CAIRNS: Australia’s Glenn Maxwell took a brilliant catch before smashing an unbeaten half-century under pressure in a tense chase to help the hosts overcome a dogged South Africa by two wickets in the third and final Twenty20 International and complete a 2-1 series victory in Cairns on Saturday.

In response to South Africa’s 172-7, the hosts were in trouble at 122-6 in the 14th over before Maxwell stepped up with an unbeaten 62 off 36 balls to help Australia chase down the target with one ball to spare in a thrilling decider at the Cazalys Stadium.

After 18 overs of their innings, it was a run-a-ball target for Australia with Maxwell in the middle.

But there was a late twist when South Africa quick Corbin Bosch (3-26) dismissed Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis with consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over and kept Maxwell away from the strike.

Needing 10 off the last over from Lungi Ngidi, Maxwell took six from the first four balls before reverse sweeping the bowler for a four to seal Australia’s dramatic victory.

Hot favourites Australia won the first match but were stunned by a 52-run defeat in game two before moving to Cairns in northern Queensland, which hosted its first T20 international.

“It was a little bit nerve-wracking,” Maxwell said after being adjudged player of the match. ““I tried to stay on strike as much as I could and cash in on anything loose. I probably had to do the majority of the striking but, yeah, it was nice to get a couple out of the middle right near the end.”

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh elected to field in helpful conditions for seam bowlers, a contrast to the batting-friendly surfaces used in the opening two games in Darwin.

Veteran quick Josh Hazlewood rebounded from an errant performance in game two by dismissing captain Aiden Markram for one in the first over.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius hit a quick-fire 24 before falling to Ellis, bringing to the crease Dewald Brevis who smashed a South African T20 record of 125 not out in game two.

He crunched his sixth delivery onto the roof before a diving Maxwell dropped a tough one-handed chance at long-on.

Brevis motored to his half-century off 22 balls; hitting Aaron Hardie for four sixes in an over and throwing the pacer out of the attack.

Maxwell, a brilliant fielder, redeemed himself in the 12th over with a superb diving catch in the outfield off the bowling of Nathan Ellis (3-31) to halt Brevis’ charge on 53.

Tristan Stubbs contributed 25 and Rassie van der Dussen made 38 not out down the order but South Africa still fell short of the 175-mark.

Skipper Mitchell Marsh (54) led Australia’s robust reply, dominating his 66-run opening stand with Travis Head (19).

Kagiso Rabada floored a return catch from Marsh when the batter was on 26 and Markram gave a similar reprieve to Head off his own bowling.

Head could not capitalise on it though and fell to Markram in the same over.

Bosch bowled Josh Inglis for a first ball duck before South Africa’s teenaged left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka dismissed Marsh and Cameron Green (nine) in the same over to turn the match on its head.

Rabada also produced a two-wicket over, dismissing in-form Tim David (17) and Hardie but Maxwell stayed calm to guide Australia home.

The Australian players wore black armbands in honour of former captain and coach Bob Simpson, who died at the age of 89.

The three-match One-day International series between the sides begins in Cairns on Tuesday.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:

A. Markram c Green b Hazlewood1

R. Rickelton c Inglis b Zampa13

L. Pretorius c Hardie b Ellis24

D. Brevis c Maxwell b Ellis53

T. Stubbs b Zampa25

R. van der Dussen not out38

C. Bosch c Ellis b Hazlewood1

S. Muthusamy c Hazlewood b Ellis9

K. Rabada not out4

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, W-2)4

TOTAL (for seven wickets, 20 overs)172

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-2 (Markram), 2-32 (Pretorius), 3-49 (Rickelton), 4-110 (Brevis), 5-137 (Stubbs), 6-138 (Bosch), 7-165 (Muthusamy)

DID NOT BAT: K. Maphaka, L. Ngidi

BOWLING: Hazlewood 4-0-30-2; Hardie 2-0-33-0 (1w); Dwarshuis 4-0-37-0; Ellis 4-0-31-3 (1w); Zampa 4-0-24-2; Maxwell 2-0-15-0

AUSTRALIA:

M. Marsh c Pretorius b Maphaka54

T. Head c Ngidi b Markram19

J. Inglis b Bosch0

C. Green c Brevis b Maphaka9

T. David c & b Rabada17

G. Maxwell not out62

A. Hardie c Bosch b Rabada1

B. Dwarshuis b Bosch1

N. Ellis c Rickelton b Bosch0

A. Zampa not out0

EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-1, W-4)10

TOTAL (for eight wickets, 19.5 overs)173

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-66 (Head), 2-71 (Inglis), 3-83 (Marsh), 4-88 (Green), 5-120 (David), 6-122 (Hardie), 7-163 (Dwarshuis), 8-163 (Ellis)

DID NOT BAT: J. Hazlewood

BOWLING: Rabada 4-0-32-2 (2w, 1nb); Markram 2-0-6-1; Ngidi 3.5-0-34-0; Maphaka 3-0-36-2; Muthusamy 3-0-34-0 (1w); Bosch 4-1-26-3 (1w)

RESULT: Australia won by two wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Glenn Maxwell

SERIES: Australia won three-match series 2-1.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Tim David

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2025