Maharaj turns the game around after Breetzke’s superb hundred

South Africa defeated Australia by 67 runs in the first one-day international on Thursday at Kingsmead in Durban thanks to Keshav Maharaj's stunning run of 4 for 20 in support of Matthew Breetzke's 112 runs.

Australia had a strong start, chasing 298 to win, with Mitchell Marsh blazing through the powerplay and tossing Marco Jansen for three sixes. Marsh had scored 60 off 35 balls with five sixes by the end of the ninth over. By that time, the openers had scored 89 runs, with Marsh's explosive hitting dwarfing Travis Head's otherwise quick start of 26 off 19 balls.

However, Maharaj, who started off with a tidy over, struck in the last over of the Powerplay, dismissing the dangerous Marsh. Cooper Connolly ensured the momentum wasn’t lost. He hit a couple of quick boundaries and even hit Jansen over the deep mid-wicket boundary as the second wicket pair added 40 runs in seven overs.

However, Jansen prevailed, despite being bowled out for 46 runs in his first five overs. Head was fooled by a delivery from the cross seam, missed David Miller, and fell early in the 17th over. Even as Australia looked comfortable at that point, with 129 on the board, that dismissal changed the course of their innings.

The sudden dismissals of Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly by Bjorn Fortuin sparked a collapse. Even as Matt Renshaw tried to keep Australia’s charge strong, he kept losing partners from the other end. Maharaj cheaply sent Cameron Green and Jack Edwards packing, and the visitors were soon down to 189 for 6.

Renshaw attempted to counterattack in the company of Mitchell Starc, but his innings was cut short on 44 with Jansen plucked a stunning one-handed catch at deep mid wicket. Soon after, the lower order collapsed, and the innings ended for 230 in the 42nd over.

Breetzke used the bat to lead South Africa's charge earlier in the day. Josh Hazlewood dismissed Tony de Zorzi for a seventh-ball duck as Australia chose to bowl. Zorzi's opening partner, Quinton de Kock, followed him back to the pavilion during the powerplay, reducing the hosts to 29 for 2.

Breetzke, Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickleton, and Miller all contributed to the revival of the innings in the middle overs. The first two helped South Africa reach 168 in the 34th over when half of their lineup was sent back.

But Breetzke and Jansen, who took the sixth wicket, gave the innings the boost it needed. Jansen, in particular, was harsh. He began by slaying Adam Zampa for two sixes before targeting Starc. After Bretzkee scored a century at run-a-ball, the real chaos began in the final overs. Jansen struck Nathan Ellis hard in the 47th over on his way to a 59-ball 75. The late surge helped South Africa post 297 for 8, which proved to be a winning total in the end.