All-round Kapp leads Proteas to historic ODI win over Aussies

South Africa have pulled off an upset for the ages, thrashing Australia by 84 runs at North Sydney Oval to make history and keep the multi-format series alive.

Marizanne Kapp arrived at the ground under an injury cloud but lit up the match first with bat then ball, scoring 75 before ripping through Australia’s top order with 3-12 to seal South Africa’s first ever win over the hosts in the format.

Australia had no answers for the Proteas’ pace attack under lights, bowled out for 149 in 29.3 overs chasing a revised 234 in what was their first ODI defeat at North Sydney Oval since 2009.

Kapp’s opening blitz with the ball was backed up by fellow rookie quicks Eliz-Mari Marx (2-22) and Ayanda Hlubi (2-41), allrounder Nadine de Klerk (2-26) as Australia were reduced to 8-71 inside 14 overs.

A fighting 77-run stand between Kim Garth (42no) and Ashleigh Gardner (35) made the scoreline somewhat more flattering, but after the latter departed victory was a formality for South Africa, with Australia bowled out in fewer than 35 overs for the first time in one-day internationals.

It was a remarkable turnaround from a Proteas side that had been bowled out for 105 in a humbling eight-wicket defeat at Adelaide Oval just days earlier.

South Africa have now levelled the one-day leg of the tour 1-1, and trail Australia in the multi-format series 6-4 heading into Saturday’s third ODI at the same ground.

After Alyssa Healy put the Proteas in to bat, two rain delays cut each innings by five overs and meant Australia would chase a slightly higher total of 234 than the Proteas' actual 6-229.

Kapp then had the Australian top-order in tatters as she had Healy (14) caught behind slashing at a wide one, then bowled Beth Mooney (0) with an unplayable in-swinging delivery two balls later.

She had a third in her next over, trapped Phoebe Litchfield lbw for 14 to leave the hosts wobbling at 3-34.

That position became all the more dire at 4-37 when Ellyse Perry, who had dropped down from first drop to No.5 as she battled an upset stomach, was tamely caught for two at slip to give debutant Hlubi a dream first ODI wicket.

Tahlia McGrath looked solid, hitting a couple of textbook drives for four, but she lost another partner when Annabel Sutherland (1) was caught behind off the bowling of fourth-gamer Marx.

Hlubi had a second when she knocked over Georgia Wareham (0), forcing a sore Gardner – who had left the field during the bowling innings with hamstring tightness and came out at No.8, rather than at six – to the crease.

Australia’s perilous position became almost terminal when Nadine de Klerk got the key wicket of McGrath (22) and followed up with that of Alana King (0) in the same over, leaving the hosts 8-82.

That brought Gardner and Garth together and the pair survived, then started to frustrate the Proteas.

Such is this Australian team’s Teflon-like ability to escape from almost any position in ODIs, their world record 77-run ninth-wicket stand was enough to start the ‘what ifs?’

But when Gardner was caught behind off the bowling of Marx, and Chloe Tryon trapped No.11 Megan Schutt lbw for one, South Africa sealed their spot in history, going one step better than the one-dayer they tied in 2016.

It was a slightly anticlimactic moment of triumph when Schutt reviewed the call, but when ball tracking confirmed umpire’s call, history was sealed and the delighted Proteas huddle jumped in joy.

Earlier, Australia were made to rue a series of missed chances, dropping five catches after winning the toss and electing to bowl on Wednesday.

Kapp was the beneficiary of two of those chances, as she scored her third half-century in as many matches in this multi-format series.

The allrounder was under an injury cloud heading into the game having retired hurt on 50 in Adelaide.

But cleared to play, Kapp again proved the glue that held the South Africa batting line-up together during a batting innings punctuated by two rain delays totalling 70 minutes.

The Proteas were put in to bat after Laura Wolvaardt lost a fifth consecutive toss in as many games this series – six, if you include their tour game against the Governor-General’s XI.

There is just a 1.5 per cent chance of that happening, and Wolvaardt’s luck got no better when she was out for a duck three balls into the match, brilliantly caught by a diving Mooney at slip off the bowling of Schutt.

Their star opener back in the sheds, Tazmin Brits scrapped her way to 21 from 41 deliveries when she was caught off the bowling of Sutherland.

But at the other end Anneke Bosch played with intent and aggression after being given a life on one when Perry put down a tricky chance in the deep, and then successfully overturning an lbw decision on five.

She struck nine fours in total, and after surviving a close ball when an edge bounced just in front of Healy’s gloves on 34, successfully overturning an lbw decision on 34, dispatched McGrath into the stands later the same over.

Bosch fell short of a third ODI half-century when she was caught off the bowling of Gardner, but her departure heralded the arrival of Kapp, who despite the blow to her left arm in the first ODI looked as in-form as ever.

She was dropped on 37 when King put down a chance off her own bowling, and again on 45 when Healy couldn’t hang onto a edge off the bowling of Garth that appeared to hit the ‘keeper on the end of her finger.

After sharing partnerships of 46 with Sune Luss (19) and 36 with de Klerk (14), Kapp’s 87-ball innings finally ended when she was well caught by a running Phoebe Litchfield at extra cover.

Tryon (37no) when gave South Africa the late boost they required, scoring 19 runs off Schutt in the penultimate over to lift her team to 6-229 off their 45 overs.

Women's CommBank T20I Series v South Africa

First T20: Australia won by eight wickets

Second T20: South Africa won by six wickets

Third T20: Australia win by five wickets

Women's CommBank ODI Series v South Africa

First ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

February 7: Second ODI, North Sydney Oval, 2.40pm

February 10: Third ODI, North Sydney Oval, 2.40pm

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Heather Graham, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris*, Jess Jonassen, Alana King**, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham *T20s only | **ODIs only

South Africa squad (T20Is & ODIs): Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder (wk), Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloe Tryon, Delmi Tucker

Women's CommBank Test Match v South Africa

February 15-18: Only Test, WACA Ground, Perth 11.00am