Jansen stars with bat and ball to lead South Africa to comeback series win over Australia

• South Africa beat Australia by 122 runs in the 5th and final ODI.
• Marco Jansen was the star of the show, scoring 47 runs and taking 5 wickets.
• South Africa recovered from a slow start to reach 315-9, batting first.

South African all-rounder Marco Jansen played a stellar role, both with the bat and ball, leading his team to a convincing 122-run victory over Australia in the fifth and final One Day International (ODI) at the Wanderers on Sunday.

This victory represented a remarkable turnaround for South Africa, securing a series win after initially losing the first two matches.

Jansen was the key figure, scoring 47 runs from just 23 balls, helping South Africa recover from a slow start to reach a challenging total of 315-9, batting first as per Australia’s decision. Later, he delivered a career-best performance with the ball, taking an impressive ODI haul of 5-39 from eight overs, ultimately limiting the visitors to a paltry 193 in 34.1 overs.

South Africa’s win secured a 3-2 series victory, providing a morale boost ahead of the upcoming World Cup in India. The victory was achieved despite the early challenge posed by the new ball, which swung effectively in the thin Highveld air.

Opening batsman Quinton de Kock, who announced his retirement from ODIs after the World Cup, departed cheaply in his final home innings. Additionally, Heinrich Klaassen, the hero of the previous match with his 174-run performance, was dismissed for just six runs by Adam Zampa, who had suffered in the previous game.

However, South Africa bounced back as Aiden Markram and David Miller formed a crucial partnership, adding 109 runs off 107 balls for the fifth wicket. This partnership was interrupted by Tim David, who, with his first delivery in ODI cricket, removed Markram just seven runs short of a century.

David Miller and Marco Jansen continued to attack, with Miller contributing 63 runs to the total. Andile Phehlukwayo provided a late surge, hitting three sixes in the final over to push South Africa past 300 runs.

Australia, in response, maintained the aggressive approach that had characterized the series. Yet, Jansen proved to be the key, taking two vital wickets in the fourth over by dismissing David Warner and Josh Inglis.

Captain Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne built a promising partnership of 90 runs for the third wicket, keeping Australia ahead of the required run rate. However, the partnership was broken when Marsh was caught on the third-man boundary off Jansen’s bowling after scoring 71 runs.

Jansen, the tall bowler, continued to display his skills by removing Labuschagne (44) and Alex Carey (2), while spinner Keshav Maharaj contributed with three wickets to wrap up the innings.

Reflecting on his outstanding performance, Jansen remarked, “These type of performances give you confidence,” said Jansen afterwards. “I’d like to play like this more often, which is not easy.”

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