13 January, 2009

Mike Hussey A bumper crowd of 37, 457 has witnessed Australia take a 2-0 clean sweep of the KFC Twenty20 international series with a gritty six-wicket win over the Proteas at the Gabba on Tuesday night.

A maiden Twenty20 half-century from Mike Hussey, who was handed a life when on two courtesy of a missed stumping by South African keeper Mark Boucher, saw the hosts overhaul South Africa's total of 5-157 with seven deliveries left.

Hussey joined skipper Ricky Ponting at the crease with their side precariously placed at 2-29 in the seventh over and proceed to slam five boundaries and one booming six in a gutsy unbeaten knock of 53 runs from 32 balls.

Ponting (38) and Hussey put on 61 runs, but just as they looked to be taking control of the match, Morne Morkel struck twice for the visitors in the 13th over.

Morkel found Ponting short of his ground with a skilful piece of fielding from his own bowling before JP Duminy held onto a spectacular catch in the deep to see David Hussey out for two.

Four overs later Duminy turned from hero to villain for the visitors, misjudging a catch in the deep when slugger Cameron White was on nine.

It was the first of four consecutive boundaries from White as Australia jumped into the box seat, requiring 17 runs from the final three overs.

From there the hosts eased towards their target, with White dispatching Morkel for a huge six to bring up the required runs and move his personal score to an impressive 40 runs off 18 balls.

Earlier Duminy's second half-century in as many games played a lone hand propping up the Proteas total of 5-157.

Promoted to No.3 in the absence of AB de Villiers and fresh from a sparkling 78 at the MCG, Duminy continued his one-man show with a gutsy knock of 69 off 41 balls that featured seven boundaries and two sixes.

But Duminy received little support, with Hashim Amla (26), Mark Boucher (19) and Albie Morkel (19) the only other men to make it into double figures for the visitors.

In reply, David Warner, fresh from cracking 89 runs off only 43 balls on Sunday night at the MCG, could not repeat his clean-striking heroics in Brisbane, clean bowled by Dale Steyn for seven in the fifth over.

Opening partner Shaun Marsh (15) joined him in the change rooms soon after when, shooting for a six, he gave South African skipper Johan Botha a tough catch at mid-on.


Ponting and Hussey initially struggled to keep the runs flowing and at the halfway point of the Australian innings, they had reached 2-56 and required a challenging 10.2 runs an over off the final ten.

Ponting went but Hussey proved up to the task as he and White put on an unbeaten 69 for the fifth wicket..