DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA (AP) – Australia won the Twenty20 Series against South Africa in a game following their stunning victory in Kingsmead on Friday.
After a day of rain, Australia opted to bowl and hold the hosts 164-8 on a fresh pitch. The Australian won by a wide margin of eight wickets with 165 to 2 and 31 balls to go.
Captain Mitch Marsh finished the loss with 76 points after scoring a career-best 92 on Wednesday.
Matthew Short posted a career-best performance of 66 of 30 pitches.
Australia won the first T20 by 111 runs. The third and final game will be played on Sunday.
The chase was over in a blink.
Travis Head beat South African captain Aiden Markram in his 18th match to score three boundary points in the overs.
Opening mate shortstop scored 20 runs in two overs for Lungi Ngidi.
Marsh chased left arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin for 18 runs in the over.
Batters fell back from spinner Tabriz Shamsi, but Short put up 50 points and beat fast bowler Gerald Coetzee for four straight to cap with a pull six. More than 24 runs were required.
Short fell while trying to pass Shamsi and Marsh took the win. He went over 50 before defeating Shamsi six times in a row.
Tanvir Sanga, who took four wickets in his Australian debut on Wednesday, gave way to Adam Zampa, who went without a wicket. Pacers Nathan Ellis (3-25) and Sean Abbott (3-22) tied the score with support from Jason Behlendorf (2-25).
Temba Bavuma lost to the Ducks in the first game, but made 16 consecutive deliveries, reached the boundary on six, and retired 17-35 after making six.
Ellis defeated South Africa, 46-4, on power plays to beat openers Leeza Hendricks and Dewald Brevis on back-to-back balls.
Markrum scored 51 points alongside Tristan Stubbs and 41 alongside Coetzee, but missed just 50 by hitting straight into Abbott’s deep cover points in 49 of 38 games.
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