Image: Australia pulled off an awesome win over South Africa / © ESPNcricinfo
On August 24, 2025, the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay bore witness to a cricketing demolition as Australia defeated South Africa by 276 runs in the third ODI. South Africa had already secured the three-match series 2-1, but this final clash was Australia’s moment to shine, and shine they did, with a performance that crackled with intensity.
When Australia’s openers went to the crease, the Mackay crowd sang with anticipation. The pitch was a batsman’s delight, flat, true, and begging for punishment and the hosts delivered a masterclass, piling up 431/2 in 50 overs at a blistering run rate of 8.62. Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Cameron Green unfurled centuries that left South Africa’s bowlers reeling, each innings a mix of power and attacking the South African bowlers. Alex Carey’s steady hand at the end ensured no let-up, as Australia set a target that loomed like a storm cloud over the visitors.
Travis Head was the maestro, conducting the innings with a breathtaking 142 off 103 balls. His knock bristled with 17 fours and 5 sixes, struck at a strike rate of 137.86. From the first ball, Head was in his element, his bat a wand that conjured runs with ease. Cover drives pierced the infield like arrows, while lofted shots soared into the stands, leaving fielders as mere spectators. South Africa’s young quick Kwena Maphaka bore the brunt, hemorrhaging 73 runs in 6 wicketless overs, his inexperience exposed by Head’s relentless assault. Whether flicking off his pads or launching over midwicket, Head played with a swagger that dared the bowlers to try something new. His innings ended in the 34th over, caught by Dewald Brevis off Keshav Maharaj’s spin, but at 250/1, Australia were already in the driver’s seat.
Mitchell Marsh, the captain, played a masterful supporting role, crafting 100 off 106 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of 94.33. Early on, Marsh was content to anchor, nudging singles and twos while Head ran riot. His calm presence kept the scoreboard ticking, but as the innings unfolded, he unleashed his own brand of aggression, lofting sixes and drilling boundaries with authority. His century was a statement of leadership, celebrated with a raised bat to the roaring Mackay crowd, but his stay ended in the 36th over, caught by wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton off Senuran Muthusamy, with Australia at 267/2. The 250-run opening stand with Head was a battering ram, shattering South Africa’s bowling plans and setting the stage for a monumental total.
Cameron Green then took center stage, delivering an unbeaten 118 off 55 balls that redefined destruction. With a strike rate of 214.54, his knock featured 6 fours and 8 sixes, each shot a thunderbolt. Entering with Australia in a commanding position, Green turned the screws, targeting the death overs with ruthless intent. Wiaan Mulder (0/93 in 7 overs) and Muthusamy (1/75 in 9 overs) were powerless as Green launched towering sixes and crisp boundaries. His century, one of the fastest in ODI history off 47 balls, marked him as a future giant. Even his mishits cleared the ropes, leaving South Africa’s fielders chasing shadows across the outfield.
Alex Carey provided the perfect foil, finishing not out on 50 off 37 balls with 7 fours and a strike rate of 135.13. His role was to keep the runs flowing, picking boundaries with deft touches and rotating the strike to let Green’s fireworks continue. Their unbroken 164-run third-wicket partnership was a lesson in finishing, piling misery on a demoralized attack. South Africa’s bowlers floundered as only Maharaj (1/57 in 10 overs) and Muthusamy claimed wickets, while Aiden Markram (0/60 in 8 overs), Corbin Bosch (0/68 in 10 overs), and Maphaka were taken apart. The 21 extras, including 15 wides, betrayed their rattled state, as Australia’s batsmen dictated terms.
Chasing 432 was a Herculean task, and South Africa’s batting collapsed under the weight, bowled out for 155 in 24.5 overs at a run rate of 6.24. Early wickets, reckless shots, and a sensational five-wicket haul by Cooper Connolly defined the innings. Dewald Brevis and Tony de Zorzi offered fleeting resistance, but Australia’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding ensured a swift end to the visitors’ hopes.
The innings began with disaster. Aiden Markram fell for 2 off 8 balls, caught by Cameron Green off Sean Abbott in the second over. Ryan Rickelton followed, scoring 11 off 12 before edging Xavier Bartlett to Cooper Connolly, leaving South Africa at 31/2 in the 5th over. Captain Temba Bavuma countered with 19 off 10 balls, including 4 fours, but his aggression proved his undoing, bowled by Abbott in the 6th over. By the powerplay’s end, South Africa were 50/4, with Tristan Stubbs (1 off 6) caught by Abbott off Bartlett, the chase already in tatters.
Dewald Brevis sparked hope, blasting 49 off 28 balls with 2 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of 175.00. His 57-run fifth-wicket stand with Tony de Zorzi (33 off 30, 6 fours) pushed South Africa past 100 in the 13th over, a brief flicker of defiance. But Brevis fell in the 17th over, caught by Green off Connolly, sparking a collapse. De Zorzi was dismissed earlier in the 14th over, caught by Alex Carey off Connolly, deepening the crisis.
The middle order crumbled swiftly. Wiaan Mulder (5 off 12) and Corbin Bosch (17 off 15) succumbed to Connolly, who finished with 5/22 in 6 overs. His mix of pace and spin was unplayable, with Keshav Maharaj (2 off 13) stumped off his bowling and Senuran Muthusamy (9 not out off 10) and Kwena Maphaka (0 off 5) offered no resistance, with Maphaka falling to Adam Zampa to end the innings. Zampa (1/31 in 4.5 overs), Bartlett (2/45 in 6 overs), and Abbott (2/27 in 4 overs) supported Connolly, while Nathan Ellis (0/25 in 4 overs) kept pressure high.
South Africa’s innings lacked cohesion, with no partnerships to stem the tide. Early losses in the powerplay set a grim tone, and despite Brevis’ fight, the middle order folded and reaching 150 in the 22nd over, the constant wickets ensured no challenge to the target. Australia’s fielders, Green, Labuschagne, and Carey took sharp catches, sealing a record defeat.
The 45th over defined Australia’s dominance, with Cameron Green delivering a sequence of breathtaking power. With Australia at 353/2 after 44 overs, Green (65 off 35) and Carey (30 off 21) maintained a run rate of 8.02. Facing Senuran Muthusamy, Green drove a full ball to deep cover on the third delivery but declined a single, a tactical masterstroke. Muthusamy’s next ball, a slow, flighted delivery, was met with a towering six over long-on as Green advanced.
The following ball, a quicker one, prompted Green to kneel and launch a slog sweep onto the roof at square leg, the bat’s crack echoing through the stands. A shorter ball followed, pulled over deep midwicket for another six, despite imperfect timing. These three consecutive sixes propelled Australia to 377/2, a moment that crushed South Africa’s spirit.
Cooper Connolly emerged as the match’s defining figure, earning TCNI’s Hero of the Day for his sensational debut. The 21-year-old’s 5/22 in 6 overs, with an economy rate of 3.66, dismantled South Africa’s batting and hence he ensured that the Australian team gets the upper hand here against the visitors.
His wickets of Tony de Zorzi (33), Dewald Brevis (49), Wiaan Mulder (5), Corbin Bosch (17), and Keshav Maharaj (2) showcased his skill and composure and with a maiden over and 21 dot balls, Connolly outshone Xavier Bartlett and Sean Abbott, who took two wickets each. His ability to break partnerships and maintain relentless pressure turned the match, marking him as a rising star and cementing Australia’s historic triumph.