SA vs AUS Ball by Ball Commentary

On a back of a length, on middle. Cooper stays rooted to the crease and pushes at the ball with hard hands. Miscues it off the inner half to mid-wicket.

Into the wicket, over off. Connolly hangs back to defend.

A bit fuller, width offered. Marsh firms the drive on the up to deep cover. They cross.

Bowled on a hard length, outside off. Marsh presses up on his toes and flays it away but picks out Bjorn Fortuin at backward point, who makes a sharp stop by being low to the ground.

From around the wicket, dropped short, on off. Marsh slaps it to deep cover for a single.

Hangs it up now, on off, Connolly walks across a touch and nurdles it behind square leg for a single.

Four dots in a row! Fractionally short, on middle. Cooper tucks it to mid-wicket.

Nearly went to hand! Pushed through and the length is dragged back, on off. Connolly tries to push it down the ground but chips it to the right of the bowler on the bounce.

More air on this one, full and on off. Connolly wrists it wide of mid-wicket but the fielder cuts it off with a slide.

Nicely tossed up, on a good length, a hint of turn, on middle. Connolly blocks it out off the front foot.

Hits the good length, honing in on the off stump. Marsh stabs it down with a straight bat.

At 137.7 kph, on the fuller side, on off. Cooper knocks it wide of mid off. Ryan Rickelton is swift to his right and tumbles away to keep the batters down to a single.

At the sticks, on a length. Connolly brings his bat out in front and taps it to mid on.

FOUR! Lovely shot. Bosch angles it across the left-hander, a bit too full. Connolly leans across and angles the bat face to stroke it past the diving cover fielder for a four.

Stays full, but the line is tighter around the off stump. Marsh leans into the straight drive. Bosch gets a hand on the ball on the follow-through, low to his left, parrying it wide of mid off for one.

Full and wide on off. Connolly throws his hands at the ball with his feet going nowhere. The outside edge goes down to deep third for a single.

DROPPED! Should have been taken, and Matthew Breetzke will be very disappointed in himself.  Bjorn Fortuin floats this one up, sliding it wide outside off. Connolly leans across to drive, but slices it over the fielder at short cover. Breetzkee leaps up to his left and tries to take it with both hands, but the ball slips through, resulting in a single. Australia are 82/1 after 10 overs, but they really should have been 2 down.

Pushed through a bit more, just down leg. Connolly tickles it towards short fine leg.

Nagging length, getting it to drift from leg to middle. Connolly hangs back and pushes it back to the bowler.

Flatter again, angled in with the arm, towards the pads. Marsh stays back and dabs it between square leg and mid-wicket for one more.

Good length on the pads, worked away off the back foot to deep square leg for a single.

Flatter one around off, drifts across the left-hander. Connolly stands tall and hits it to cover.

Full and wide outside off, inviting the drive. Marsh smothers it off the toe-end of the bat towards cover.

Off the edge! Pitched up in the channel, shaping it across the left-hander. Cooper Connolly leans on to drive but gets an outside edge down to deep third for a single.

OUT! DRAGGED IT ON! That's the length to bowl to Travis Head, and Corbin Bosch breaks the 78-run opening stand. Bosch hits the deck hard again, bowling it back of a length and on a tight line around off stump. Head leans back to pull, but it isn't short enough, and it's too close to the body as well. Head gets a massive inside edge, and the ball goes back on to castle into the stumps. A much-needed breakthrough for the Proteas, but the Aussies are still flying.

FOUR! Inconsistent lengths are costing the Protea bowlers big time here. Bosch goes full now, angling it across off. Head takes a step forward and hammers it over covers for another boundary.

Oh, that wasn't there to be pulled. Bashed into the deck, around the top of off. Head looks to pull it away but the ball goes past the inside edge instead.

FOUR! Airborne, but never in any danger of being caught. Hard length, pushed wide of the off stump. Travis Head extends the arms, thwacking the ball away flat over covers for a boundary.

In the air, but it will clear the infield, and that brings up the FIFTY for Mitchell Marsh. Pitched up around off, shaping away. Marsh goes for the lofted drive down the ground, but slices it this time, getting it over cover-point. The ball plugs in the outfield and Marsh picks up two runs. Yet another fiery start for the Aussie skipper.

Similar length to the last ball, pushed a bit wide of the off stump. Marsh hangs back to smack it past covers, but gets it off the inside half of tha blade, jamming it into the off side.

Back of a length, over off and middle, Marsh rocks back to defend.

FOUR! That's poor from Williams. Short of a good length, angling down leg. Marsh helps it on its way, and the ball races well to the right of short fine leg for a boundary. Marsh moves on to 49 now.

SIX! Clean as! Pitched full and straight, scrambled seam but it is right in the slot. Mitchell Marsh leans in and just lofts it straight back down the ground for a biggie.

Short of a good length, around off, and going straight on. Marsh rocks back and pushes it down with a straight bat towards mid off. Uh, oh! Lizaad Williams has overstepped here. A No Ball is called, and a Free Hit to follow as well.

Good-length ball, angled back in a long way from outside off. Marsh stays back to punch it away, but the ball darts back in and catches Marsh in the groin region once again.

Nice and full, trying to shape it back into the off pole. Head punches it into the turf and straight to mid off for another dot. Australia are 57/0 after the first 7 overs.

Pitched up fuller around off, Head digs it out towards cover.

FOUR! In the air, but well wide of the fielder in the deep. A tad shorter and well wide outside off. Head decides to throw his hands at it, slashing it to the left of Lizaad Williams at deep third for a boundary.

Good length in the channel, Head stays compact and punches it in front of point.

What is with Travis Head and these inside edges? Full of a good length, slanted across off. Head stays low to cut but gets a bottom edge that misses the off pole and goes straight down to the keeper. Quinton de Kock reacts sharply and sticks out his right glove to stop a boundary.

Bosch starts from a bit wider on the crease, bowling it at around 140 clicks. This one hits the deck hard and angles in towards middle. Marsh tucks it past square leg and picks up a single.

Hard length again, pushed into the pads. Marsh misses the flick and gets it off the legs to square leg for a leg bye.

Back of a length, in the channel, nudged off the back foot down to backward point.

Hard length over off and middle, Marsh hangs back and smothers it to the leg side.

FOUR! Fine shot. Good-length delivery on middle, not overpitched by any means. Marsh just hits through the line of the ball and lifts it high towards long on for another boundary. 50 up for Australia.

FOUR! Another easy delivery to put away for Mitch, and he doesn't miss out. Bowled with a scrambled seam, pitched too full and angled into the leg stump. Mitchell Marsh flicks it uppishly but through the big gap at mid-wicket for a boundary.

Pitched up on middle and leg, tucked away neatly to the left of the mid on fielder for a quick run.

FOUR! Since that maiden first over, Mitchell Marsh has been sizing up Gerald Coetzee really well. Pitched up on a good length, shaping it away from around off. Marsh hits with the shape, launching it high over wide mid off and the ball lands a few yards before the ropes, trickling into the fence eventually.

FOUR! Too much width on offer. Banged in short and wide outside off. Mitchell Marsh rocks back, throws his hands at the ball, scything it over the backward point region for a boundary.

Hard length around leg, Head misses the tickle and the ball goes off his pads down to fine leg. A leg bye is taken.

FOUR! Drilled back past the bowler! A scrambled-seam delivery on off and middle, a bit too full. Travis Head hits it on the up, nailing it straight down the ground for a boundary.

A smidge fuller than the last ball, but bowled at the pads. Head is caught on the crease as he dabs it across to square leg.

Good length, at 142.3 kph and angling away from middle and off. Head stays back and angles it towards backward point.

Back of a length, angled back in from outside off. Marsh stays back to defend. Just a single off the over.

Pitched up, in and around off, Marsh leans halfway to flick but fails to get it away.

That's jagged back in a fair bit. Good length, landing it outside off. Marsh leaves it on height, and the ball nips back in to hit him on the outside half of his right thigh pad.

Oh, that could have easily gone back onto the stumps. A touch fuller from Lizaad and around off, Head goes on one knee, looking to smack it over covers, but gets an inside edge past the stumps to fine leg for a single.

Length again, this time a tighter line on off and middle. Head tries to make room and cut, but mistimes it down to point.

Good length around middle, shaping it back in. Head hops to flick but plays all over it and gets hit high on the pads.

Good effort in the field. Good length, but wide outside off. Head stays low and slaps it down to the left of cover. Tony de Zorzi dives across and makes a half-stop, keeping it down to just a single.

Better line and length from Coetzee. Pitched up a bit around the fifth stump line. Marsh is late to leave the ball, and runs it off the face of the blade down to deep third for a single.

Hard length, shaping away from off. Marsh stays back and pushes it down between point and covers, picking up a couple of runs more.

SIX! Mitchell Marsh is in full flow now. Short of a length and over middle, sitting up nicely for the batter. The Bison leans back and lays into the shot, whacking the pull over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 14 off the over already.

FOUR! Very high, but well over the infield as well. Dug in short and wide outside off, getting it to move away a bit. Mitchell Marsh hangs back and fetches the ball, pulling it off the toe end of the blade and towards cow corner for another boundary.

FOUR! A little too straight, and that's a boundary all day long. Overpitched on the pads, angling down leg, Marsh flicks it handsomely down to fine leg and the ball flies to the fence.

Full of a good length, on middle and leg, Marsh clips it wide of mid on for a single. 10 runs off Lizaad Williams' first over, so contrasting starts for South Africa's new-ball bowlers.

FOUR! Marsh has had enough, it seems. Williams errs on the shorter side, and the ball just sits up for the batter. Marsh pulls it off his chest and flat-bats it through square leg for four runs.

Pitched fuller and a bit wider of the off stump. Mitchell Marsh leaves it alone.

Ooh, that's a tough one for Marsh to face. A length ball on off, cutting back in sharply off the deck. Marsh gets caught on the crease and gets hit on the thigh pad.

Back of a length, slanted across the left-hander. Head hops back and jabs the hands at it, angling it down to deep backward point for a single.

FOUR! A cracking start for Travis Head, and Australia are up and running as well. On the shorter side and at the pads, Head hangs back and plays a whippy pull shot past square leg for a boundary.

Gerald Coetzee and South Africa begin with a maiden! Bashed in on a hard length around off, and this one darts back in a bit sharply. Mitchell Marsh is taken aback and gets hit around the groin region.

No run there! Coetzee slides this one into the pads, angling it in this time. Marsh misses the flick and the ball goes off the pads to square leg. Marsh wants the leg bye but Travis Head sends him back.

Lovely channel once again. Good length, nibbling away from around the top of off stump. Marsh stays upright and stabs it down to cover-point.

A bit fuller and straighter too, trying to swing it away. Marsh gets nicely forward and punches it towards mid on.

Excellent line from Gerald. A bit fuller and on off and middle, shaping away again. Marsh makes another solid block, this time off the front foot.

Just a hint of movement. Coetzee lands it short of a good length, getting the ball to move away from the off stump. Mitchell Marsh presses up on his toes and blocks it off.