbs was off in full speed as he smacked 20 off the initial 22 runs that SA scored. He played one too many shots to get himself out bowled to a slower delivery of Bracken. Bracken was flown in for the T20 and the five match one day series against SA strating April 3,2009. DeVellliers continued to show poor form in the format when he was out for 0 caught by White at Short Extra cover off the bowling of the debutant Laughlin. Peterson opened the innings with Gibbs and took the attack to the Australian bowlers as soon as Gibbs was dismissed. He scored 34 off 27 balls before he was out bowled by Hopes, but not before he got over 15 runs of his over. Duminy scored a very cautious 23 off 28 balls before he was out bowled by Harwood playing his 2nd international match for Australia.
Edges off the bat carried over the boundaries for six. RE Van der Merwe, a mighty South African hit 48 off 28, Played some convincing shots and some not so convincing shots.He played some blind shots in his inning of 48 off 30 balls before he lost his wicket to Harwood caught behind by Haddin. He at one point smashed Hoped over the Point Boundary for six trying to hoik that over Midwicket. Morkel scored 14 off 10 and Boucher scored 9 off 8 as he samashed the last ball off the inning for six over midwicket to finish the inning at 156 for 5 in 20 overs.
ScoreCard Courtesy: CRICINFO
The Australians seldom appeared comfortable in pursuit of South Africa's 156 for 5 on a pitch that troubled batsmen from both sides of the Indian Ocean. Michael Clarke (27 runs from 33 balls) struggled to combat South Africa's disciplined lines, while Ricky Ponting was dismissed for a solitary run for the second time in three days; this time to a well-angled delivery from debutant paceman Yusuf Abdulla. Hardly an ideal start. But the fatal sequence for Australia was saved for the eleventh over, delivered by the ever-effective Johan Botha, who must surely rank among the world's finest Twenty20 bowlers at present. Clarke was bowled attempting to sweep the first ball of the South African captain's second over, and Callum Ferguson - following a dreadful mix-up with David Hussey - was run out the next delivery, in a carbon copy of Michael Hussey's dismissal on Friday.
Thereafter, the tourists were never in the hunt. Roelef van der Merwe, who previously blasted 48 from 30 deliveries to provide impetus to the South African innings, claimed the vital wicket of Hussey to end the Australian charge. And when Johann Louw removed James Hopes and Nathan Bracken in the final over of the innings, the Australians found themselves marooned at 139 for 8 and facing a comprehensive tactical and selection overhaul ahead of the World Twenty20 in June.
SA will like to carry the same form and momentum into the five match one day series starting on April 3,2009. Graeme smith has been named in the squad and looked a fit man as he cheered his team from the dug-out during the T20 matches. SA will be looking to regain their 1st spot from the Australians before they head to England for the world T20.
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Kunal Janu
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