Australia claimed a 2-1 Twenty20 series win over South Africa as they secured a two-wicket win with just one ball to spare, thanks to Cameron White, who made another compelling argument for his World Cup credentials as he held his nerve to be there at the end while wickets fell all around him.
For two years running, White has been named the domestic one-day Cup player of the year, but hasn't played an ODI for Australia since the last World Cup in 2011. However, if selectors are looking for a finisher when the pressure is on when the biggest stage arrives down under, he could be their man.
White hit the winning run to finish 41 not out off 31 with number 10 Cameron Boyce escaping a narrow run-out chance to do his job at the other end, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Given the bitter recent history between Australia and South Africa, the five-match ODI series to come, which White is not a part of, starting on Friday in Perth could explode at any moment.
But without key protagonists like Michael Clarke, David Warner, Dale Steyn, and A.B. de Villiers on deck, the T20s have lacked lustre.
Glenn Maxwell did his best to provide the star power, smashing a thrill-a-minute innings of 23 off 15, featuring a massive six down the ground and a field-splitting reverse sweep, the same shot that earned him so much criticism in the second Test against Pakistan in the U.A.E.
A comfortable victory was within reach for Australia with Maxwell at the crease, after South Africa butchered a flying start to finish 6-145. But Maxwell tried to keep hitting them harder and departed trying to smash Robin Peterson (3-28) out of the ground with 46 runs needed.
Also Read
Man-of-the-series James Faulkner who earlier took three wickets, departed with 21 still needed off 25 balls.
Australian captain Aaron Finch had won the toss but elected to bowl first, bucking the trend from the previous two fixtures in the tournament.
Faulkner, who claimed a three-wicket haul for the second game in a row, was the star for Australia with the ball, delivering match figures of 3-28, but had good support from Pat Cummins, Doug Bollinger and leg-spinner Cameron Boyce.
Faulkner has been mysteriously snubbed from the ODI series against South Africa starting on Friday in Perth despite being named in the ICC's ODI team of the year.
The Proteas got off to an absolute flyer with diminutive opener Quinton de Kock blasting 48 off 27 and making the most of the tiny short boundaries at the transformed venue. Reeza Hendricks, who put on 75 with de Kock for the first wicket, ultimately went for 49 off 48 balls after the Australians started to drop the anchor on the Proteas charge.
South Africa were 59 off seven and brought up their 100 in 77 balls. But they weren't able to capitalise in the final overs after the Australian attack settled in, the report added.