24|09|26

The Proteas pulled off a heist at Kingsmead Stadium in eThekwini, defeating Australia by 67 runs in the first ODI of the series.

Matthew Breetzke, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj featured heavily in South Africa’s victory in a match that, for large parts, looked as though it was slipping away from the home side. Australia appeared to have the upper hand during both South Africa’s innings and the early stages of the Australian chase, but the Proteas managed to turn the match around when it mattered most.

South Africa batted first and started their innings on the wrong foot, losing both openers, Tony de Zorzi for 0 and Quinton de Kock for 14, early. When the Proteas began building a foundation through captain Temba Bavuma and Breetzke, Australia struck again, removing Bavuma for 30 off 48 balls.

Ryan Rickelton made a decent start and looked comfortable at the crease before he attempted a pull shot off Adam Zampa and was caught at deep square leg by Matt Renshaw for 27. David Miller also struggled to find his rhythm on the Kingsmead pitch, so there was little surprise when he was caught and bowled by Nathan Ellis.

With South Africa on 168/5 after 33.5 overs, Jansen entered the frame alongside Breetzke. The pair completely changed the momentum of the innings, putting together 107 runs from just 81 balls for the sixth wicket.

It took a miscommunication between the two batters to finally break the partnership. Breetzke, who looked increasingly assured as his innings progressed, was looking for a second run, but Jansen was not ready to respond. The mix-up resulted in Breetzke being run out for an excellent 112 off 106 balls.

Jansen followed him just 10 balls later after making a valuable 75, with South Africa on 289. The Proteas eventually finished their innings on 297/8, with Ellis Australia's best bowler, taking 3/57.

Australia got off the mark like they were Formula 1 drivers, racing away from the Proteas' bowlers and putting South Africa under immediate pressure. Then Maharaj came on and applied the brakes, slowing the Australians down and sending them into a pit stop.

Mitch Marsh had raced to a 36-ball 60 and Australia appeared to be firmly in control before the Australian captain was caught by Breetzke at extra cover off Maharaj's bowling.

Despite Marsh's dismissal, Australia remained in a strong position. Travis Head became the second wicket to fall, dismissed by Jansen for 36. The game then began to swing decisively in South Africa's favour when the Proteas introduced their second spinner, Bjorn Fortuin. He quickly made an impact, removing Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis.

Maharaj continued to dismantle the Australian middle and lower order. He removed Cameron Green for 5, Jack Edwards for 5 and, finally, Zampa — the last Australian wicket to fall.

Maharaj finished with remarkable figures of 4/20 from 9.2 overs, playing a major role in South Africa completing an unexpected turnaround.

One of the moments of the match came when Gerald Coetzee dismissed Renshaw for 44. Jansen had to cover significant ground to get close to the ball before the tall all-rounder launched himself to his right and completed a spectacular one-handed catch at cow corner.

Australia were eventually bowled out for 230 with 52 balls remaining. After looking under pressure for much of the match, the Proteas' spinners pulled things back dramatically at Kingsmead, helping South Africa secure a 67-run victory and take an early lead in the ODI series.

The second match will be a Pink Day fixture at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium in Johannesburg on 27 September.

Australia will look to level the series, while South Africa will aim to secure a series win on home soil. CSA and its partners will also use the occasion to raise as much funding as possible for breast cancer awareness and support initiatives.