Australia Take Five-Wicket Win In T20 Opener

Australia Take Five-Wicket Win In T20 Opener

Shane Watson (right) and Shaun Marsh put on 82 for the second wicket to lay the foundations for Australia's win

©REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko (SOUTH AFRICA - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Australia 147-5 (Watson 52) beat
South Africa 146-7 (Duminy 67) by five wickets
First Twenty20 International, Cape Town
Scorecard

Shane Watson hit a half-century as Australia secured a five-wicket win over South Africa in the first Twenty20 International in Cape Town.

Watson's 52 helped Australia close on 147 for five with three balls to score after JP Duminy's 67 had driven South Africa to a score of 146 for seven.

South Africa did well to get up to that score after they were put under early pressure by the quick dismissals of Graeme Smith, bowled by Doug Bollinger for nought and Hashim Amla, run out for four.

Colin Ingram (33) and Duminy, who faced 53 balls, then resurrected the innings with Duminy playing an array of powerful leg-side shots before he became one of three victims of Patrick Cummins - one of four Australians making their debuts.

Cummins also removed David Miller (20) and Johan Botha (4), fellow debutant James Pattinson dismissed Ingram before Watson bowled Robin Peterson for six.

Cummins is the second youngest player to represent Australia and he rose to the occasion to return figures of three for 25.

Australia then got off to a dreadful start when David Warner was run out without scoring but Watson, who faced 39 balls, was well supported by Shaun Marsh, who made 25.

Both were dismissed with five balls of one another but the run chase was taken on by David Hussey, who hit 25 in 27 balls and captain Cameron White, who made 28 in 22 balls.

There was a final twist as Hussey was dismissed with the score on 141 but Stephen Smith on eight and Matthew Wade, on one, carried Australia over the line.

The second and final game is on 16th October.

© Cricket World 2011