South Africa were all over Australia as the Pat Cummins’ side started their run-chase of 312 hoping for their first victory at the 2023 World Cup. Mitchell Marsh was the first wicket to fall at the score of 27 off the fifth ball of the sixth over.

His opening partner, David Warner, departed in the very next over, cutting a short ball straight to point off the bowling of Lungi Ngidi. Australia would have hoped to rebuild with the pair of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne at the crease for the third wicket. But it wasn’t to be.

The second-last ball of the first powerplay produced a moment that will be talked about for a while. Steve Smith was given not out on the field, but on review, the decision was reversed, leading to a prolonged reaction of shock from Smith. At 50-3, Australia seemed to be going nowhere. But their agony wasn’t to end.

Kagiso Rabada, who snapped Smith in the tenth over, came back to produce an unplayable beauty to Josh Inglis in his next. Angled in and pitching at a good length on middle and off from over the wicket, the ball held its line beating Inglis’ outside edge and crashing into his off and middle stumps, producing another reaction of shock from a dismissed Australian batter. This time, however, Inglis’ reaction had more to do with the beauty of the delivery and an acknowledgement that he had been beaten all ends up.

At the end of 15 overs, Australia’s score read 61-4.

Earlier in the day, Quinton de Kock’s hundred led the way for South Africa to go past 300. In fact, everyone contributed with the bat for South Africa, with each of their top seven going past 15 and six of them going past 25.

Watch Kagiso Rabada smash Josh Inglis’ stumps with seaming beauty:

 

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