South Africa’s tour of Australia in 2025 has been nothing short of a statement. A team in transition, once accused of faltering in crunch moments, is suddenly brimming with confidence. And at the heart of this revival is Matthew Breetzke — a name that has gone from relative obscurity to being whispered alongside South Africa’s brightest white-ball prospects.
With back-to-back half-centuries and a record-breaking start to his ODI career, Breetzke has lit up the Proteas campaign. Add Tristan Stubbs’ grit, Lungi Ngidi’s firepower, and Nandre Burger’s new-ball spells, and the visitors suddenly look like a side capable of conquering Australia in their own backyard.
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Breetzke’s Breakthrough: Four Fifties in Four
Matthew Breetzke’s start to ODI cricket is one for the history books:
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4 consecutive fifty-plus scores in his first 4 ODIs (a South African record).
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57 (57 balls) in the 1st ODI at Cairns, steering a shaky chase.
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88 (78 balls) in the 2nd ODI at Mackay, anchoring a key 89-run partnership with Stubbs.
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First South African to begin his career with such consistency since the ODI format began.
He combines calm temperament with counter-attacking intent — a rare blend that allows him to build innings while still putting pressure on bowlers. South Africa may just have found the middle-order anchor they’ve been missing since the days of AB de Villiers.
Stubbs and Ngidi: The Perfect Support Acts
Breetzke may have been the star, but he didn’t do it alone.
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Tristan Stubbs (74 off 87): Played the anchor role in the 2nd ODI, steadying after a top-order wobble.
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Lungi Ngidi (5/42): Produced a devastating spell that ripped through Australia’s chase, claiming Inglis, Hardie, and Bartlett in a match-winning burst.
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Nandre Burger (2/23): New-ball menace, dismissing Head and Carey to dent Australia early.
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Senuran Muthusamy (2/30): Tight, disciplined spin bowling in the middle overs, ensuring no easy runs.
This balance — power hitting, anchoring, and a varied bowling attack — is exactly what South Africa has been searching for in ODIs.
Australia’s Resistance: Josh Inglis Fights Alone
While Australia faltered, one man stood tall: Josh Inglis.
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Scored a brilliant 87 off 74 balls with 10 fours and 2 sixes.
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Held the innings together after early wickets.
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Threatened to take the chase deep before Ngidi removed him.
But without support from the rest, Inglis’s effort was in vain. Marsh (18), Head (6), and Labuschagne (1) all failed, leaving Australia with a fragile batting card.
Scorecard Snapshot
South Africa Batting – 2nd ODI
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram (c) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ryan Rickelton | 8 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 57.1 |
| Tony de Zorzi | 38 | 53 | 5 | 0 | 71.7 |
| Matthew Breetzke | 88 | 78 | 8 | 2 | 112.8 |
| Tristan Stubbs | 74 | 87 | 3 | 1 | 85.0 |
| Dewald Brevis | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 |
| Wiaan Mulder | 26 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 96.3 |
| Keshav Maharaj (not out) | 22 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 129.4 |
| Others | <10 | ||||
| Total | 277 (49.1 ov) |
Australia Batting – 2nd ODI
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Head | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 66.7 |
| Mitchell Marsh (c) | 18 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 72.0 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 |
| Cameron Green | 35 | 54 | 3 | 0 | 64.8 |
| Josh Inglis (wk) | 87 | 74 | 10 | 2 | 117.6 |
| Alex Carey | 13 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 65.0 |
| Aaron Hardie | 10 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 62.5 |
| Xavier Bartlett | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 80.0 |
| Nathan Ellis | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 42.9 |
| Adam Zampa | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.0 |
| Josh Hazlewood (not out) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 150.0 |
| Total | 193 (37.4 ov) |
South Africa Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nandre Burger | 6 | 23 | 2 | 3.83 |
| Lungi Ngidi | 8.4 | 42 | 5 | 4.85 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 8 | 40 | 0 | 5.00 |
| Wiaan Mulder | 5 | 31 | 1 | 6.20 |
| Senuran Muthusamy | 8 | 30 | 2 | 3.75 |
| Aiden Markram | 2 | 23 | 0 | 11.5 |
How Australia Collapsed
Australia looked in contention at 174/5 in the 33rd over, needing just over 5.5 runs per over. But what followed was a stunning collapse:
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Ngidi’s burst: Hardie, Inglis, and Bartlett all dismissed in quick succession.
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Muthusamy’s control: Ellis stumped for 3.
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Burger’s early blows came back to haunt Australia as they ran out of depth.
From needing 124 off 20 overs with five wickets left, Australia lost their last five wickets for just 19 runs.
The Bigger Picture: Proteas’ White-Ball Resurgence
South Africa’s 2–0 lead in the series means they’ve already clinched the trophy. But this victory means more:
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Confidence abroad: Winning in Australia is a benchmark of great ODI teams.
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New batting core: Breetzke, Stubbs, and Rickelton joining Markram and Bavuma.
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Balanced bowling attack: Pace, spin, and all-rounders covering every phase.
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Momentum ahead of ICC tournaments: This performance will raise eyebrows globally.
Conclusion
The Proteas have not just beaten Australia; they’ve dominated them. And at the centre of it all is Matthew Breetzke, whose record-breaking start has given South Africa a new identity in ODIs. With Ngidi firing and Stubbs steadying the middle order, the Proteas look poised not just to seal this series but to announce themselves as serious contenders on the world stage.
Breetzke’s brilliance has rocked Australia — and if this form continues, South Africa’s white-ball future looks brighter than ever.
