Cricket360 was expecting South Africa snatch another impossible victory once Kallis and de Villiers were there on the crease though the run rate needed was soaring high. But the whole scenario got a u turn with the dismissal of Kallis and de Villiers within a gap of just 8 balls to make the cricket score slump to 4/157. It was Ponting’s decision to call back Hilfenhaus in the 35th over that made the trick for Aussies. Australia was in fact playing with their faith on the new bowling attack of Hilfenhaus, Harris, Hopes and Bracken and they can rejoice now, for their faith was kept up on and they can now look up to the future with great hope.

South Africa were screwed in to a tight situation once they started chasing the score of 249/9 as they lost both the openers by the time they could add 50 runs to the live score and that too after consuming the flourishing first 15 overs. Gibbs and Amla could not make a strong foundation and they added 19 and 8 respectively. But the situation was well handled by Kallis and de Villiers once they joined hands together for the 3rd wicket and the duo added a cautious 92 runs.

The pace of scoring was pretty slow and it took almost 20 overs for the addition of that much runs. But both of them are of the caliber that at any given time they could have made the equation alright for the Proteas. Ponting was seen making some potential changes in bowling this time and one such decision to recall Hilfenhaus gave them the much needed break through. On the first delivery it self he got Kallis caught behind for 72. Kallis might have smelt the victory after settling for 96 balls and smashing 5 boundaries before that dismissal. Immediately after that by the time RSA added 13 runs de Villiers got in to big trouble when he could not land home safe before a throw from Harris found his bails out to make the attempt for a second run suicidal.

Duminy tried to accelerate the run rate further on route his 35 runs but in between he lost his companion McKenzie . Boucher together with Morkel started to propel shots after the visiting team opted for the power play in the 46th over just like the last match, and all were expecting a repetition of the 1st ODI. Last five overs demanded 60 runs for the Proteas to register another thrilling victory and it was marched to a 17 needed off the last over by Hilfenhaus. Boucher (37*) shoot the mercury level up by hitting a sixer off the third delivery but the new bowler bowled to perfection and confined South Africa to just 2 runs off the last two balls whereas seven runs scored would have helped the Proteas to script a formidable lead of 2-0 in the 5 match ODI series.

Earlier after being sent to bat first Warner could not make a memorable debut as he had shown in the T20 series and he was back to the stands with just 5 runs. But Marsh and Ponting negotiated well with a 135 runs stand for the 2nd wicket. The partnership was not that smooth as the live score shows, for twice Ponting and once Marsh were given lives by the visitors and that proved crucial in a moderate scoring match. Marsh scalped his fifth fifty in ODI and by virtue of a dropped catch developed it into 78 runs. Ponting though struggled a lot facing Ntini in the beginning but later regained the momentum and added a sporty 64 before he gave a catch to de Villiers off Kallis at a live cricket score of 152 to break the prolonged partnership.

Hussey (28) and Haddin (23) made small contributions but the hosts could not make use of the power play as they could score only 23 runs off it. The last 20 overs found them scoring as little as 92 runs and they might be a relieved side after getting escaped from a tight situation like that of the first ODI. Cricket360.com could find Marsh becoming a prominent member of Aussies batting line up with consistent performance and the young lad pocketed the man of the match award.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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