Australia suffered a defeat in the One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa, losing the second match of the three‑game set by a margin of 32 runs in Johannesburg on Sunday, leaving the series already decided with a game still to play. South Africa’s innings was anchored by two spectacular centuries: David Miller smashed an explosive 142 runs off just 93 deliveries, while captain Temba Bavuma contributed a composed 103 from 116 balls. Their partnership propelled the Proteas to a formidable total of 366 for nine wickets, a score that was set after South Africa chose to bat first following the toss. The Australian chase began brightly.
Openers Mitch Marsh and Travis Head provided an aggressive start, scoring 84 off 53 balls and 85 off 76 balls respectively, and they quickly put the South African bowlers under pressure by hitting across the line and finding the boundary with regularity. Their brisk scoring gave the visitors the impression that a successful chase was within reach. However, the Australian middle order soon ran into difficulties, particularly when confronted with spin bowling. After reaching 191 for two wickets in the 25th over, the team managed only an additional 62 runs while losing four more wickets over the next fifteen overs, sliding to 253 for six.
This collapse exposed the lingering vulnerability of the Australian batting line‑up against quality spin, a problem that has recurred in recent series. Needing 113 more runs from the final ten overs, Australia attempted a late surge.
Xavier Bartlett played a quickfire cameo, scoring a rapid half‑century – 50 runs off just 28 balls – but the effort was insufficient to bridge the gap. The innings eventually concluded at 333 all out, with the final wicket falling in the last over of the innings.
South Africa’s spin attack was effective, with Keshav Maharaj returning figures of 2 for 54 and Bjorn Fortuin claiming 2 for 70. All‑rounder Aiden Markram also chipped in with a wicket, finishing with 1 for 55. Among the seamers, Lizaad Williams took three wickets for 54 runs, while Marco Jansen added two for 53. Australian captain Mitch Marsh reflected on the performance, acknowledging the team’s shortcomings: "It’s certainly an area where we need to improve and we’re well aware of that.
I thought we set up our innings really well in both games but we haven’t been able to execute during those middle phases. It’s a great learning curve, especially for some of our younger players. But you also have to give South Africa full credit for the way they’ve bowled during those periods." Miller’s eighth ODI century, which featured twelve fours and nine sixes, combined with Bavuma’s sixth, underpinned South Africa’s imposing total of 365‑9 after the full 50 overs.
On the Australian side, Jack Edwards, making only his second ODI appearance, produced a standout bowling performance, taking five wickets for 67 runs. Veteran fast bowler Josh Hazlewood also contributed, dismissing Aiden Markram on the very first ball of his innings for a golden duck and ending with figures of 3 for 70. Australia have not secured a bilateral ODI series win against South Africa since 2014, and the recent loss extends a difficult run – they have been beaten in 19 of their last 25 ODIs against the hosts.
The team will now turn its attention to the final match of the series, scheduled for Wednesday in Potchefstroom, hoping to salvage a consolation victory. South Africa’s captain Bavuma praised his side’s all‑round display: "It was another really good all‑round team performance. It started with the bat.
Conditions were a little tricky up front but we managed to get through that period and build towards a good total. David played an unbelievable innings and then the bowlers did their job as well." Fans can watch the concluding ODI between South Africa and Australia live on Sky Sports Cricket, with the broadcast beginning at 12 pm (the first ball at 12:30 pm) on Wednesday.
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