Australia VS South Africa 2nd ODI Venue: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
Australia VS South Africa 2nd ODI Date: Friday, August 22
BetXchange Australia VS South Africa 2nd ODI Odds:
History
South Africa’s latest cricket tour of Australia continues on Friday. The Proteas and the Aussies will clash in the second of three ODIs at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. This is the site of the penultimate and final ODIs, with the last game in the six-match tour on Sunday, August 24.
The hosts may have won the T20 series with a wild two-wicket victory in Cairns on August 16, but the Proteas struck the first blow in the ODI series at the same venue on Tuesday.
The hosts won the toss and elected to field, putting South Africa into bat on a wicket that was still a lottery. The Proteas took control of the match early. The top four in the order all scored over 30, with Matthre Breetzke (57), Temba Bavuma (65), and Aiden Markram (82) all passing the half-century mark.
It was Markram that did the most damage as he struck at basically a run a ball on his way to that 82 off of 81 deliveries. All told, the Proteas completed their 50 overs at 296/8.
It was a solid score, but still one within reach of the Australians’ dangerous batting lineup. Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head opened with 88 and 27, respectively, but the rest of the top and early middle order collapsed. Batters three to seven were lost for a combined score of 13, before Ben Dwarshuis put together a solid 33 at the bottom of the order. Australia finished all out for 198, with South Africa winning by 98 runs.
Australia
Australia will wonder how this one got away so quickly. They were 60 without loss after seven overs, but we aren’t used to seeing the collapse of six wickets for an extra 29 runs from this typically consistent side.
Marnus Labuschagne continues to be the most interesting story in the Australian lineup. He is desperate to be part of the Ashes tour when England comes Down Under later this year, but he is bang out of form. His average of just 15.22 in his last nine ODI innings is shocking for a player of his level of talent.
South Africa
It was the spin that killed Australia in this one. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took the hosts apart, with career best figures of 5-33. He took full advantage of the combination of pitch and weather to tear through the hosts’ batting lineup.
The visitors will look for much more from their new ball spell after Lungi Ngidi and Nandre Burger were blasted by the Aussie top order.
Best Bets
Maharaj is just 31/4 to be the best bowler for the second game running. This is probably a fair price, given that the conditions are expected to be much better suited to seamers and pure pace merchants at the Great Barrier Reef Arena.
Take the hot hand, go with South Africa to win again, and take the series before it goes down to the final match in Mackay.
