Brevis Blaze Lights Up T20 Thriller in Darwin
It was a lively night in Darwin for the second men’s T20 international between Australia and South Africa, and the contest was anything but dull. Under the tropical Northern Territory sky, Australia won the toss and chose to bowl, confident in their chasing ability. The first few overs saw South Africa start brightly—Aiden Markram drove Hazlewood through cover and down the ground, while Ryan Rickelton muscled one over long-on. But Ben Dwarshuis soon struck, removing Rickelton with a mistimed shot caught inside the circle.
Glenn Maxwell then joined the party, getting Markram caught and stumping young Lhuan-dre Pretorius in one of the more unusual dismissals you’ll see. Pretorius wandered down the pitch, was beaten, and stood stranded as Alex Carey fumbled, recovered, and whipped the bails off—without any real scramble from the batter. That left South Africa 57–3, and the momentum tilted toward Australia.
Also Read:Enter Dewald Brevis. His intent was clear from the first ball he faced—lifting Zampa down the ground for six. Over after over, he kept finding the boundary, bringing up his fifty from just 25 balls. Maxwell was hit for back-to-back sixes, one a slog over midwicket and another over long-on. Brevis was dropped twice, and he made Australia pay, smashing four sixes in a single over and turning the mood of the match.
Stubbs offered solid support, but the innings never quite escaped Australia’s grip. Sean Abbott and Josh Hazlewood maintained tight lines, and despite Brevis’s fireworks, wickets kept falling. By the end, South Africa’s innings had moments of brilliance but lacked the sustained partnerships needed for a dominant total.
This match had a very different feel from the first T20. On Sunday, Tim David’s explosive 83 had dragged Australia from 75–6 to a match-winning score, helped by South African fielding lapses. Tonight, South Africa showed more aggression with the bat early, but again, missed chances in the field and lapses in concentration hurt them.
Australia’s bowling was sharp. Hazlewood’s early strikes set the tone, Dwarshuis continued his push for a World Cup spot with another three-wicket haul, and Maxwell’s Powerplay overs were effective despite one being ruined by Brevis’s onslaught. Even with dew affecting grip, the bowlers executed well enough to keep South Africa under pressure.
For fans, it was the kind of T20 that keeps you glued—big shots, dropped catches, unusual dismissals, and one player almost single-handedly altering the game’s trajectory. In the end, Brevis’s heroics weren’t quite enough to dismantle Australia’s control. The series now heads to Cairns, with Australia having already shown in Darwin that they can win from almost anywhere, and South Africa desperate to prove they can close out the big moments.
Read More:
0 Comments