The third and final ODI between Australia and South Africa quickly turned into a nightmare for the visitors, as the hosts piled on a colossal 431 in the first innings. Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Cameron Green all registered centuries in a dominant display that left the Proteas with little room to breathe. The scoreboard pressure alone was daunting, but matters worsened once South Africa began their chase.
Australia’s new-ball pair, Xavier Bartlett and Sean Abbott, delivered fiery opening spells that dismantled the top order. Each picked up two wickets inside the powerplay, reducing South Africa to a precarious 65/4. The visitors briefly found stability through a 50-plus stand between Tony de Zorzi and Dewald Brevis, but once that partnership was broken, the momentum swung firmly back in Australia’s favor.
Amidst the collapse, however, South Africa enjoyed a rare slice of luck in the 16th over. Cooper Connolly, Australia’s promising left-arm spinner, had already struck in his very first over by dismissing de Zorzi. With the hosts in complete control, Connolly seemed poised to tighten the noose further, but a moment of misfortune spared the Proteas from sinking deeper.
The incident unfolded on the fifth ball of Connolly’s second over. A mix-up between Brevis and Wiaan Mulder left the young batter stranded halfway down the pitch. Mulder sent him back at the last moment, forcing Brevis into a desperate scramble. With Mulder slipping as he attempted to retreat, it looked certain that Brevis’s innings would be cut short by a routine run-out.
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Yet, in a dramatic twist, Connolly fumbled the ball at the crucial moment, squandering what should have been an easy dismissal. The mistake handed Brevis a much-needed lifeline and allowed South Africa a glimmer of hope in an otherwise one-sided contest. Though the reprieve did little to change the overall trajectory of the game, it served as a reminder of how small lapses can sometimes keep struggling teams alive, if only temporarily.