South Africa were 45 short of par when the rain came, and Australia took the last ODI in Potchefstroom

South Africa needed to be on 190 after 28 overs when the rain set in at JB Marks Oval. They were on 145 for 4, and that gap became Australia’s 45-run win on the DLS method in the third and final ODI at Potchefstroom on Wednesday, 30 September.

The series was already gone. South Africa had won in Durban and at the Wanderers, and they finish 2-1 winners, with Keshav Maharaj named player of the series. But Australia have a Test series in this country starting next week, and this was the first time on the trip that their batting looked like it belonged to one team.

Every top-seven batter got going

South Africa won the toss and bowled after a delayed start on a wet ground. Mitchell Marsh made them regret it inside the powerplay. He reached fifty off 33 balls, mostly by clearing the leg side against the quicks, and Australia were 78 when Travis Head chopped Corbin Bosch onto his stumps for 24.

Marsh went lbw to Bjorn Fortuin for 56 off 42 in the 14th over, after Australia’s review failed. Cooper Connolly made 23 before Gerald Coetzee bowled him, and at 118 for 3 Alex Carey walked in.

Carey took his time. He needed 68 balls for his fifty, and he and Oliver Peake added 73 for the fourth wicket before Peake fell for 48, caught by a diving Fortuin at backward point. Matt Renshaw hit 30 off 29 and Cameron Green 23 off 18 while Carey kept the other end moving. He was out for 74 off 88 in the 46th over, caught at short third off Bosch.

The lowest score anywhere in the top seven was 23. Australia finished on 322 for 9. Bosch was South Africa’s best bowler by a distance with 4 for 60, and Coetzee and Lizaad Williams took two each.

Bartlett and Zampa kept South Africa behind the rate

Xavier Bartlett removed both openers in his first three overs. Quinton de Kock pulled a short ball straight to Mitchell Starc at backward square and went for a five-ball duck, and Aiden Markram was lbw for 15 to one that came back into him.

Ryan Rickelton then made a real go of it. He hit Pat Cummins for six on the pull and reached fifty off 48 balls, and with Matthew Breetzke he took South Africa past 100. Adam Zampa ended that. He had Breetzke stumped by Carey for 25, then trapped Tristan Stubbs lbw for 14, and South Africa were 125 for 4 in the 22nd over.

Zampa finished with 2 for 34 from six overs. Rickelton was 71 not out off 81 and Bosch 13 not out when the rain came, and play never restarted.

What Australia take to Kingsmead

The game mattered most for what it told Australia about the Tests. Cummins was playing his first ODI since November 2024, and he bowled five overs for 17 without taking a wicket.

Marsh is not in the Test squad, but most of this XI is. Head, Connolly, Carey, Renshaw, Green, Cummins and Starc all played here, and all seven are in the 16 named for the three Tests. Carey’s 74 was his first international fifty in 17 innings across ODIs and Tests, since his second-innings 72 in the Adelaide Ashes Test in December 2025, which is a useful thing to take to Kingsmead, where the first Test starts on Friday, 9 October.

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