Smith ton guides Aussies home

Scorecard: Australia v South Africa

Steve Smith’s second one-day international century has clinched Australia the Carlton Mid ODI series in a thrilling three-wicket win over South Africa at the MCG.

Smith (104 off 112) and Matthew Wade (52 off 59) put on a record 121-run sixth-wicket stand to resurrect Australia’s innings from 5-98 in the 25th over, before James Faulkner (34 not out off 19 balls) iced the game to win with six balls to spare.

Having taken 39 one-day internationals to pass 50, Smith says a greater maturity and confidence gained from impressive form in Test cricket has contributed to his run of good performances in the 50-over game.

Since returning to the side in August, he has posted scores of 1, 31, 36, 10, 101, 12, 77, 10, 73 not out and 104.

"My whole batting in general has improved a lot over the last 12 months," he said.

"I'm premeditating a lot less, I'm playing each ball on its merits and just looking to bat time.

"I get that opportunity when I'm batting at three and four in the one-day game, to bat a bit of time and spend some time in the middle.

"It always gets a lot easier, just when you get that time out there and give yourself a chance it always becomes a lot easier.

"So I'm really happy with where everything is at."

Smith saved special praise for Faulkner, who - not for the first time in ODI cricket - steered Australia to victory with some calm yet brutal stroke play.

"Yeah he’s been terrific.," Smith said.

"He comes in from ball one and looks like he’s been there for an hour, the way he hits them.

"He’s really confident. He’s a big strong lad and he hits the ball really clean and we saw that again tonight. He’s so effective there at the end of an innings."

Australia now have an unassailable 3-1 series lead ahead of the fifth and final ODI at the SCG on Sunday, where an Australian win will see George Bailey’s men return to the top of the ICC team ODI rankings.

Another brilliant AB de Villiers’ knock of 91 (88) lifted the Proteas to 8-267 from 50 overs, restricted by Australia’s spectacular fielding display and determined fast bowling attack led by Faulkner (2-45) and Pat Cummins (2-61).

De Villiers had no hesitation in electing to bat when he won the toss, with both side making four changes.

The recalled Nathan Coulter-Nile removed Canberra centurion Hashim Amla for 18 (20), caught in front of square leg to give the Aussies the early breakthrough and expose Faf du Plessis to the two new balls.

The wicket came at a cost though, with Coulter-Nile wincing as he finished the over before leaving the ground with the team physio. 

He didn't return to the field, with Cricket Australia confirming he'd injured his left hamstring, which he had surgery on earlier this year.

Quick Single: Coulter-Nile re-injures left hamstring

Australia went in with only one part-time spin option in allrounder Glenn Maxwell, and his introduction in the eighth over brought about a chance, but Shane Watson at first slip couldn’t handle the thick outside edge from Quinton de Kock’s bat to give the opener a life on six. 

While the chance he offered Watson was a sharp one, the return catch de Kock presented Maxwell couldn’t have been simpler, spooning a leading edge back to the bowler to fall for 17 (38). 

At 2-70, du Plessis was joined by his captain de Villiers in the middle, so Bailey called upon his fastest bowler, Cummins, to shake things up.

And shake things up he did, the 21-year-old removing du Plessis for 28 (37) caught behind to have Australia in control at 3-77 as drinks came onto the field for the first time.

Once the fielding restrictions were relaxed, the match turned into a chess game between de Villiers and Bailey. The Australian skipper stacked the off-side infield, forcing his counterpart to move around his crease to change the hitting angles to take advantage of the vast leg-side real estate. 

Coulter-Nile's absence was felt when Steve Smith was tossed the ball by his skipper, and the legspin was a welcome change for de Villiers, who crunched a low full toss to the cover boundary for the first four in 58 deliveries, followed by a single off the final ball of the over that brought up his third half-century of the series. 

As it did in Canberra, the Powerplay brought about the breakthrough when David Miller’s lofted drive off Faulkner found Smith at deep extra cover to fall for 45 (61) and leave the Proteas 4-199 after 37 overs.

After dominating the Australians throughout the series, the only thing missing was a century next to de Villiers's name. If it wasn’t for the hosts’ slick fielding, de Villiers may have reached his ton in the 35th over, and it was a terrific piece of athleticism that brought about his downfall. 

A horizontal Bailey stopped de Villiers’ mistimed pull shot off Cummins to keep AB on strike, before the South Africa captain advanced the rapid fast bowler next ball, only to swat a catch to the safe hands of Smith at deep mid-wicket to depart for 91 (88). 

Mitchell Starc (1-40) found the edge of Ryan McLaren’s bat to give Matthew Wade his second catch of the afternoon, and after being blasted for a huge six, Faulkner cleaned up Robin Petersen for 11 (12).

Australia’s dominance in the field was capped off by a direct hit by David Warner at mid-on to run out Farhaan Behardien for 22 (23) as the home side kept South Africa to 51 runs off the final 10 overs. 

Australia lost a big wicket early when Warner (4 off 8) was trapped stone cold by Kyle Abbott to the delight of the bowler and his jubilant teammates.

After missing the first three matches, Abbott was determined to make the most of his limited opportunities, following up Warner’s wicket with vicious cutters in and away to Finch to have the local boy in all sorts. 

Watson had looked strong on the front foot, clubbing the Proteas quick men through the covers before chasing a wide one from fellow allrounder McLaren to be caught behind for 19 (24).

And when Finch (22 off 37) picked out the lone man on the leg-side boundary, Wayne Parnell had his first, South Africa their third and Australia were on the ropes at 3-48.

Smith and Bailey set about calming the Australian nerves after the brace of wickets, but with the match drifting, de Villiers turned to his strike weapon.

Steaming in from the Member’s End, Dale Steyn first ended Bailey’s innings on 16 (29) via an edge through to the keeper, then sent Maxwell to the sheds caught at slip in his next over to reduce the Aussies to 5-98, still requiring 170 from 156 balls.

As the balls got softer and the wicket slower, finding the rope became almost impossible. Only two boundaries were struck between the 9th and 31st overs, but Smith was still there, raising his bat for his half-century off 63 balls to give the smattering of Australian fans in attendance a glimmer of hope.

Smith then ended the boundary drought with his best impression of Roger Federer, overhead smashing Abbott down the ground before Wade took the conventional route to the perimeter, driving Peterson through extra cover for four more.

The batting Powerplay would determine if Australia were contenders or pretenders heading into the final 10 overs. The first two overs were safely negotiated with a level head, before both Smith and Wade agreed there was more room in the air, hitting Steyn for a boundary each over the infield. 

Twelve more runs would follow, totalling 31 in the Powerplay, but more importantly, no wickets for the Australians. With 10 overs remaining, Smith and Wade needed 86 off 60 balls. 

Wade shelled Parnell straight for six before a wide brought up the maiden century stand between the Victorian and Smith, followed by a single for the left-hander’s half-century.

Consecutive double-figure overs swung the match back to 50-50, and just when Australia looked to edge ahead, a stunning catch from McLaren running in from fine-leg dismissed Wade for 52 (59) and introduced Australia’s most recent specialist finisher, Faulkner, to the arena he thrives in.

Amidst the chaotic running, inside edges, boundaries and wickets, Smith had found himself on 99, and with a dinky pull into the leg-side, the 25-year-old reached his second ODI century from 109 balls in what would be a match-winning knock.

It was then up to Faulkner to do his thing, and the Tasmanian started with two lusty blows off Steyn to reduce the equation to 21 off 18.  

He then peeled off two more boundaries before Smith was bowled looking to hit the winning runs, out for 104, leaving Cummins to hit the winning runs and seal the series win.