Australia vs South Africa 3rd ODI Full Commentary

We are back for the chase. The two umpires are the first ones out in the middle, followed by the players from Australia. Finally, the opening duo for South Africa - Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock walk out to bat. Mitchell Starc has the new ball in hand, and he's raring to go. Let's go...

... The Run Chase ...

Bosch strikes at the death - Australia were 249/4 heading into the last 10 overs, but lost plenty of wickets in that final phase. Corbin Bosch was the leading cause of this and he started things off by getting rid of Renshaw. Lizaad Williams then joined in and got a couple of wickets as well, but Bosch was the star as he also got Carey out for 74. A few streaky boundaries at the death helped the visitors get past the 320-run mark. Now then, South Africa are a batter short and given their issues with the opening pair, Australia will feel they can end this series with a win. However, if Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock get going early on, then we could have a real match on our hands. Stay tuned as the play is scheduled to resume at 4.20 pm GMT.

Carey's knock highlights the middle overs - Overall, the middle phase was a bit of cat and mouse between the two sides, but Australia did get the better of it in the end. Oliver Peake and Alex Carey led the fightback with a partnership of 73 runs, before Peake got out on 48. Then, Carey added another 50-plus stand with Matt Renshaw. South Africa tried a lot of things in the middle phase and their pacers picked up a wicket here and there, as the spinners tried to hold up one end. All three spinners had an economy of under 6 runs an over, which allowed the Proteas to pull things back.

Marsh gets the ball rolling - Similar to what we have seen throughout the series, the Aussie openers dominated the first Powerplay, and it was Mitchell Marsh who was the real aggressor, notching up a quick half-century. He added 78 runs for the first wicket alongside Travis Head, but both of them got out in quick succession. The Proteas hit back hard with the ball, turning 78/0 into 118/3.

Honors even at the break? You look at the scoreboard and think that Australia have a solid score of 322 on the board, and it is a good score, but the average score batting first in recent ODI games at Senwes Park is around 320. South Africa won't be too displeased, but the concern for them is that they will be missing a top-order batter in the form of Tony de Zorzi, who will not bat due to a hamstring strain.

Adam Zampa is the last batter in for Australia.

Mitchell Starc walks out to bat at number 10.

Yikes! That is a really sore one to take, right on the groin guard, and Cameron Green is down on the ground. He does eventually get up and the Protea players rehydrate themselves as well. The physio is out, and he's having a bit of a laugh about it, as Green takes a few breaths and is good to continue.

Onto the Tests - Temba Bavuma receives the trophy and joins his teammates for the customary photograph. It was a good audition for some of the South African fringe players, with several of their ODI regulars missing through injury. Australia, meanwhile, have had a good workout, first in Zimbabwe and now in South Africa, two of the three host countries for next year's World Cup. The focus now shifts to the much-anticipated Test series between the two finalists from the previous WTC cycle and the teams currently sitting 1 and 2 in the rankings. The first of three Tests will be played in Durban, starting Friday, October 9, with the first ball scheduled to be bowled at 7.30 am GMT. Do join us then. Cheers!

The skipper of South Africa - Temba Bavuma says the result did not go their way, but the game provided a good opportunity to give some players a chance. Ryan Rickelton got some runs under his belt, while Gerald Coetzee made an impact with the ball, which Bavuma says were positives to take. Having already gone 2-0 up, South Africa had the luxury of resting a few players and giving others opportunities. Bavuma says the game was never treated as a dead rubber, with the team continuing to work on building momentum and overcoming the challenges in front of them.

The captain of Australia - Mitchell Marsh starts by saying that he is pleased with the win, but would have liked a full game. Adds that the batting effort overall was better today, and it was a disappointing series, but it's good to end with a win. He then talks about gradual improvement, as they have a lot of inexperienced players who will learn from these conditions. Goes on to say that South Africa are a class side, especially at home. On his own batting form, he says that it feels good to contribute with the bat.

PLAYER OF THE SERIES - For picking up 6 wickets in the series, Keshav Maharaj takes home the award. Keshav says it was nice to lead the attack and credits his teammates for bowling well around him. Shares that he has been working really hard with the aim of building towards the ODI World Cup. Maharaj mentions that getting his lengths right is key for a spinner in South Africa, while understanding the batters and having clear game plans is equally important. He says that he was encouraged by the turn and bounce at the Wanderers and also praises Bjorn Fortuin for bowling exceptionally well alongside him.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Alex Carey has been given the award for his crucial knock of 74 runs from 88 balls. Carey says that the openers got them off to another flying start, but so far they haven't managed to capitalise until today. He goes on to say that having rain play a role isn't good, but feels that his side were well ahead by then, and goes on to credit South Africa as deserving winners of the series. On their preparation for the Test series, Carey says that they have a tour match before the 1st Test, and he is looking forward to it.

Time for the presentation ceremony, which will take place indoors as it is still raining.

Left a few runs out there - That was the general consensus at the halfway mark regarding Australia's innings. Earlier, after losing the toss on a chilly afternoon, it was Mitchell Marsh who brought the heat with his ball-striking. South African quicks were all over the place in helpful conditions but managed to wrest back control through the middle phase. Alex Carey forged a couple of key partnerships and kept the scoreboard ticking. His departure came at an inopportune time, which meant Australia could not finish as well as they would have liked and had to settle for 322.

Zampa makes the difference - Australia's new-ball pairing were a lot better than their counterparts and showed how to bowl on this track. They were rewarded with a couple of wickets in the first Powerplay before Ryan Rickelton and Matthew Breetzke got a partnership going for the home side. They kept the chase on the right track for a while, before Adam Zampa derailed it with a double strike. From there, the rest of the attack made sure the Proteas couldn't find any breathing room, and the required run rate kept climbing. When the rain interrupted play, South Africa were 45 runs behind on DLS, which was a fair reflection of how far the game had drifted from them.

Handshakes all around - That's that for the game. Australia win by 45 runs on DLS and end the series with a consolation victory. Rain in the lead-up meant we had a delayed start by 30 minutes, and it stayed away for long enough before it took the players off, and we never got back on the park. By then, though, Australia had done enough to put themselves in a strong position, and were deserving winners. South Africa take the series, but the Aussies head into the Test series with some much-needed momentum.

7.16 pm GMT - It is currently pouring down in Potchefstroom. The steady drizzle has turned into a full-blown storm of sorts at present. With every passing minute, the hopes of a restart are dwindling, but there's some time before play can be called off. If it does come to that, Australia will win on the DLS method. Let's hope that we do get some sort of a reduced chase.

6.47 pm GMT - Well, the covers are still on, and the drizzle hasn't relented either. So, this might be a longer break than we first anticipated. It is that kind of rain that is just annoying. It isn't pouring down, but it isn't light enough either to continue playing. We can just wait and hope for the best. Stick around for further updates.

Game stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

6.31 pm GMT - There's a conference between the two umpires. And there you go. The covers are being brought on. The rain has been steadily getting stronger, and the umpires feel that it is strong enough to take the players off the field. The current DLS par score for South Africa is 190, so they are well behind. Let's hope that it is a short break, and we can get back playing soon. Stay tuned for further updates.

The rain has picked up again, along with the wind, which is actually blowing the rain away a bit. It's pretty chilly out there as well.