Agar hat-trick seeing as Australia rout South Africa by 107 runs
22 February, 2020
Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar took a hat-trick as Australia crushed Southern Africa by 107 works in the first 2020 worldwide at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday.
Steve Smith, back in South Africa for the very first time because the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, hit a top score of 45 for Australia, who made 196 for six after being sent in.
South Africa made a good bad begin against the tempo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins before Agar's triple strike sent them hurtling with their all-time lowest T20 total of 89.
It had been also the web host country's biggest defeat in the format.
Man of the match Agar finished with career-best figures of five for 24.
"It had been really exciting, a good highlight of my cricketing lifestyle," he said.
But he gave praise to the fast bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson and Pat Cummins who started South Africa's collapse.
Starc made an essential breakthrough when he bowled South African captain and batting superstar Quinton de Kock for just two with a fast, swinging delivery found in the first over of the house side's reply.
South Africa were reeling at 40 for four when Agar came on to bowl.
He previously Faf du Plessis caught at deep go over along with his fourth delivery, trapped Andile Phehlukwayo leg before next ball and Dale Steyn superbly caught at slide by captain Aaron Finch to complete the hat-trick.
Smith and Finch (42) set up Australia's big total with an aggressive second wicket stand of 80 off 52 balls, benefitting from some loose South African bowling.
"I'm nearly sure what happened," said De Kock. "Their strength was there however the skills weren't sufficient."
In comparison Australia's bowlers were on concentrate on immediately.
"Just how we attacked the crease and bowled an extremely good, aggressive duration was crucial," said Finch.
"We pride ourselves on not offering width with the brand new ball and building the batsmen hit very good shots off good balls."
It was a successful go back to South Africa for Smith, who was simply stripped of the captaincy and banned for a year following the 'Sandpaper-gate' scandal in 2018.
David Warner, who was simply also banned for a year for his portion in the affair, struck a good four off the primary ball of the meet but was caught at okay leg off another delivery from Steyn, ending a sequence where he previously scored 267 works and only been dismissed once found in his previous 6 T20 internationals.
The win extended Australia's unbeaten run in the format to nine matches, with eight wins and one no-result. Their previous defeat was in November 2018.
The second match of the series is at Port Elizabeth on Sunday with the third and final game in Cape Town on Wednesday.
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