Cairns: Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten 62 from 36 balls led Australia to a dramatic two-wicket victory over South Africa, clinching the three-match T20 series 2-1. The home side faced a challenging situation at 122-6 in the 14th over while chasing a target of 173. However, Maxwell's first T20I half-century in 11 innings turned the tide in Australia's favor.
According to BBC, Maxwell's crucial half-century left Australia needing just 12 runs from the final two overs. The match took another twist when South Africa's Corbin Bosch dismissed Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis in consecutive deliveries during the penultimate over, swinging the momentum back to the tourists. Despite this setback, Maxwell's composure saw Australia through to victory.
Earlier in the day, Dewald Brevis's explosive 26-ball 53 and Rassie van der Dussen's unbeaten 38 helped South Africa post a competitive total of 172-7 after being put in to bat. Australia had previously won the series opener in Darwin by 17 runs, thanks to Tim David's 52-ball 83. South Africa then leveled the series with a 53-run win at the same venue.
Tim David, who was named player of the series, credited Maxwell's performance in his remarks. "Without [Maxwell] playing a blinding innings, I wouldn't be standing up here, so there's been contributions from everyone in our team throughout this series and we've had so much fun," he said.
The teams will stay in Cairns to commence the first of three one-day internationals on Tuesday, before the final two matches at The Great Barrier Reef Arena.