The South Africa tour of Australia 2025 kicked off with an exhilarating contest at Darwin’s Marrara Cricket Floor, the place Australia defeated South Africa by 17 runs in the first T20I. An excellent particular person efficiency by Tim David proved to be the turning level, organising a difficult whole that the Proteas, regardless of a valiant effort, couldn’t fairly chase down.
Australia’s innings: Tim David’s dazzling show
After profitable the toss, South Africa opted to bowl first, a choice that appeared to be paying dividends early on. The Australian high order struggled to construct momentum, with openers Mitchell Marsh (13 off 7) and Travis Head (2 off 7) falling cheaply. Josh Inglis was dismissed for a duck, and even Glenn Maxwell, a ordinary aggressor, may solely handle 1 run from 5 balls, leaving Australia in a precarious place.
Nevertheless, the center order offered much-needed impetus. Cameron Inexperienced injected life into the innings with a blistering 35 runs off simply 13 deliveries, laced with 4 fours and three sixes, showcasing his damaging functionality. But, the true hero of the Australian innings was Tim David. Coming in at an important juncture, David unleashed a sensational assault on the South African bowlers, smashing 83 runs from simply 52 balls. His innings was a masterclass in power-hitting, that includes 4 fours and a staggering 8 sixes, single-handedly turning the tide in Australia’s favour. Contributions from Ben Dwarshuis (17 off 19) and Nathan Ellis (12 off 11) within the decrease order ensured Australia reached a aggressive whole of 178 earlier than being bowled out on the ultimate ball of their 20 overs.
The South African bowling assault had moments of brilliance. The younger left-arm pacer Kwena Maphaka was the standout performer, ripping via the Australian lineup to say a powerful 4 wickets for simply 20 runs from his 4 overs, showcasing immense potential.
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Kwena Maphaka dazzles on his first T20I outing in Australia #cricket #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/dSyzNKScjx
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) August 10, 2025
Kagiso Rabada offered essential breakthroughs with 2 wickets for 29 runs, whereas Lungisani Ngidi (1 wicket for 34), George Linde (1 wicket for 26), and Senuran Muthusamy (1 wicket for twenty-four) additionally picked up wickets, however Corbin Bosch proved costly, conceding 44 runs with out a wicket.
Additionally READ: AUS vs SA 2025, T20I Series: TV Channels, Live Streaming details – When and where to watch in India, Australia, USA, South Africa, other countries
South Africa’s chase: Ryan Rickelton’s lone battle
Chasing 179 for victory, South Africa’s innings started with a flurry of boundaries from Aiden Markram (12 off 6) earlier than he was dismissed early. The spine of their chase was Ryan Rickelton, who performed a composed but aggressive innings, top-scoring with 71 runs off 55 balls, together with 7 fours and a solitary six. He discovered some assist from Lhuan dre Pretorius (14 off 9) and Tristan Stubbs, who chipped in with a significant 37 runs from 27 deliveries, that includes 5 fours.
Nevertheless, Australia’s bowlers maintained wonderful management and picked up wickets at common intervals, stopping any important partnerships from flourishing. Josh Hazlewood was distinctive, main the Australian assault with 3 wickets for simply 27 runs from his 4 overs. Ben Dwarshuis matched his tempo colleague, additionally bagging 3 wickets for a mere 26 runs. Adam Zampa’s leg-spin proved efficient, yielding 2 wickets for 33 runs, whereas Glenn Maxwell picked up 1 wicket for 29. Nathan Ellis, regardless of going wicketless, conceded 44 runs in his 4 overs. The constant stress from Australia’s bowling unit meant that South Africa struggled to maintain up with the required run fee. Regardless of Rickelton’s valiant half-century, the Proteas finally fell brief, ending their 20 overs at 161/9.
Australia received the T20I sequence opener towards South Africa by 17 runs 👉 https://t.co/NsJyN0yamp#cricket #AUSvSA #T20I #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/gHH48h6sTj
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) August 10, 2025
Tim David was deservingly named the Participant of the Match for his blistering innings. The groups will now look ahead to the second T20I, scheduled for Tuesday, August 12, on the identical venue.
Tim David: Participant of the Match #cricket #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/sPc0KHC4pH
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) August 10, 2025
Additionally READ: Sam Konstas earns call-up for Australia A’s tour of India
