Head, Marsh and Green centuries set up Australia's thumping 276-run consolation win

Mackay, Aug 24 (IANS) Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green powered Australia to a record-breaking batting display by hitting centuries each before Cooper Connolly’s five-wicket haul helped them seal a thumping 276-run consolation win over South Africa in the third ODI at the Great Barrier Reef Arena on Sunday.

After being dismissed for under 200 in the first two games, Australia rebounded in style with Marsh and Head adding 250 runs for the opening wicket – marking the team’s fifth highest ODI opening partnership.

Their 34-over assault, with Head making 142 and Marsh hitting exactly 100, left ample time for Green, who smashed a maiden ODI hundred off just 47 balls and the second-fastest century for Australia behind Glenn Maxwell.

Green finished unbeaten on 118 from 55 balls, as Australia finished on a towering 431/2, their second-highest total in the format and the highest they have ever hit in a men’s ODI at home. Alex Carey applied finishing touches to the innings with a brisk 37-ball half-century, while adding 164 runs for the third wicket with Green in just 13.3 overs, as Australia plundered 126 in the final 10 overs.

It also marked only the second instance in men’s ODI history of the top three batters from one side scored centuries in the same innings. South Africa’s reply never gathered momentum in a mammoth chase of 432. Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett struck early in the powerplay to reduce the visitors to rubble, before Connolly ran through the middle and lower order to pick a career-best 5-22.

As a result, the Proteas were bundled out for 155, suffering their heaviest ODI defeat as Australia wrapped up victory by 276 runs — their second-largest margin of win by runs in men’s ODIs. Connolly, 22, has also become the youngest Australian bowler to take five wickets in an ODI and finishes with the best ever figures by an Australian spinner in men’s ODIs.

Despite the emphatic win, the series went South Africa’s way 2-1, marking the first time since 2018/19 that Australia have lost back-to-back bilateral ODI series, following their 2-0 defeat to Sri Lanka earlier this year.

South Africa will now head straight to England for a tour of three ODIs and three T20Is starting on September 2. Australia, meanwhile, will have a break before playing three T20Is against New Zealand from October 1.

Brief Scores: Australia 431/2 (Travis Head 142, Cameron Green 118 not out; Keshav Maharaja 1-57, Senuran Muthusamy 1-75) beat South Africa 155 in 24.5 overs (Dewald Brevis 49, Tony de Zorzi 33; Cooper Connolly 5-22, Sean Abbott 2-27) by 276 runs

--IANS

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