Miller, Bavuma tons seal South Africa’s ODI series win

David Miller's career-best 142 and Temba Bavuma's 103 helped South Africa come back from a first-ball wicket and post 365/9 en route to their 32-run win in the second ODI at the Wanderers. After that, the spinners stifled an explosive Australian start to win the series 2-0 with one game remaining.

After Mitchell Marsh won the toss, Australia decided to bowl in an effort to make the most of the morning's moisture. Cooper Connolly leapt to make a one-handed catch after Aiden Markram slapped a short, wide pass from Josh Hazlewood toward cover-point.

Australia appeared to have won the toss at the beginning of the game. Hazlewood and Xavier Bartlett kept hitting the bat as the new ball swung more than it had in Durban. Before deciding that the best way to survive was to attack, Bavuma was 1 off 10 balls and broke the shackles by hitting a four and a six off Hazlewood in the third over.

Quinton de Kock hit two sixes off Josh Hazlewood in the opposite end of the field in the seventh over before edging a drive behind. With his captain, Matthew Breetzke added 57 before being bowled out by Jack Edwards with the third ball of the match. At 93/3, SA suddenly found themselves up against it.

Miller and Bavuma joined forces at that point to perform the massive rescue. Miller took his time at first, and Australia played a few tight overs. However, once the ball stopped moving, SA grabbed some momentum quickly. Miller took his time. To a standing ovation, Bavuma played the anchor and scored his sixth ODI hundred. The pair had added 156 and put SA on track for a massive total when the captain of SA holed out to deep cover on 103.

Even though Jack Edwards took five wickets with slower bouncers and cutters, Miller was unable to stop him when it mattered. The 37-year-old made 142 off 93 balls, including 12 fours and 9 sixes, to reach his century in 73 balls before miscuing one off Edwards to deep cover. South Africa passed 360 thanks to Duan Jansen's final score of 27 from 18.

Marsh and Travis Head demonstrated that the pitch still had plenty of room for batting against the new ball in the first over. Marsh hit five sixes as they attacked the seamers, and Australia reached 130 without losing in the 17th over. But like in Durban, Australia were found wanting against the older ball.

In the pitch report, Shaun Pollock suggested that the surface could help turn once the sun had set, and that's exactly what happened. South Africa bowled 30 overs of spin, their most ever in an ODI played at home. When Marsh was hit on the pad, Bjorn Fortuin struck in his first over and the ball rolled onto the stumps. He finished his innings with 84 runs off 53 balls. Connolly then soon flicked a loose ball to mid-wicket. Head looked like he would win the game after surviving two drops off Markram's bowling, but he fell lbw, sweeping Markram for 84.

The spinners of South Africa controlled the chase from that point on. On a surface where the ball was now gripping, Keshav Maharaj, Fortuin, and Markram bowled full and straight, and Australia's middle order was unable to score against them. Alex Carey was caught on the crease and trapped lbw while Matt Renshaw fought for 32 before Maharaj pinned him in front. Cameron Green, stuck on 17, charged at Fortuin and holed out.

Competing at No. 8, Xavier Bartlett hit five sixes on his way to a 26-ball fifty, the joint-fastest by an Australian against South Africa, and revived the hopes for Australia to some extent. After that, Lizaad Williams caught Bartlett with a yorker, Marco Jansen took two wickets in two balls, and Hazlewood mishit to mid-off as Australia lost for 333.