Australia avoided a whitewash in spectacular fashion on Sunday, thrashing South Africa by a record 276 runs in the third and final ODI at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena. The victory was built on the back of batting fireworks from Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Cameron Green, before 22-year-old left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly produced a career-defining five-wicket haul that etched his name into Australian cricket history.
The result not only gave Australia a morale-boosting win but also rewrote several ODI records, both for individuals and teams.
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🇦🇺 Batting Fireworks: Three Centuries of Destruction
After Marsh won the toss on a flat surface, Australia’s top order delivered a batting masterclass, piling up 431/2, their second-highest ODI total ever (behind the iconic 4/434 vs South Africa at Johannesburg in 2006).
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Travis Head (142 off 103) smashed his seventh ODI hundred, racing to three figures in just 80 balls.
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Captain Mitchell Marsh (100 off 106) anchored the innings in a controlled yet powerful knock. Together, the pair stitched a 250-run opening partnership, Australia’s highest against South Africa and the fifth-best overall for the nation.
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Cameron Green (118 off 55)* was promoted to No. 3 and responded with fireworks, blasting a 47-ball century, the second-fastest by an Australian in ODIs, only behind Glenn Maxwell’s 40-ball effort in 2023. His innings included eight sixes, showcasing brute power and clean hitting.
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Alex Carey (50 off 37)* provided steady support as Australia finished with an almost unthinkable total.
Remarkably, this was the first time in Australia’s ODI history that their top three batters all scored centuries in the same innings, making it a truly unique batting performance.
Connolly’s Spell: A Star is Born
If the batting display was breathtaking, the bowling was just as historic. Cooper Connolly, playing only his fifth ODI, tore through South Africa’s middle and lower order with figures of 5/22 in 6 overs.
Wickets in Detail:
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Tony de Zorzi – miscued a pull to Alex Carey.
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Dewald Brevis (49 off 28) – counterattacked briefly but holed out to Cameron Green in the deep.
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Wiaan Mulder – dismissed via a brilliant diving catch by Marnus Labuschagne.
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Corbin Bosch – also perished to Labuschagne’s safe hands.
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Keshav Maharaj – stumped sharply by Josh Inglis.
Connolly’s spell was decisive, turning South Africa’s faint hopes into ruins. His composure, variations, and aggression belied his inexperience, announcing him as Australia’s next big spin hope.
Records Tumbled
Individual Records
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Best figures by an Australian spinner in ODIs: Connolly’s 5/22 surpassed Brad Hogg’s 5/32 vs West Indies (2005).
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Youngest Aussie to take an ODI fifer: At 22 years, 2 days, Connolly broke Craig McDermott’s 1987 record (22 years, 204 days).
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Best Aussie spinner figures vs South Africa in ODIs, surpassing Shane Warne’s 4/29 (1999).
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3rd-best Aussie figures vs South Africa overall, behind Andy Bichel (5/19) and Brett Lee (5/22).
Team Records
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2nd-highest ODI total for Australia: 431/2.
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2nd-fastest ODI hundred by an Australian: Cameron Green (47 balls).
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First time three Australians scored centuries in the same ODI innings.
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2nd-biggest ODI win by runs for Australia (276), behind their 309-run win over Netherlands in the 2023 World Cup.
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Heaviest ODI defeat in history for South Africa, surpassing their 243-run loss to India in 2023.
Series Context and Implications
While the win was emphatic, South Africa still claimed the series 2–1, having won the first two matches. But the finale belonged entirely to Australia:
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For South Africa, this was a humbling reminder of their inconsistency, especially away from home. The resting of senior players backfired, and bowlers like Wiaan Mulder (0/93 in 7 overs) endured nightmare figures.
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For Australia, the match showcased both batting firepower and emerging bowling depth. Connolly’s breakout spell will be remembered alongside the early-career highlights of legends like Shane Warne and Brad Hogg, while Green’s explosive knock added another layer to his growing reputation as a white-ball superstar.
Conclusion: A Statement Victory
The third ODI at Mackay was more than just a consolation win — it was a statement of dominance. Australia combined historic batting feats with a record-breaking bowling spell from a 22-year-old debutant hero to crush South Africa in their worst-ever ODI defeat.
For Cooper Connolly, this was not just a five-wicket haul — it was a career-launching moment that placed him alongside the greats of Australian spin. For fans, it was the kind of match that will be talked about for years, both for its records and for the sense that a new star had arrived.
