An eye-catching all-round performance by Mitchell Marsh carried Australia to a 62-run victory over South Africa on Tuesday to secure their place in the triangular series final. Marsh struck a brutal 86 not out from 51 balls to boost the Australian total to 282 for seven, and then took two key wickets as South Africa were bowled out for 220 in 44 overs.
Faf du Plessis' brilliant 126 went in vain as none of his team-mates crossed 25, with Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell and Kane Richardson joining Marsh with two wickets apiece. Victory secured Australia's participation in Saturday's final, where they should meet South Africa again. The Proteas would need to be heavily beaten by Zimbabwe in Thursday's final round robin game to miss out on qualifying.
Australia were battling to increase their scoring rate when Marsh arrived at the crease, but the all rounder struck seven sixes in a 51-ball innings to help his side take 94 runs from the last eight overs. Marsh's big hitting included three successive sixes off the bowling of Dale Steyn - the first time that the fast bowler had conceded that many sixes in a single ODI over.
Australia's innings had been pedestrian up until that point, with Phil Hughes rarely getting into his full stride in the course of his 85 from 92 balls. South Africa picked up regular wickets after winning the toss and electing to bowl, which sucked the momentum out of the Australian innings.
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Scoreboard Australia
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A. Finch c Duminy b McLaren 16
P. Hughes c Miller b Phangiso 85
S. Smith c de Kock b Imran Tahir 36
G. Maxwell c de Kock b Steyn 2
G. Bailey st de Kock b Phangiso 32
M. Marsh not out 86
B. Haddin c Phangiso b Morkel 11
M. Johnson run out 2
M. Starc not out 1
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Extras: (6lb, 3w, 2nb) 11
Total: (7 wkts, 50 overs) 282
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Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Finch), 2-131 (Smith), 3-136 (Maxwell), 4-152 (Hughes), 5-187 (Bailey), 6-258 (Haddin), 7-281 (Johnson)
Did not bat: K. Richardson, N. Lyon.
Bowling: Steyn 9-0-64-1, Duminy 4-0-24-0, Morkel 9-1-51-1, McLaren 8-0-56-1, Imran Tahir 10-0-42-1, Phangiso 10-0-39-2.
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South Africa
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H. Amla c Haddin b Marsh 17
Q. de Kock c Smith b Maxwell 1
F. du Plessis hit wicket b Richardson 126
AB de Villiers c Bailey b Lyon 6
JP Duminy c sub (Cutting) b Marsh 16
D. Miller b Johnson 3
R. McLaren c Smith b Richardson 24
D. Steyn run out 5
A. Phangiso not out 3
M. Morkel b Johnson 0
Imran Tahir c Marsh b Maxwell 2
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Extras: (7lb, 10w) 17
Total: (all out, 44 overs) 220
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Fall of wickets: 1-9 (de Kock), 2-36 (Amla), 3-64 (de Villiers), 4-93 (Duminy), 5-101 (Miller), 6-174 (McLaren), 7-206 (Steyn), 8-214 (du Plessis), 9-217 (Morkel), 10-220 (Imran Tahir)
Bowling: Johnson 9-1-30-2, Maxwell 4-0-22-2, Richardson 8-0-38-2, Starc 8-1-47-0, Marsh 5-0-23-2, Lyon 10-0-53-1.
Toss: South Africa
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Russell Tiffin (ZIM)
TV umpire: Jeremiah Matibiri (ZIM)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)
Result: Australia won by 62 runs
Points: Australia 5, South Africa 0.
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