AUS vs SA | Dewald Brevis blockbuster powers South Africa to huge win in second T20I

‌South Africa squared the three-match series in style as they beat Australia by 53 runs in the second T20I at the Marrara Stadium in Darwin on Tuesday. Dewald Brevis scored an unbeaten 125 off just 56 balls to power the Proteas to 218/7, while Corbin Bosch’s spell of 3/20 helped the visitors bundle out the Aussies for 165.

After being put in by the hosts, the South African openers got off to a positive start at the Marrara Stadium. Captain Aiden Markram started with two exquisite drives off Josh Hazlewood on the offside before Ryan Rickelton joined in with a six and four in the pacer’s next over. Though Markram smashed another six to plunder 19 runs in the over, the hosts roared back into the game, conceding just 18 runs in the next three overs and also sending back both openers during the phase. Left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis accounted for Rickelton from a miscued pull shot while Markram in his first over, while Markram was caught at mid off in the next over from Glenn Maxwell. The visitors ended the powerplay at 50/2 with new batters Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis at the crease. Brevis continued the scoring momentum with sixes off spinners Maxwell and Adam Zampa. Another six and four from Brevis in Sean Abbott’s next over meant the visitors reached 88/3 at the halfway mark. The Chennai Super Kings batter stepped on the gas with three sixes and a four, plundering 24 runs in Maxwell’s final over, the first of which brought his maiden T20I fifty in just 25 balls. In the next over, he targeted Hazlewood with two fours and a six before completing a century with three fours in a single over from Dwarshuis. He was the youngest Protean player, and also the second-fastest, to hit a T20I century as South Africa reached a commanding total in their allotted 20 overs. Brevis hit eight sixes and 12 fours during his knock, and his 126-run fourth wicket partnership with Tristan Stubbs (31) pulled the side out of a tricky situation. Left-arm pacer Dwarshuis had impressive figures of 2/24 in four overs, while Maxwell also had two wickets against his name.

Australia’s chase started on the wrong foot, with the side losing two wickets and the score reading just 29 runs in the fourth over. But Tim David, who was promoted to number four, started aggressively with three fours in his first three balls as the hosts ended the powerplay at 58/2. Skipper Markram introduced leg-spinner Nqabayomzi Peter to slow down the home side’s scoring rate, but David continued to play his shots. He pulled the leggie for two huge sixes, the second one sailing out of the ground, in a 19-run over. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru smashed two more sixes to bring up a 23-ball fifty, but his dismissal in the same over put the match in the balance. With 115 runs required from the last 10 overs, the Proteas bowled some quite overs to build the pressure on the hosts. Alex Carey kept their hopes alive with an 18-ball 26, but once Peter dismissed the wicketkeeper-batter, the Australian innings hurried to a close with 14 balls to spare. Apart from Bosch, Maphaka also picked up three wickets, but was expensive, conceding 57 runs in his four overs.