Jean Paul Duminy Sachin Tendulkar-like Flick for Six
Australian opening batsman David Warner scored a brilliant 43-ball 89 on his Twenty20 International debut to help his team register a 52- run victory in the first of two Twenty20 games to be played between the hosts and South Africa.
After the spectacular Test series witnessed between these two sides, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the first Twenty20 match.
Having never played a first-class game, 22-year old Warner was selected to play for Australia based on his impressive domestic performances in Twenty20 games and one day internationals for New South Wales.
The left-handed opener started off his innings with a flurry of boundaries which included 18 runs from the third over bowled by Makhaya Ntini. He put up a series of brief partnerships with the Australian top order before he was dismissed 11 runs short of a debut Twenty20 century.
He put on a 38-run first-wicket partnership with Shaun Marsh (9); 55-run second wicket partnership with skipper Ricky Ponting (21); and 43-run third wicket partnership with David Hussey (19) – all three partnerships came at a scoring rate of more than 10 runs per over. Warner’s knock included 7 boundaries and 6 sixes.
South Africa managed to pull back the match once Warner departed and gave away only 37 runs in the final 5 overs, while picking up 5 wickets during this time.
At the end of its innings, Australia was 182 for 9. Dale Steyn picked up three Australian wickets while Makhaya Ntini and Albie Morkel picked up two wickets a piece.
Chasing 183 for victory, South Africa was put on the back-foot early in the second innings by some fast, disciplined bowling by Australia. Comeback men, Nathan Bracken and Shaun Tait reduced the visitors to 12 for 3 at the end of 3 overs picking up the experienced candidates Herschelle Gibbs (0), AB de Villiers (0) and Jacques Kallis (4).
Debutant Vaughan van Jaarsveld (12) then put up a 53-run partnership with JP Duminy who was the only South African batsman who looked at ease against Australia’s clinical bowling display.
Duminy top-scored with 78 but his efforts were not enough as the visitors succumbed to a 52-run defeat. The Proteas lost its last six wickets for 48 runs.
David Hussey picked up three wickets for Australia while Bracken, Tait and Ben Hilfenhaus picked up two wickets each.
The final Twenty20 game between these two nations will be played on January 13 at Brisbane after which the two sides will go up against each other for a series of 5 ODIs.
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