Australian middle order collapses again as South Africa claims ODI
Mitch Marsh and Travis Head pile on the runs in their opening partnership, but the middle order fails again in South Africa.
Australia suffered a 32-run defeat to South Africa in their second ODI of the series at Johannesburg, with the middle order collapsing once again. Adam Zampa conceded 0-77 from his 10 overs while Josh Hazlewood took three wickets at seven runs per over. Australia, chasing South Africa's imposing total of 9-365, lost the match after being 33 runs short of the target with one ball remaining.
Australia's stand-in captain, Mitch Marsh, expressed disappointment, stating that they had come to the region to ensure the series went to the final game, but ultimately, they were outplayed once again. The loss was a setback for a team that had been performing well in their pursuit of a big total, similar to their collapse in the previous match at Durban.
Australia's attack, particularly Nathan Ellis and Josh Hazlewood, struggled to contain South Africa's formidable spin trio of Keshav Maharaj, Bjorn Fortuin, and Aiden Markram. Despite Bartlett's late show of defiance with a 50 off 28 balls, Australia could not close the gap and fell short in their chase.
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