Miller wore his mother’s name and made 142, and South Africa beat Australia by 32 to take the series
David Miller’s career-best 142 and Temba Bavuma’s 103 took South Africa to 365 at the Wanderers, and Australia fell 32 short despite fifties from Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head and Xavier Bartlett.
Sep 27, 2026
David Miller walked out at the Wanderers on Sunday with his mother’s name on his back. South Africa were playing in pink for their annual breast cancer awareness day, the whole squad had swapped their own names on their shirts, and Miller’s read Jenny, for his mother, a survivor. He made 142 from 93 balls, the highest score of his ODI career, and when he reached three figures he pointed to her and blew a kiss.
South Africa made 365 for 9, and Australia made a real go of the chase. They were bowled out for 333 with one ball left. South Africa won the second ODI by 32 runs, lead the three-match series 2-0 with one to play, and have now beaten Australia in six bilateral ODI series in a row.
Markram went first ball, and then Bavuma and Miller took over
Mitchell Marsh chose to bowl, and for one ball it looked right. Josh Hazlewood got a delivery to rise at Aiden Markram, who hit it in the air to cover-point, where Cooper Connolly took a very good catch. Quinton de Kock hit two sixes off Hazlewood and then edged behind, and South Africa were 36 for 2 in the seventh over.
Temba Bavuma had already survived one scare. Australia reviewed an lbw shout from Xavier Bartlett when he was on 20, and the replay had the ball going over the stumps. He added 57 with Matthew Breetzke, the centurion from Durban, before Breetzke became Jack Edwards’ first international wicket, caught behind for 34.
Then came the partnership that decided the day. Bavuma and Miller put on 156 for the fourth wicket, and Bavuma kept going after Edwards hit him on the right forearm just after he passed fifty. He needed treatment on the field and batted on. His hundred came off 112 balls, his sixth in ODIs, and he was caught at sweeper cover for 103 in the next over.
Miller did the rest. He reached his century off 73 balls and scored 42 more from his last 20. It was his eighth ODI hundred, and all eight have come from No. 5 or lower, which puts him level with Jos Buttler for the most in those positions. South Africa scored 100 from the last ten overs and finished on 365 for 9.
Edwards took five in his second ODI
Australia’s best news came from Edwards. In only his second ODI he took 5 for 67, the first five-wicket haul of his List A career, and his slower ball did most of the work. He had Bavuma, Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen and Miller.
Australia were a bowler short for most of the innings. Nathan Ellis left the field with a side strain after four overs, Josh Inglis had already been ruled out of the last two ODIs with a fractured finger, and Pat Cummins did not play. Matt Renshaw filled in with three overs of part-time spin and went for 29.
Marsh and Head started the chase at a gallop
Australia needed 366, and for 17 overs they were on course. Marsh reached 50 from 32 balls, and he and Travis Head put on 130 for the first wicket before Bjorn Fortuin bowled Marsh for 84 from 53. Head made 84 too, from 76 balls, before Markram had him lbw in the 25th over. Head reviewed and lost.
That was when Keshav Maharaj and the spinners took over again, as they had in Durban. Alex Carey and Renshaw went lbw to Maharaj, Cameron Green used 34 balls for 17, and at 251 for 6 in the 40th over Australia needed 115 from 63 balls.
Bartlett made it interesting. He hit five sixes in a rapid fifty and added 61 for the seventh wicket with Edwards. Then Marco Jansen removed Edwards and Adam Zampa with successive balls in the 47th over, Lizaad Williams trapped Bartlett lbw for 50, and Williams finished it when Josh Hazlewood was caught by Markram.
Six series in a row, and a dead rubber in Potchefstroom
Australia last won a bilateral ODI series against South Africa in November 2014. Since then South Africa have taken five in a row, and this is the sixth. The third ODI in Potchefstroom on Wednesday, 30 September, is now about pride and fitness before the Test series starts on 9 October.
Fitness is the bigger worry for Australia. Ellis’s side strain, Inglis’s finger and Cummins’ absence all count, and the attack that played here gave away 365. My read: Australia batted well enough to win most ODIs. Marsh, Head and Bartlett all passed 50. The problem was the first half. Miller and Bavuma made 245 between them, and on a day with his mother’s name on his shirt, Miller made sure a good chase still fell 32 short.