David masterclass saves Aussie as Maphaka takes four
South Africa have been set 179 to win the first of three T20 Internationals at the Marrara Oval in Darwin on Sunday after a wild batting performance by Australia.
Australia collapsed to 6/75 attempting to cash in on fielding restrictions during the first six overs, but a bad miss in the field allowed Tim David to score 83 of Australia’s 178 all out batting with the tail. David hit eight sixes.
Impressive teenage left-arm fast bowler Kwena Maphaka claimed 4-20. It is no surprise this was already his 13th international for South Africa, which includes two tests.
David was given a costly life on 56 when he skyed spinner Senuran Muthusamy to long on, only for Tristan Stubbs to drop a straightforward outfield catch. The next two balls went for six.
Beaten for pace ⚡
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 10, 2025
Kwena makes a mess of Mitchell Owen's stumps 💣
📺 Stream #AUSvRSA on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw pic.twitter.com/tG4t33hN9R
Once again premium pace bowler Kagiso Rabada did the early damage, claiming 2/13 in his initial two-over spell. This included a charged straight six from David’s second ball.
A third wicket for Rabada was disallowed when tailender Nathan Ellis was caught at deep square leg, only for the umpires to call no ball, giving Rabada 2/29 from his four overs.
Coming off a 37-ball century during Australia’s recent Twenty20 series in the West Indies, David went on to play Australia’s most sensible innings, to the delight of the sell out crowd.
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh set the tone by smashing the first ball of the match, from Lungi Ngidi, over long off for six after South African captain Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to bowl. Marsh said he would have also bowled first.
Marsh has been promoted to open the batting in a move that the selectors hope will bed down Australia’s now T20 opening combination with Travis Head as they build towards the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in just over six months’ time.
Returning to the team after resting from Australia’s 5-0 T20 triumph in the West Indies, Head missed several attempted cuts before slicing the fifth ball of Rabada’s first over to George Linde at point, who dropped what he should have taken.
It wasn’t a costly miss. Head sliced the next ball to Maphaka at gully and stayed, waiting for the tv umpire to rule that he would not be saved by a bump ball call.
Linde claimed Australia’s newly minted No 3 Josh Inglis first ball, slicing to Muthusamy at backward point.
Marsh (13) skied Rabada to Maphaka at deep square leg, Cameron Green (35 in 13 balls) skied Ngidi straight up in the air and Mitch Owen (2), played the worst shot of the night, charging Maphaka to lose his off stump.
The teams have contrasting form coming into the series with Australia having won an unprecedented 22 of their last 26 T20Is including a 5-0 clean sweep in the Caribbean last month while the Proteas have managed only six wins from their last 12 matches and have not won any of their last three bilateral series.
AUSTRALIA: Travis Head, Mitch Marsh (captain), Josh Inglis (wkt), Camerona Green, Tim David, Mitch Owen, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, George Linde, Senuran Muthusamy, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi
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