Australia rode on Cooper Connolly's bowling blitzkrieg and crushed South Africa by 276 runs in the third ODI at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay on Sunday, August 24. Cooper Connolly not only broke South Africa's back but also created history with his spellbinding spell.
The left-arm spinner was instrumental in Australia's record victory, claiming a five-wicket haul that helped bowl out South Africa for just 155 while defending a mammoth target of 432. Connolly's victims included Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch, and Keshav Maharaj, marking the first five-wicket haul of his ODI career.
With this impressive performance, Connolly etched his name into the record books. His final wicket, that of Keshav Maharaj, made him the first-ever Australian spinner to take a five-wicket haul against South Africa in ODIs since the two teams first met in 1992—33 years ago. This achievement also makes Connolly only the second Australian left-arm spinner to take five wickets in an ODI, a feat previously accomplished by Michael Clarke against Sri Lanka in 2004.
Australia posted a massive total of 431/2, powered by a remarkable opening partnership between Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh. The pair got the team off to a dream start, putting on 250 runs for the first wicket in just 34.1 overs. Head was the aggressor, smashing 142 runs off 103 balls, while Marsh contributed a solid 100 runs off 106 balls.
The momentum continued with Cameron Green, who blasted an unbeaten 118 off just 55 balls at a striking rate of 214.55. His explosive innings included eight sixes and six fours. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey also played a significant role, finishing with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls.
In response, South Africa's innings got off to a poor start, losing early wickets, including those of Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton. They continued to struggle, losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for a mere 155, losing the match by a significant margin of 276 runs. Australia handed South Africa their heaviest-ever defeat in ODI history, crushing them by a staggering 276 runs. The victory allowed Australia to narrow the series deficit, finishing at 1-2. This monumental loss surpassed South Africa's previous heaviest defeat, which was by 243 runs against India at Eden Gardens in 2023.
