Proteas hold off Aussies
30 March, 2009
AB de Villiers and Robin Peterson Johan Botha led his team from the front to guide South Africa to a 17-run victory over Australia in the second Twenty20 international in Pretoria.
The Proteas captain took 2-16 runs and was given good support from debutants Yusuf Abdullah (1-16) and Roelof van der Merwe (1-30), while Johann Louw (2-36) also chipped in as the visitors were limited to 8-139.
Van der Merwe also made a useful contribution with the bat, slamming 48 from only 30 deliveries as the hosts posted 5-156.
In response, the tourists raced to 37 from only four and a half overs before they were pegged back by Albie Morkel, who managed to outfox David Warner walking down the wicket and yorked him for 20.
One run later, Abdullah sent a slanting delivery across Ricky Ponting, tempting him to drive, but he only managed to edge behind to Mark Boucher.
Botha brought himself on and, after going for only two in his first over, came back and bowled Michael Clarke going for a powerful sweep with the first ball of his second for 27, before hesitation between new man Callum Ferguson and David Hussey led to the former being run out.
Needing 92 from 54 balls, Hussey briefly threatened to emulate his 88 from 44 balls at the Wanderers on Friday before he was eventually out for 27.
The score was 101 at the time and only five more runs were added before the fall of the next wicket - Cameron White slogging a Botha delivery straight to JP Duminy on the boundary for 23.
Louw then came in to bowl the final over with Australia needing 27 to win and he struck with his second ball - James Hopes miscuing a slower ball to Morkel at mid-wicket for 18.
Nathan Bracken (nought) then top-edged his fifth ball, leaving Brad Haddin unbeaten on 16 and Australia 17 runs short of victory.
Earlier, Titans all-rounder Van der Merwe's innings proved the highlight in front of his home crowd at Supersport Park, thumping four sixes and two fours in his 30-ball innings to help the South Africans post a decent total after they were kept in check by the Australian bowlers.
Shane Harwood (2-21) and Hopes (1-26) were largely responsible for that after Ponting had earlier won the toss and decided to bowl.
Gibbs and Robin Peterson, who was promoted to open the batting, made a decent start, taking the score to 22 before the former was out for 20.
Seven balls later, another debutant in Ben Laughlin struck in his first over of international cricket when De Villiers went hard at a wide delivery but only managed to pick out White at short cover for a duck.
Peterson and Duminy began to build nicely thereafter with a 47-run partnership before Peterson gave himself too much room on the leg side and was bowled by Hopes for 34.
Duminy then walked across his stumps looking to paddle-sweep but completely missed the ball and was bowled by Harwood for 23.
Morkel (14 not out) and Boucher (nine not out) tried their best to up the tempo but were restricted by the Australians.
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