Player of the Match
Player of the Match

9.30pm So, that will do for tonight. Formidable from Australia, they really have built themselves quite the machine ahead of a home T20 World Cup. From Matt and myself, and Firdose (whose report will be right here), goodnight!

The player of the series is Aaron Finch. "It was nice with the new ball there and once the lights took effect it started to move nicely. When you have a left- and right-hand combination, if you can keep chipping away and stealing the ones, that rate goes up to 9,10 an over quickly. Wickets in the Powerplay are so crucial, if you can defend yourself well in the Powerplay that goes a long way. Huge credit to all the boys for buying into their roles."

The man of the match is Mitchell Starc: "I think it's been a pretty good job from all the bowlers, and things to keep improving on heading into October. They can kick on a bit if we don't get the powerplay wickets so QDK is a big one. We've got guys waiting in the wings and we've got plenty to build on. We've another T20 series in NZ, and as a group there's plenty of positives."

Quinton de Kock: "It's quite disappointing the way we lost, but we've got to keep our heads up. I still would rather have chased, but they were 20 runs above par. We need time in the middle for our players, this is our last T20 for a while, but when [the World Cup] comes closer we'll give it some thought. Australia are a tough competitive team. Hopefully we can get a series win [in the ODIs]."

9.18pm Shankar: "Nkwe shouldn't have asked to treat this as a world Cup final. Series decider itself was pressurizing enough :(" Well, maybe he was right to ... if the pressure of winning a series is that crushing, you clearly need to get used to pressure!

9.15pm Handshakes all round out in the middle. The teams will be back in action in the ODIs next week, but South Africa will need something special to lift them from that.

The Perplexed P: "The Proteas are in love with QdK! Once he's out of the contest, the rest wil follow ASAP! The Sorry story of the South Africans this series. No spine whatsoever when QdK's gone in chases. " It's hard to dispute. A total of nine runs in his two innings at Joburg and Newlands. And there wasn't a lot to come when he fell.

Jake: "Wow. The last 5 wickets cost only 9 runs in 17 balls. " Ouch

9.12pm So, make of that what you will. A 107-run defeat at Joburg, a 97-run defeat today. And somewhere, sandwiched between the two, South Africa eked out a 12-run win at Port Elizabeth. It's been a grim display from the hosts this evening, who have now been beaten in three of their four series this summer, despite a win in each of those, and despite taking each of the last three to a decider.

15.3
W
Starc to Rabada, OUT, full length, dipping into the pads, a massive appeal, and up goes the finger! It's all over! Faint hints of an inside-edge, but South Africa have no reviews, and they've been thumped by 97 runs ...

K Rabada lbw b Starc 5 (15m 4b 1x4 0x6) SR: 125.00

15.2
4
Starc to Rabada, FOUR, whoops, that's a freebie to any quality of batsman, a half-volley on the toes, and chipped sweetly through fine leg
15.1
1
Starc to Shamsi, 1 run, fired into the legs, and pops behind square for another single

END OF OVER:
15 | 1 Run 2 Wkts | SA: 91/9 (103 runs required from 30 balls, RR: 6.06, RRR: 20.60)

  • Tabraiz Shamsi1 (3b)
  • Kagiso Rabada1 (2b)
  • Ashton Agar4-0-16-3
  • Mitchell Marsh1-0-3-1

Forecaster, for all you masochists out there, is 0.01%. You mean there's a chance?

14.6
1
Agar to Shamsi, 1 run, on the toes, clipped hard to the leg side, to ironic cheers
14.5
0
Agar to Shamsi, no run, swished to point off the back foot
14.4
0
Agar to Shamsi, no run, cripes, that's close! A quicker ball, zeroing in on the top of off, and fenced away with a frantic inside-edge!

So, Mr Shamsi, can you prevent Agar's second hat-trick of the series ...

14.3
W
Agar to Ngidi, OUT, bowled him! Agar is on a hat-trick once again, with No. 11 in his sights! A revolting hack towards some distant point in the Antarctic, the ball scuds on with the arm, into the timbers... crumbs!

L Ngidi b Agar 0 (1m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

14.2
W
Agar to Nortje, OUT, reverse-sweep, and that's plumb too! Nortje gets in a tangle to a regulation length ball, and Agar's evening just gets better. This is turning into the most one-sided 2-1 series loss of all time...

A Nortje lbw b Agar 2 (5m 6b 0x4 0x6) SR: 33.33

14.1
0
Agar to Nortje, no run, pressed out to point

END OF OVER:
14 | 3 Runs 1 Wkt | SA: 90/7 (104 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 6.42, RRR: 17.33)

  • Anrich Nortje2 (4b)
  • Kagiso Rabada1 (2b)
  • Mitchell Marsh1-0-3-1
  • Pat Cummins3-0-27-1

Andrew Schulz: "You've got to wonder what you commentators are watching sometimes. That lbw was a hell of a lot plumber than 'thumping off stump'. Slightly more middle than off." To be honest, I stopped looking and started typing! ps ... hello you miseriguts!

13.6
1
Marsh to Nortje, 1 run, slower ball, tight to off stump, worked with stiff wrists to midwicket
13.5
0
Marsh to Nortje, no run, stand-and-deliver. A flat-footed swipe to a lifting ball outside off, finds thin air
13.4
1
Marsh to Rabada, 1 run, opens the face, nurdled to third man. A direct hit would have been out!
13.3
1
Marsh to Nortje, 1 run, slower ball, back of a length, flapped to deep cover
13.2
0
Marsh to Nortje, no run, worked to the on side, nothing doing there

Here's Nortje, the batting hero of the Centurion Test. What can he do from here?

Benji: "I will eat my shoes if Proteas win this year's t20 world cup!!!" I want photos

13.1
W
Marsh to Pretorius, OUT, slower ball, a massive yahoo across the line! And up goes the finger! A slight suspicion of under-edge as Pretorius reviews ... but err ... no. He's seen the initial replay, and knows it's curtains! Thumping off stump and South Africa slide deeper into the soup

D Pretorius lbw b Marsh 11 (18m 9b 0x4 1x6) SR: 122.22

END OF OVER:
13 | 12 Runs 1 Wkt | SA: 87/6 (107 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 6.69, RRR: 15.28)

  • Kagiso Rabada0 (1b)
  • Dwaine Pretorius11 (8b)
  • Pat Cummins3-0-27-1
  • Adam Zampa3-0-10-2
12.6
0
Cummins to Rabada, no run, back of a length, slower ball, cautiously pointed towards point
12.5
W
Cummins to Miller, OUT, slower ball, slapped straight to cover. That will be that then! That all happened in slo-mo, a yawning, telegraphed drive, reaching for the wide ball, finding no timing, and skidding a low chance to the edge of the ring. It's not Miller time no more...

DA Miller c Finch b Cummins 15 (24m 18b 0x4 0x6) SR: 83.33

12.4
1
Cummins to Pretorius, 1 run, cracked out to the off side
12.4
1w
Cummins to Pretorius, 1 wide, slower ball, off line, maybe South Africa can do it in extras?
12.4
1w
Cummins to Pretorius, 1 wide, banged in short, Pretorius pokes at it with a vertical bat, like a slightly off-balanced gun on a partridge shoot. And misses
12.3
6
Cummins to Pretorius, SIX, a monstrous pick-up over midwicket! The perfect length to treat with utter contempt, hoisting high with a skiddy seam, clean into the stands!
12.2
1
Cummins to Miller, 1 run, rocking back for a cut into the covers

South Africa 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st6HE van der DussenQ de Kock
2nd17F du PlessisHE van der Dussen
3rd34HE van der DussenH Klaasen
4th2DA MillerHE van der Dussen
5th6PJ van BiljonDA Miller
6th22DA MillerD Pretorius
7th0D PretoriusK Rabada
8th3A NortjeK Rabada
9th0L NgidiK Rabada
10th6T ShamsiK Rabada