adminPORT ELIZABETH. — Kyle Abbott and Tabraiz Shamsi shared seven wickets as South Africa cruised to a comprehensive six-wicket win over Australia in the fourth one-day international at St George’s Park here yesterday. Swing bowler Abbott ended with 4-40 while left-arm wrist spinner Shamsi nabbed career-best figures of 3-36 as Australia were shot out for 167 off just 36.4 overs.
South Africa then reached 168 for four off 35.3 overs, thanks mainly to 69 off 87 balls from skipper Faf du Plessis as the Proteas took a 4-0 series lead with one match left to play.
Mitchell Marsh tried his best to hold Australia’s innings together with 50 off 72 balls while he shared in a 62-run sixth-wicket stand with Matthew Wade. Wade weighed in with 52 off 58 deliveries with five fours and two sixes and he also added 46 runs for the 10th wicket with Chris Tremain (23 not out).
Steve Smith (21) was the only other batsman to reach double figures as the tourists struggled against an impressive bowling performance. Faced with the possibility of a 5-0 whitewash in Cape Town in the fifth and final match of the series, Smith offered: “We don’t want a whitewash so we’ll have to turn up and play.”
“The wicket maybe wasn’t as good as the others but 250 was about par,” he continued. South Africa had made wholesale changes to their line-up with the injured David Miller replaced by Farhaan Behardien and Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir all rested.
Abbott, Shamsi and left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso made up a new-look bowling attack and the new men rose to the challenge after Australia had won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch which offered seam movement for the quicks and turn for the spinners. — MWP.
Online Reporter