Dewald Brevis smashed South Africa’s highest individual score in Twenty20 internationals with an unbeaten 125 from just 56 balls, steering his side to a 53-run victory over Australia in Darwin on Tuesday, 12 August, and keeping them alive in the three-match series.
Australia’s decision to bowl first backfired as South Africa powered to 218-7, built around Brevis’s maiden international hundred. The 22-year-old came in with the tourists struggling at 57-3 and dominated a 126-run stand with Tristan Stubbs (31). His innings, featuring eight sixes, eclipsed Faf du Plessis’s 119 against the West Indies in 2015.
“I’m extremely grateful, just happy to be out here on the winning side,” Brevis said after his match-winning knock, which came in only his ninth T20 international.
Australia’s chase began poorly, with Travis Head (5) and Cameron Green (9) departing early. Tim David, fresh from a match-winning 83 in the opener, offered hope with a ferocious 50 from 24 balls, including several towering sixes — one landing on the stadium roof. But his dismissal to Kagiso Rabada ended the resistance, and Australia were bowled out for 165 in the 18th over. Corbin Bosch and Kwena Maphaka took three wickets each.
“Chasing that down was always going to be tough and we needed a few partnerships, which we couldn’t do,” admitted Australia captain Mitchell Marsh.
South Africa had struggled in the first match without several key batsmen, but captain Aiden Markram signalled intent with a boundary from the first ball of the innings before falling for 18. Glenn Maxwell dismissed both Markram and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (10) to leave the Proteas under pressure, but Brevis turned the game around.
Dropped on 56 by substitute fielder Matthew Kuhnemann, Brevis made full use of the reprieve, reaching his hundred with a boundary off his 41st delivery. Maxwell and Ben Dwarshuis claimed two wickets each in an otherwise sloppy Australian fielding display, which ended their nine-match T20 winning streak.
The series will be decided in Cairns on Saturday, 16 August.