Innings South Africa 315 for 9 (Markram 93, Miller 63, Jansen 47, Phehlukwayo 39*, Zampa 3-71) vs Australia

There were other finishers on hand though, and Phehlukwayo’s innings could prove particularly important as South Africa finalise their World Cup squad. He isn’t it at the moment but with Sisanda Magala battling a knee injury, could merit a call-up.

Temba Bavuma returned to lead South Africa after recovering from an adductor injury but only faced two eventful balls before being run out for a duck. Bavuma was hit in the ribs by a back-of-a-length Abbott delivery which rebounded in the direction of Marnus Labuschagne on the legside. Bavuma was still trying to catch his breath when Quinton de Kock called him through for the single. He had to get a move on and put in a dive but Labuschagne was quick to react and found him short of his ground.

De Kock responded with a glorious square drive much to the appreciation of his home crowd, who had packed into the Bullring to see him for the final time in an ODI at home. He treated them to three more boundaries before chasing a wide Ellis delivery and sending a thick edge to Cameron Green at slip.

Van der Dussen threatened to get going when he hooked Ellis over deep-backward square for six and then beat Mitchell Marsh at mid-off for four but he did not seem entirely at home. When Abbott took pace off the ball, he got down on one knee to drive but hit the ball straight to Labuschagne at cover. Abbott could have had a second when he beat Markram’s inside-edge but the ball carried just over the stumps.

South Africa were 103 for 3 in the 24th over, scoring at under 4.5 runs an over when Markram was joined by Miller and their time together began shakily. Markram edged Abbott through the vacant slip area and then Miller got a leading edge off Abbott which fell safely between slip and gully. Markam got to fifty off 53 balls and Miller did not let Zampa escape entirely unharmed when he smashed two sixes off the first three balls of his sixth over but fluency only came from the 35th over.

Markram drove Ellis off back-to-back deliveries, then hit Green over midwicket for six and pulled Neser onto the grass banks. Miller played a few of his customary big shots in the V, brought up the century stand in the 41st over and reached fifty off 59 balls. The pair were set to take South Africa to a big finish and Markram well-placed to score a second century in three innings but neither came to fruition. Markram was on 93 when he swept Tim David’s first ball on ODI cricket to Neser at deep square leg to leave Miller with the lower-middle order.

Jansen showed his intent straightaway and flicked David off his pads for four. He scored 18 runs off the first 13 balls he faced before hitting Green to long-on, where David dropped the catch. Jansen made the most of his let off, hit Abbott over extra cover for four and top-edged him over deep square for six. When Miller tried to take Abbott on, he only got a drive to Josh Inglis at sweeper cover.

South Africa were 258 for 6 after 45 overs and Australia saw an opportunity to keep them under 300 but Australia opted to use David for the 46th and Jansen’s eyes lit up. He took 15 runs off his first four balls. Phehlukwayo drove Green through Inglis’ hands at deep cover before Jansen toe-ended Green to Abbott. Zampa beat Gerald Coetzee for pace and struck him on the pad and then bowled Keshav Maharaj to find himself on a hat-trick. He didn’t get it but would have been happy with the morning’s work.

Phehlulwayo slashed Abbott over long-off for six and Neser for back-to-back-to-back big hits on the leg side and finished with four through the covers to take South Africa over 300. They scored 34 runs off the last two overs and 57 off the last five.