Australia beat South Africa by 276 runs for record ODI victory

Australia thrashed South Africa by 276 runs in Mackay, their biggest ODI win, as Head, Marsh and Green scored centuries and Connolly’s 5/22 bowled out the visitors for just 155

Mackay (Australia): Australia’s top three batters dominated an understrength South African pace attack with blazing centuries to hand the tourists their largest-ever ODI defeat in the third and final game here on Sunday.

Travis Head (142), captain Mitchell Marsh (100) and Cameron Green’s maiden ODI hundred (118 not out) powered Australia to its second-highest ODI total of 431/2. South Africa, chasing, collapsed for 155 in 24.5 overs.

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All-rounder Cooper Connolly, playing his first game of the series, took 5/22 to rattle the tourists as none of their batters crossed Dewald Brevis’ 49. Left-arm spinner Connolly ran through the lower order to seal Australia’s massive 276-run win.

Fast bowler Shaun Abbott (2/27) dismissed Aiden Markram (2) and captain Temba Bavuma (19) inside the powerplay before Connolly wrapped up the innings quickly.

Earlier, Australia fell just short of its record ODI total of 434/4 — also made against South Africa in 2006 — and registered just the second instance of their top three batters scoring centuries in the same innings.

Head and Marsh, after electing to bat, pushed the score to 250/0 in 34 overs for Australia’s fourth-highest opening stand. Against a depleted attack missing Kagiso Rabada (ankle injury) and with Lungi Ngidi rested, South Africa’s bowlers lacked control.

Kwena Maphaka (0/73 in 6 overs), Wiaan Mulder (0/93 in 7 overs) and Senuran Muthusamy (1/75 in 9 overs) proved expensive. Only Keshav Maharaj kept things in check at under six an over.

Head, with 17 fours and five sixes, raised his hundred off 80 balls and shared a double-century stand with Marsh. He eventually holed out to long-off, while Marsh fell soon after completing his century with a top-edged slog sweep.

Promoted ahead of Marnus Labuschagne, Green dominated the final 10 overs, reaching his fifty in 28 balls and blasting six fours and eight sixes. He shared an unbroken 164-run stand with Alex Carey (50 not out off 37 balls) at more than 12 runs an over.

Australia closed at 431/2, before bowling out South Africa cheaply to secure a record 276-run win in ODIs.