David The Difference As Australia Go 1-0 Up
Author: Tom Penn
Updated At:
With both sides selecting strong squads for this three game T20I series, a close contest was predicted for the opener on Sunday evening and so it proved with Australia winning but not by a large margin.
This bilateral series is one which has captured the attention of the international cricket watching public as not everyone wants to follow The Hundred! And seeing two of the strongest all-format sides going head to head is just what the doctor ordered for some.
Ahead of Tuesday evening's second T20I, we look at who impressed in the opening game and see what tips we can suggest in terms of betting markets as the series progresses.
How Did The First T20I Play Out
South Africa won the toss and asked the hosts to bat first in Darwin with neither side offering a T20I debut.
And the Proteas decision to field first looked like a smart one when all three of Australia's top three had been dismissed after 3.1 overs with 30 runs on the board.
But many had pointed to the middle-order being an area of strength for the Aussies and so it proved with Cameron Green hitting 35 runs from 13 balls but it was Tim David, at number five, who went biggest striking 83 runs from 52 balls.
Chasing 179 for victory, South Africa's top three batted in slightly more conservative fashion but the team were still three down after 5.5 overs.
Opener Ryan Rickelton was still there though and his 71 runs from 55 balls, along with Tristan Stubbs' 37 from 27, kept the tourists in the hunt.
However, Rickelton was caught on the boundary from the second ball of the final over which pretty much signalled the end of the contest.
Who Impressed With The Ball
Even with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins rested for the series by Australia, there were still some top internationals on show in both bowling line-ups.
Let's take a look at the top five displays with the ball in the first T20I.
| Player | Team | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| Kwena Maphaka | SA | 4 | 0 | 20 | 4 |
| Ben Dwarshuis | Aus | 4 | 0 | 33 | 2 |
| Josh Hazlewood | Aus | 4 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| Kagiso Rabada | SA | 4 | 0 | 29 | 2 |
| Adam Zampa | Aus | 4 | 0 | 33 | 2 |
There were no maidens in either side's innings and of the 11 bowlers used, only Corbin Bosch and Nathan Ellis went wicketless.
Form Players And Tips Ahead Of Tuesday's Second T20I
Australia
- Cameron Green has hit between 26 and 56 runs across nine of his last ten international innings so that looks like a spread to back in this game.
- Tim David has made scores of 102* and 83 from his last three T20Is, taking the Player of the Match Award on both occasions.
- Ben Dwarshuis has taken three wickets in each of his last two T20Is.
South Africa
- Ryan Rickelton has been dismissed 'caught' in 12 of his 14 T20I innings.
- South Africa hit only 2x sixes compared to Australia who struck 13 of their own on Sunday!
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