Highlights Tri-Series Final: Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers Guide South Africa to Victory
South Africa won their first major tournament since the VB series in 2002 after beating Australia by 6 wickets in Harare.
- Somak Adhikari
- Updated: September 06, 2014 10:59 pm IST
Australia take on South Africa in the Zimbabwe ODI triseries final at Harare. Catch all the live highlights here: (SCORECARD).
20:13 (IST): That's it! It's all over. De Villiers hits the winning runs as South Africa thrash Australia by 6 wickets to claim the Tri-Series.
20:04 (IST): De Villiers reaches 38th ODI fifty. South Africa 212/3.
19:59 (IST): Du Plessis is nearing his fourth ODI hundred and third in-a-row. South Africa 202/3 in 39.3 overs.
19:44 (IST): South Africa looking set to make things simple and finish it off in a hurry. South Africa 184/3 in 36.3 overs.
19:27 (IST): Lyon getting some turn but not enough to cause the batsmen any problems. South Africa 162/3 in 32 overs.
19:21 (IST): The drinks break is taken and South Africa are 160/3 in 31 overs.
19:15 (IST): De Villiers beginning to settle in and threatening to take the game away from Australia.
19:04 (IST): WICKET! Parnell is sent back by Faulkner. AB de Villiers joins Du Plessis in the middle. South Africa 126/3 in 26.4 overs.
18:52 (IST): Parnell in a punishing mood as he steps out and hits the ball for four. South Africa 121/2 in 25.3 overs.
18:45 (IST): Wayne Parnell is in at number four and this is the chance for Australia to apply some pressure. South Africa 115/2 in 24 overs.
18:35 (IST): WICKET! A breakthrough for Australia finally as Amla falls for 51. South Africa 112/2 in 21.4 overs.
18:33 (IST): Amla too reaches his half-century and Australia have no answer as the duo keep on piling the runs. South Africa 110/1 in 21 overs.
18:30 (IST): That's fifty for Du Plessis and South Africa are well on their way. South Africa 107/1 in 20 overs.
18:21 (IST): Mitchell Johnson at a loss to make any inroads as Amla and Du Plessis easily handle him. South Africa 89/1 in 18 overs.
18:10 (IST): The drinks break gives Australia some respite as they struggle to take a wicket. South Africa 82/1 in 16 overs.
18:07 (IST): No such demons in the wicket like when Steyn was bowling. South Africa seem to be making it a one-sided affair as they look to finish off the match in a hurry.
17:58 (IST): Amla and Du Plessis looking at ease against the Aussie bowling as South Africa are in cruise control at 67/1 after 13 overs chasing 218 to win.
17:47 (IST): South Africa are looking good in their chase; they have reached 53/1 off 10.4 overs, chasing 218 to win the tri-series.
17:36 (IST): Amla is leading South Africa's reply. The Proteas have raced away to 43/1 off 8 overs despite losing de Kock early in pursuit of 218 against Australia.
17:15 (IST): OUT! Maxwell has struck in his second over; he got out for a first-ball duck today but the part-time off-spinner provided Australia with an early breakthrough, removing Quinton de Kock for 7 as South Africa slipped to 14/1 in 3.2 overs.
17:05 (IST): FOUR! Amla drives Johnson down the ground and South Africa are away. They are 4/0 after the 1st over, chasing 218 to win the tri-series.
16:47 (IST): Australia finish with 217/9 and that is a respectable score under the circumstances. Steyn had run through the Aussies with a four-wicket haul, before a 71-run stand for the ninth wicket between Faulkner and Starc helped Australia recover. Finch top-scored with 54,
16:45 (IST): OUT! That's the end of Faulkner as Morkel gets his second wicket. Faulkner departs for 40 and Australia have slipped to 215/9 with two balls in the innings left.
16:33 (IST): Faulkner and Starc have frustrated Australia with a superb ninth-wicket stand; the pair of them have not been scared to take the South African pacers on as Australia reached 202/8 off 48 overs.
16:21 (IST): Two sixes by Mitchell Starc have added some substance to the Australian total; they have reached 175/8 off 46 overs and will be looking to get past 200 at least.
16:12 (IST): Imran Tahir in the attack as Australia totter at 159/8 off 43 overs. James Faulkner and Mitchell Starc in the middle for the Aussies.
15:37 (IST): OUT! Steyn has got another one and Australia are 137/7 in 36.1 overs. South Africa have a firm grip of the final now.
15:29 (IST): OUT! Parnell has struck and he has got a massive one. Mitchell Marsh was looking settled but his middle stump disappeared. Marsh is gone for 27 and Australia are 132/6 in 34.3 overs.
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14:59 (IST): Steyn has rocked Australia with two wickets in two balls; removing Finch for 54 before claiming Maxwell for a duck. The Aussies are in all sorts of trouble, reeling at 115/5 in 28.2 overs. Haddin survived the hat-trick ball.
14:39 (IST): Fifty for Aaron Finch, his fourth in ODIs. This has been a restrained innings by his standards after South Africa inflicted some early blows. Australia are 106/3 off 24.1 overs.
14:21 (IST): OUT! Tahir has made a crucial breakthrough for South Africa as Australia are pegged back further. George Bailey has been dismissed for 12 and Australia are reeling at 82/3 off 19 overs.
14:03 (IST): Imran Tahir is introduced into the attack now. AUS 66/2 (14 overs). Aaron Finch 29*, George Bailey 3*.
13:42 (IST): OUT! Steven Smith is gone for 10, caught by Miller off Parnell. AUS 49/2 (8.5 overs). Skipper George Bailey walks on to bat now.
13:33 (IST): Aaron Phangiso comes into the attack. Spin introduced. AUS 45/1 (7 overs). Aaron Finch 17*, Steven Smith 10*.
13:21 (IST): OUT! Hughes is gone for 15 , he smashes it straight into the hands of De Villiers at short cover. AUS 25/1 (4.1 overs). Steven Smith has come out in the middle now.
13:10 (IST): Australia off to a good start. Philipp Hughes has already got two boundaries. AUS 15/0 (2 overs). Aaron Finch is with Hughes on the other end.
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12:35 (IST): South Africa bowl vs Australia. Tahir comes in for Rossouw for SA. AUS bring in Faulkner for Richardson.
Predictability will meet adaptability when South Africa face Australia in Saturday's triangular series final in Harare.
Australia have a middle order packed with power hitters such as Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh, who have twice seen them to scores above 325 in a tournament characterised by slow, dry pitches.
Meanwhile, South Africa's batsman tend to be more orthodox as they rely on their inherent quality - as they did when AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis scored hundreds to chase a target of 328 in the first meeting between the two sides last week. (Also read: Australia have the edge, says Johnson)
However, Australia's own adaptability has not always been up to the mark - most notably when they failed to get the hang of a turning pitch on Sunday and lost to Zimbabwe for the first time in 31 years.
While Australia appear to have settled on their best team since that defeat, with Steve Smith returning to provide a second spin option and Kane Richardson preferred to James Faulkner, McLaren's departure has forced South Africa to rebalance their side. (Also read: Ryan McLaren arm break signals Mitchell Johnson's intimidating form)
Rilee Rossouw was drafted into the team to provide an extra batsman in Thursday's victory over Zimbabwe, as Imran Tahir made way to leave Aaron Phangiso as the only specialist spinner.
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While both sides still have plenty of cricket to play before next year's World Cup - and will face each other in a five-match series on Australian soil later this year - De Villiers acknowledges that there are points to be scored in a rivalry over which no love has been lost.
"It's a make-or-break game and those are the sort of games you want to be a part of and that you want to test yourself in," he said.
"It's a great opportunity to go one-up on them before we go into that all-important series before the World Cup in Australia."