‘You’re going to lose if you are off by even two per cent’: Ponting backs PBKS to respond after first setback

Cairns (Australia), Aug 16 (IANS) Glenn Maxwell produced a stunning late assault to guide Australia to a tense two-wicket win over South Africa in the deciding T20I game at the Cazalys Stadium on Saturday to seal the series 2-1 in the hosts’ favour.

Chasing 173 for victory, Australia looked in trouble at 122/6, before the big-hitting Maxwell took charge with an unbeaten 62 off 36 balls, laced with eight fours and two sixes at a strike-rate of 172.22. He held his nerve to strike the winning runs off the penultimate ball of the chase and roared in delight after conjuring up a remarkable rescue act in front of a sell-out crowd watching its first-ever men’s T20I.

In the chase, skipper Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head took time to find their rhythm but managed to stitch together a crucial 66-run stand in eight overs. Captain Marsh did most of the damage on his way to hit a 37-ball 54 studded with three fours and five sixes – also his first T20I half-century in over a year.

South Africa hit back with three wickets in the space of 13 balls around the halfway mark, but nothing could prepare them for the Maxwell blitz that followed. His calculated hitting in the closing overs turned the tide and ensured the hosts clinched the series.

Earlier, South Africa posted 172/7 after being asked to bat, with Dewald Brevis top-scoring with 53 off 26 balls. South Africa made a shaky start after skipper Aiden Markram was dismissed in the very first over, but Lhuan-dre Pretorius counter-attacked with five boundaries in the Power-play before falling to Nathan Ellis for 24.

Brevis picked up from where he left off in the previous game, where he scored a blistering century — striking the ball cleanly and clearing the ropes at will to race to a rollicking fifty laced with a four and six sixes. It meant South Africa were well-placed at 108/3 at the end of the 11th over, with a score of 200 on the cards.

But Brevis’ dismissal — miscuing a slower ball from Ellis to long-on – proved to be the turning point. From there, Australia wrestled back control as Adam Zampa and Maxwell applied the brakes in the middle overs, and the pacers led by Ellis used their variations effectively as South Africa managed just 64 runs for the loss of four wickets in the final nine overs.

Brief scores:

South Africa 172/7 in 20 overs (Dewald Brevis 53, Rassie van der Dussen 38 not out; Nathan Ellis 3-31, Adam Zampa 2-24) lost to Australia 173/8 in 19.5 overs (Glenn Maxwell 62 not out, Mitchell Marsh 54; Corbin Bosch 3-26, Kagiso Rabada 2-32) by two wickets

–IANS

nr/bsk/

Hulencourt (Belgium), June 15 (IANS) India’s rookie Avani Prashanth, starting the final day with a one-shot lead, faltered in the fourth and final round at the Hulencourt Women’s Open. She shot 3-over 75 and finished in a tie for fifth which was still her best of the season. Avani finished at 7-under 281.

Another rookie Darcey Harry of Wales celebrated her 22nd birthday which fell this week, by recovering from an early bogey for a round of 68 and a total of 13-under for the week. It was Darcey’s first career win.

Avani, who led by one shot at the start of the day opened bogey-bogey and never really recovered from that setback. Avani dropped shots on the first, second and the ninth and slipped from 11-under to 8-under. A birdie on Par-5 13th was a small consolation and she ended with another bogey on he 18th for a 75, which was her worst card of the week after the first three rounds of 68-69-69. She finished at 7-under in a tie for fifth place with Lauren Walsh (71).

The tied fifth place was the best finish for Avani as a professional and equalled her best of a similar T-5 in the 2023 Hero Women’s Indian Open, when she was still an amateur. Avani also has four Top-20 finishes this season.

Diksha Dagar (72) was T-23 at 1-under while Tvesa Malik (76) was T-48. Diksha had two birdies and two bogeys.

Darcey Harry of Wales, who was one behind the Indian at the start also bogeyed the start, but the Welsh golfer was on fire from fifth hole. She birdied the fifth, eighth, ninth and the tenth.

A stutter with a bogey on the 11th was brushed aside by an eagle on the 13th and a birdie on the 14th. She reached 14-under and was four shots clear of second-placed Nastasia Nadaud (71). Darcey could afford a bogey on the 16th and then closed with two pars for a three-shot win, her first in her first season on the Ladies European Tour.

Overall Darcey had five birdies, three bogeys and an eagle. It was her second eagle of the week, after one on the tenth on the third day.

Nastasia who was tied second with Darcey after the third day, but one behind Avani, had six birdies, but she also gave away three bogeys and a late double bogey on the Par-4 12th. Nastasia shot 71 and was 11-under and sole second.

Amelia Garvey (66) had one of the best rounds of the day and rose from T-18 to third, while Helen Briem had one birdie and one bogey in a round of 72 and was sole fourth at 8-under.

–IANS

ab/