Travis Head, Cameron Green, Mitchell Marsh smash tons as Australia become first time to achieve rare record against South Africa

Following the fireworks from Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green with the bat, young left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly starred with five wickets as Australia beat South Africa by a record 276 runs in the third and final ODI in Mackay. This was the first instance where South Africa lost by more than 250 runs in an ODI.

The hosts avoided a whitewash by handing South Africa their biggest-ever ODI defeat in terms of runs, with the chief destructor being Connolly. The spinner finished with figures of 5/22 in six overs. Connolly, who turned 22 years oldjust to days ago, became the youngest to claim a five-wicket haul for Australia. The record was previously held by Craig McDermott, who achieved the feat at the age of 22 years 204 days against Pakistan in 1987.

Chasing an improbable 432 runs to win, South Africa never got going and lost wickets at regular intervals.


Dewald Brevis top scored with 49, including five sixes, while Tony de Zorzi resisted with 33.

However, the Proteas were bowled out for 155. In the process, Australia also became the first team in history to beat South Africa by a margin of more than 250 runs in ODIs.

In the of 50-over format, as many as 14 teams have won by a margin of more than 250 runs, but in the 54-year history this is the first time any team have done against the Proteas.

Earlier, openers Marsh (100) and Head (142) put on 250 runs for the first wicket, the fifth-highest in the format for Australia. Green carried forward the momentum with a blitz.

He took just 47 balls to reach a stunning century and registered the second-fastest ODI century by an Australian. Alex Carey scored a flurry of boundaries and contributed with a quick-fire 50 not out from 37 balls.

It was also only the second instance where the top-three batters smashed centuries in the 50-over format after South Africa's effort against the West Indies in Johannesburg in 2015.