World Champs Australia suffer 5-0 whitewash for first time in their ODI history
David Warner's brilliant 173 was not enough to save Australia from a 5-0 ODI series humiliation at the hands of South Africa as the hosts won the fifth and final match by 31 runs in Cape Town. Earlier, Rilee Rossouw's 122 off 118 balls and JP Duminy’s 73 helped South Africa post 327-8.
Brief Scores:South Africa 327 for 8 (Rossouw 122, Duminy 73, Mennie 3-49) beat Australia 296 (Warner 173, Tahir 2-42, Abbott 2-48) by 31 runs
South Africa condemned Australia to their first ever whitewash in a five-match one-day bilateral series after bowling them out for 296 on Wednesday. Imran Tahir was the pick of the South African bowlers with 2-42 from 10 overs.
Warner's 136-ball effort was studded with 24 boundaries and was his second century of the series, but the pugnacious left-hander failed to garner sufficient support from the rest of the batting in pulling off a consolation win.
Rossouw bludgeoned 14 boundaries and two sixes in his 118-ball knock to lead South Africa to a commanding total. Walking in at No 4, Rossouw toyed with Australia’s inexperienced attack and shared in a 178-run stand with Duminyfor the fourth wicket.
Seamer Joe Mennie, playing in only his second ODI, was the pick of the visitors’ bowling with figures of 3-49.
Australia had almost been whitewashed by England in the NatWest Series in 2012 when they lost the series 4-0 before rain saved them from complete embarrassment with the final ODI being washed out.