The Australia vs South Africa 3rd ODI 2025 at Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, on August 24, 2025, was a jaw-dropping display of Australian dominance. Australia smashed a colossal 431/2, powered by centuries from Travis Head (142), Mitchell Marsh (100), and Cameron Green (118*), before bowling South Africa out for 155, securing a thumping 276-run victory.
Match Overview: Australia’s Glorious Redemption
Australia vs South Africa 3rd ODI 2025:
Australia, led by Mitchell Marsh, chose to bat first on a flat Mackay pitch. Their top three—Head, Marsh, and Green—unleashed carnage, with Head and Marsh’s 250-run opening stand setting the tone, followed by Green’s blazing 47-ball ton and Alex Carey’s rapid 50* (37 balls). South Africa, chasing 432, crumbled under pressure from Sean Abbott (2 wickets), Xavier Bartlett (2 wickets), and Connolly’s maiden ODI five-for, ending at 155 in 24.5 overs. Despite the loss, South Africa clinched the series 2-1, their fifth straight ODI series win over Australia since 2016. Key stat: Australia’s 276-run win was SA’s heaviest ODI defeat by runs. Player of the Match: Travis Head; Player of the Series: Keshav Maharaj.espncricinfo.comtimesnownews.com
Australia Innings: A Batting Masterclass
Australia vs South Africa 3rd ODI 2025: Head, Marsh, and Green’s Explosive Centuries and Connolly’s Brilliant Five-For Crush SA in Epic Showdown!
Australia’s innings was a run-fest, with Travis Head (142 off 103, 17 fours, 3 sixes) and Mitchell Marsh (100 off 91, 8 fours, 3 sixes) piling on 250 in 34.1 overs—Australia’s fourth-highest ODI opening stand. Cameron Green’s unbeaten 118 off 47 balls (10 fours, 6 sixes), the second-fastest ODI ton by an Australian, and Alex Carey’s 50* off 37 (5 fours, 1 six) added 164 in 13.3 overs at a scorching 12.14 runs per over. South Africa’s bowlers, missing Kagiso Rabada (ankle injury) and Lungi Ngidi (rested), struggled, with Kwena Maphaka (0-73) and Wiaan Mulder (0-93) leaking runs. Only Keshav Maharaj (0-47, 8 overs) kept things tight. Australia’s 431/2 was their second-highest ODI total, just 4 shy of 434/4 vs SA in 2006.espncricinfo.comespn.com
Australia Innings Table:
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | Mins | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Head | c Mulder b Maharaj | 142 | 103 | – | 17 | 3 | 137.86 |
| Mitchell Marsh (c) | c Rickelton b Maharaj | 100 | 91 | – | 8 | 3 | 109.89 |
| Cameron Green | not out | 118 | 47 | – | 10 | 6 | 251.06 |
| Alex Carey (wk) | not out | 50 | 37 | – | 5 | 1 | 135.13 |
| Extras | (lb 2, w 19) | 21 | |||||
| Total | 50 overs (RR: 8.62) | 431/2 |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwena Maphaka | 6 | 0 | 73 | 0 | 12.16 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Wiaan Mulder | 7 | 0 | 93 | 0 | 13.28 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Corbin Bosch | 9 | 0 | 74 | 0 | 8.22 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 8 | 0 | 47 | 2 | 5.87 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Senuran Muthusamy | 10 | 0 | 76 | 0 | 7.60 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Aiden Markram | 7 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 6.28 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony de Zorzi | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 7.33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fall of Wickets: 250-1 (Head, 34.1), 267-2 (Marsh, 36.3).
South Africa Innings: Connolly’s Devastating Spell
Australia vs South Africa 3rd ODI 2025:
Chasing 432, South Africa’s innings imploded early. Sean Abbott (2 wickets) dismissed Aiden Markram (6) and Temba Bavuma (19 off 10, 3 fours), while Xavier Bartlett removed Ryan Rickelton (11) and Tristan Stubbs (9). From 50/4 in 9 overs, Dewald Brevis’ aggressive 49 off 28 (4 fours, 2 sixes) offered brief hope, but Connolly’s 5-22, including spectacular catches by Marnus Labuschagne, ripped through the middle order. Keshav Maharaj (2) and Senuran Muthusamy (8*) couldn’t resist, and Adam Zampa (1 wicket) wrapped up the tail at 155 in 24.5 overs.espncricinfo.comtheguardian.com
South Africa Innings Table:
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | Mins | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram | c Green b Abbott | 6 | 8 | – | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Ryan Rickelton (wk) | c Connolly b Abbott | 11 | 16 | – | 1 | 0 | 68.75 |
| Temba Bavuma (c) | b Abbott | 19 | 10 | – | 3 | 0 | 190.00 |
| Tony de Zorzi | c Connolly b Connolly | 22 | 23 | – | 3 | 0 | 95.65 |
| Tristan Stubbs | c Head b Bartlett | 9 | 14 | – | 1 | 0 | 64.28 |
| Dewald Brevis | c Bartlett b Connolly | 49 | 28 | – | 4 | 2 | 175.00 |
| Wiaan Mulder | c Labuschagne b Connolly | 10 | 13 | – | 1 | 0 | 76.92 |
| Corbin Bosch | c Labuschagne b Connolly | 9 | 12 | – | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Senuran Muthusamy | not out | 8 | 14 | – | 1 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Keshav Maharaj | st Inglis b Connolly | 2 | 11 | – | 0 | 0 | 18.18 |
| Kwena Maphaka | c Green b Zampa | 0 | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | (lb 2, w 8) | 10 | |||||
| Total | 24.5 overs (RR: 6.24) | 155 |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Bartlett | 6 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 6.50 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Sean Abbott | 5 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 7.80 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Adam Zampa | 7.5 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 3.95 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cooper Connolly | 6 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 3.66 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Fall of Wickets: 11-1 (Markram, 1.6), 31-2 (Rickelton, 4.2), 50-3 (Bavuma, 5.6), 50-4 (Stubbs, 8.4), 103-5 (de Zorzi, 14.3), 126-6 (Brevis, 16.4), 141-7 (Mulder, 18.6), 149-8 (Bosch, 22.2), 154-9 (Maharaj, 24.4), 155-10 (Maphaka, 24.5).
Key Performances: Heroes Who Lit Up Mackay
- Travis Head (Australia): 142 off 103—blistering century, Player of the Match.timesnownews.com
- Cameron Green (Australia): 118* off 47—second-fastest ODI ton by an Australian.
- Mitchell Marsh (Australia): 100 off 91—set the platform with Head.
- Cooper Connolly (Australia): 5-22—maiden ODI five-for, youngest Australian to achieve it.espncricinfo.com
- Dewald Brevis (South Africa): 49 off 28—lone spark in SA’s collapse.
LSI Keywords: ODI standout performers, Head century, Green ton, Connolly five-wicket haul, Brevis batting.
Tactics Talk: Australia’s Masterful Blueprint
Australia’s batting was relentless, exploiting SA’s weakened attack (no Rabada or Ngidi) with aggressive strokeplay. Head and Marsh’s 250-run stand overwhelmed SA’s bowlers, while Green’s late assault targeted Maphaka and Mulder. SA’s bowling lacked discipline, with only Maharaj containing runs. In the chase, Australia’s pacers (Abbott, Bartlett) used movement under lights, and Connolly’s spin exploited SA’s aggressive approach. SA’s top order faltered, and Brevis’ cameo couldn’t bridge the gap. For future games, SA needs bowling depth; Australia’s top-order firepower is a warning for opponents.espncricinfo.comtheguardian.com