Tim David and Josh Hazlewood starred as Australia cruised to a 17-run win over South Africa in the opening T20 clash on Sunday evening in Darwin.
Chasing 179 for victory, the Proteas stumbled to 9-161, undone by Hazlewood’s brilliant return spell of 3-27 from four overs. Opener Ryan Rickelton struck a determined 71 off 55 balls, but found little support from the middle order.
The triumph marked Australia’s ninth straight win in men’s T20Is, setting a new national record.
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Australia posted 178 before being dismissed, thanks largely to Tim David’s blistering 83 off 52 balls. Coming in after a collapse of 6-60 at Marrara Stadium, David smashed eight towering sixes to thrill the sold-out crowd, even prompting a one-handed grab from a “double-parked” spectator. His match-winning knock earned him the Player of the Match award.
Teenage pacer Kwena Maphaka starred for South Africa with career-best figures of 4-20 from his four overs, while Kagiso Rabada chipped in with two key wickets.
Tim David’s magic with the ball, along with brilliant spells from Josh Hazlewood and Ben Dwarshuis, helped Australia overcome South Africa in the first T20I of the three-match series.#AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/ECsjZqwN1P
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) August 10, 2025
“We were pretty far from our best tonight,” admitted Proteas skipper Aiden Markram at the post-match presentation.
After winning the toss and bowling first, South Africa struck early. Mitchell Marsh sent the first ball soaring over long-off, but Rabada quickly halted the momentum, removing Marsh and Travis Head in quick succession, while Josh Inglis fell for a golden duck.
Cameron Green briefly counterattacked with a 13-ball 35, peppered with three sixes, before skying a slower delivery from Lungi Ngidi. That dismissal triggered another mini-collapse, with Australia losing 3-5 in the space of 12 balls.
Australia found themselves in deep trouble at 6-75 in the eighth over when Mitchell Owen and Glenn Maxwell fell cheaply, leaving the tail exposed before the drinks break.
Tim David and Ben Dwarshuis then steadied the ship with a valuable 59-run stand for the seventh wicket, Dwarshuis contributing a career-best 17. A costly drop from Tristan Stubbs at long-on when David was on 56 proved pivotal, with the West Australian punishing the lapse by launching the next two deliveries into the stands.
David, reprieved again on 83, continued to farm the strike after Dwarshuis’ dismissal but eventually holed out to long-on in the penultimate over, walking off to a standing ovation.
In reply, South Africa’s chase started poorly. Skipper Aiden Markram was removed in the first over for 12, chipping Hazlewood to extra cover. Rising stars Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis also fell cheaply during the Powerplay, leaving the Proteas struggling at 3-48 after six overs.
As the middle overs ticked by, the required run rate climbed, with Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs struggling to clear the boundary. The pair put together a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket before Hazlewood returned in the 15th over, dismissing Stubbs for 37 off 27 balls with a nick to the keeper. That breakthrough triggered a dramatic collapse of 4-3 in just ten deliveries.
Needing 21 runs off the final over to pull off a miracle, South Africa’s hopes faded as Ben Dwarshuis (3-27 from four overs) held his nerve. Glenn Maxwell sealed the win with another trademark athletic effort on the boundary to end Rickelton’s fighting knock.
“That is freakish,” remarked former Australian batter Mark Waugh on Fox Cricket commentary.
AUSSIE SLUGGER NAILS NEW ROLE
It’s rare for Tim David to stride to the crease in the fourth over of a T20, but that’s exactly what happened on Sunday evening. After three quick wickets in the Powerplay, the big-hitting right-hander was in early at No. 5, just 19 balls into Australia’s innings.
Typically deployed at No. 6 as a late-overs pinch-hitter, David’s recent record-breaking century in the Caribbean had fuelled calls for a promotion.
“We’ve spoken about it … we saw that in the Caribbean, that he came in earlier than he would normally,” captain Mitchell Marsh told reporters on Friday. “The more balls he faces, hopefully the more games he wins us.”
With the top order in tatters at 6-75 in the eighth over, David took on the unfamiliar role of anchoring the innings, guiding Australia’s recovery under pressure.
But the Singapore-born powerhouse rose to the challenge, rebuilding the innings with the tail and finishing with his second-highest score for Australia.
“It was definitely a lot more balls than I was hoping to face tonight,” David joked during the innings break. “I’ve batted with the tail a lot throughout my career with the position I play — it just happened for a longer period of time tonight.”
Over the past 12 months, David has averaged 41.85 in T20Is at a staggering strike rate of 187.82.
“This guy’s a star,” praised former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe on Fox Cricket. “He can come in any situation. He doesn’t fear failure.”
Mark Waugh added he “could never understand” why David had been kept at No. 6 for much of his career. “When you’ve got a guy who can do so much damage, the more balls he gets to face, the more damage he can do. He’s looked a class above.”
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WTC FINAL NEMESIS TORMENTS AUSSIES YET AGAIN
The Australians just can’t shake off Kagiso Rabada.
After dismantling them with nine wickets in June’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s, the Proteas spearhead once again tore through the top order — this time with the white Kookaburra.
Rabada struck in his first over, removing the dangerous Travis Head for 2 with a miscued shot to short third man. In his next, he dismissed rival skipper Mitchell Marsh for 13 after a top-edged leg glance found deep square leg.
At one stage in the Powerplay, Rabada’s figures read an imposing 2-1 from just eight balls, leaving Australia wobbling at 3-30.
“It doesn’t matter what format, he answers the call,” came the praise from the commentary box.
Adding to South Africa’s firepower, teenage sensation Kwena Maphaka impressed with a superb four-wicket haul in just his ninth T20I. The youngster conceded only two boundaries in his spell, claiming the scalps of Tim David and Mitchell Owen among his victims.
South Africa may have found their next big star in Kwena Maphaka.
The teenage quick shone in Darwin on Sunday, snaring four wickets in just his ninth T20I. Bowling with impressive control, he conceded only two boundaries in his entire spell and removed the Tasmanian pair of Tim David and Mitchell Owen.
With skill well beyond his years, Maphaka is shaping up as a talent worth watching closely in the years to come.
BIG HOFF SHOWS WHAT AUSSIES HAVE BEEN MISSING
Josh Hazlewood sat out Australia’s recent T20 series in the West Indies, rested for the white-ball leg after playing a key role in the 3-0 Frank Worrell Trophy sweep.
While Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett impressed in his absence, the Bendemeer Bullet proved once again he’s in a league of his own.
Hazlewood struck early in Darwin, removing South African skipper Aiden Markram in the opening over. Returning later, he broke a dangerous 72-run stand before dismantling the middle order — Tristan Stubbs edging behind for 37, and George Linde departing for a third-ball duck to first slip.
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