bowled 'im, this one is done! Pushed through flatter and Rabada has one swing too many... Zampa hits middle, and South Africa have been retired on their stool! Australia win by 107 runs to go 1-0 up in the series
South Africa vs Australia, 1st T20I at Johannesburg, SA v AUS, Feb 21 2020 - Ball by Ball Commentary
9.25pm: Well, the series has started with a bang, all right! Australia's women may have slipped on day one of the Women's T20 World Cup, but the men have handed out a right royal pasting in Johannesburg, as they sharpen their own tournament planning. Anyway, Firdose's report will have the long and the short of it (very short in the case of South Africa's innings) and we'll be back for more from Port Elizabeth on Sunday. Thanks for chipping in, from Matt, Ranjith and myself, it's good night and good luck. Bye!
9.15pm: Time for the presentations, starting with South Africa captain Quinton de Kock: "Not too sure what happened there [with the bowling], the energy was there but the skills weren't good enough tonight. We pride ourselves on our fielding and tonight we weren't at our best. But as long as we get up tomorrow and try and fight for the next game. We can't do much at practice, it's more of a mental thing, we have to come out with that fight on Sunday."
Ashton Agar is Man of the Match: "It was really exciting, the highlight of my cricketing life. My job is made a lot easier when I have Mitch, Patty Cummins, Richo and Zamps doing the job before me. [Starc new ball?] To have a guy steaming in and putting the ball down at 150kph, it puts fear in the opposition. Starting well is important in T20 and that's what we did today. Unbelievable catch [from Finch for the hat-trick], great team performance."
Australia captain Aaron Finch: [Great game] "Absolutely, it was, we set the tone in the field, took a couple of sharp chances and Ashton bowled really well, all round a good performance. When you're chasing 200, you have to get off to a good start, but Starcy bowling Quinton with a beauty, it puts you on the back foot. But I would have batted second, too, so it was a good toss to lose. The way we attacked the crease and bowled a good aggressive length was really impressive. Not letting them get away and put us on the back foot. [Hat-trick ball] There's about 10% chance of me catching that. He bowled beautifully today and deserved it."
9.05pm: Oh dear, that is a sorry mess for the Saffers: their lowest T20 international total, their biggest T20I defeat. Australia have steamrolled their way to victory here at the Wanderers, where after all the talk of having to brave a storm on their return to South Africa, it is the hosts who have been roughed up. Eighth T20I win in a row for Finch's side, and it really does look like they are building well towards the World Cup on home soil later this year. Everyone chipped in with the bat, and then Ashton Agar proved himself worthy of the Dre Russ bantz by ripping through South Africa, with only the second hat-trick by an Australian in T20Is!
flicked for a single
tossed up and worked off the stumps
Adam Zampa back... can he draw a line under things? SA still shy of their lowest T20I score
Best figures by an Australian in T20Is, notes Matt
floated up wide of the stumps, Shamsi comes across and pokes it away safely... Agar finishes with 5 for 25, and that has pretty much finished South Africa
steps down and swings one more away through midwicket
tossed up and tapped back
drops back and cuts, gets it through for a scrambled single
Slip and gully for Shamsi
so close to hitting off stump! Spinning through as Shamsi tried to cut and missed, nearly Agar's second 'trick of the game!
...and he's on a hat-trick again! Tabraiz Shamsi to face
that's five! Plopped into the hands of long-on! Agar can barely believe it, he's king of the 'ring tonight. Misbegotten shot from Ngidi, straight to the man set back
Agar to bowl through his allocation
banged in short, Rabada pulls - hoicked high into the crowd at fine leg! Rabada continuing to belt a few consolation runs for the SA cause
makes a bit of room and slaps it back down the track, Richardson gets a hand on it
short outside off, 136kph/84mph and again Ngidi swings hard but fails to connect
back of a length, in the channel and he fails to connect
pitched up, Ngidi gets into line and jabs it towards mid-on
shortish outside off and Rabada slices one to third man
Kane Richardson back on
Still another 20-odd needed for SA to avoid their lowest T20I score... Lungi Ngidi is out at No.10
pegs back leg stump! That's a bingo for Agar, who has career-best figures! Dirty ole slog across the line from van Biljon, the ball gripping just enough as it skidded on underneath the bat. South Africa eight down and hurting
fired across the bows from round the wicket, Rabada slaps a cut to deep backward point
"Biggest partnership of the inning... way to go boys." You can hear the Aussies quaking in their boots, Shadab
pushed through on the stumps and nudged behind square on the leg side
edged wide of the tumbling Finch! Turn and bounce for Agar and van Biljon fences wildly at it, just out of reach at slip, might have even grazed the fingertips!
flatter, on the stumps and not much turn, van Biljon covers up in defence