T20 World Cup: Steve Smith, Bowlers Shine As Australia Edge South Africa By 5 wickets

T20 World Cup: Australia beat South Africa by 5 wickets in the first match of the Super 12 stage at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Needing eight runs in the final over, Marcus Stoinis (24 not out) hit Dwaine Pretorius for two vital fours and completed the job with two balls to spare. This was after Australia were reeling at 81 for five in the 16th over. Defending a humble target of 119, South Africa got off to a fine start as Anrich Nortje (2/21) dismissed Australian skipper Aaron Finch for a duck in the second over. Finch went for a drive but he could not middle it as the ball took a top edge and flew towards Kagiso Rabada, who was deployed at third man.

Dropped from his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderebad in the second leg of the league recently, David Warner (14) seemed to have found his form with three boundaries but Kagiso Rabada cut short his promising start when the southpaw sliced one in the air for Heinrich Klaasen to complete a fine catch at backward point. Mitchell Marsh (!!) was the next to fall as Keshav Maharaj got the better of him in the 8th over.

Steve Smith (35) and Glenn Maxwell (18) stitched 42 runs for the fourth wicket before the former was given his marching order, following an inspiring effort from Aiden Markram in the outfield. Left-arm chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi then broke through Maxwell's defence to put Australia under the pump on a pitch not really conducive for playing expansive strokes. Matthew Wade (15 not out) released the pressure with two fours off Rabada, bringing the equation down to 25 from 18 balls.

Earlier, Australia's bowlers scythed through South Africa's top and middle-order batting lineup to restrict them to 118 for nine. On a pitch where the ball came on to the bat late, Josh Hazlewood 2/19), Adam Zampa (2/21) and Michell Starc (2/33) did most of the damage, even as Aiden Markram battled his way to a 36-ball 40. Had it not been for Kagiso Rabada's 19, which included a one-handed six off Starc in the final over, South Africa would have got less.

South Africa started well after skipper Temba Bavuma oversaw a productive first over with two lovely boundaries through the off-side. However, Glenn Maxwell had other ideas as the star all-rounder offset Mitchell Starc's expensive opening over with the dismissal of the in-form Bavuma (12), who was bowled by a delivery that turned very little after the batter had refused to play on the front foot, something that could have saved him.