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Australia smashed 431/2 against South Africa in Mackay, with centuries from Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Cameron Green, setting a new ODI record total in Australia.
Travis Head raising his bat against South Africa.
(AFP)
Australia scripted history against South Africa in Mackay on Sunday (August 24), hitting 431/2 in the first innings, their second-highest ODI total ever. Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Cameron Green all slapped brilliant centuries to help offer a daunting chase for the Proteas in the third and final ODI of the series.
431/2 marks a new record for the highest-ever ODI total in Australia. The previous best was Australia’s 417/6 against Afghanistan in 2015 at the West Australian Cricket Association (WACA) stadium in Perth. Overall, in the format, it ranks ninth, just behind the 434/4 they made against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2006.
Interestingly, the latter was chased down by the Proteas, courtesy of an unforgettable 175 from Herschelle Gibbs. It remains the highest ever chase in the history of ODIs, and given how close the match went — South Africa were nine down and won on the penultimate ball — it is considered the greatest match in the format.
The record-shattering innings was set up by Head, who excelled with a blazing 142 off 103 balls. Marsh contributed 100 from 106, forming Australia’s first 100-run opening stand since the 2023 World Cup.
Skipper Marsh won the toss and chose to bat, with Head and Marsh driving Australia to 86 without loss after the 10-over powerplay.
Head reached his half-century off 32 deliveries, hitting boundaries with ease. Marsh, on the other end, hit two big sixes off the new-ball pairing of Kwena Maphaka and Wiaan Mulder. Head cruised to a seventh ODI century, then hit a series of big shots before being caught in the deep by Dewald Brevis off Keshav Maharaj after hitting 17 fours and five sixes.
Their 250-run partnership at Great Barrier Reef Arena also set a record for Australia’s highest opening stand against South Africa, surpassing the 170 by Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist in Durban in 2002.
Green then dominated with an unbeaten 118, his maiden Test ton, including a 47-ball century, and wicketkeeper Alex Carey added an unbeaten 50.
South Africa struggled without quicks Nandre Burger and Lungi Ngidi, who they rested because they were 2-0 up in the series, as their second-string attack couldn’t match the powerful duo.
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