The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Right then. The Super 12s got underway with a low-scoring thriller with Australia getting off to a winning start. The attention quickly shifts to Dubai as the finalists from the previous edition go head-to-head. England and West Indies will look to get off the mark with a win. Don't think we'll get a low-scoring game there, with the firepower on display. Switch tabs and catch all the action from that upcoming encounter. That's all we have from this one. This is Pratyush Rohra, signing off on behalf of my co-commentator, Sooryanarayanan Sesha. Take care then. We'll see you around!
Aaron Finch (Australian captain): The dugout was a bit more relaxed than I was. Every time you are chasing a total and the game goes down to the wire, it is stressful. Stoinis and Wade did well to see us through. Maxwell a good job for us. He had some good matchups for him today that allowed us to squeeze them. The whole bowling unit was outstanding as well. Ideally, I would have loved to push Hazlewood for a third over. He is a world-class bowler. His accuracy and consistency is key and he did a brilliant job again. There's never been an issue from our point of view. We wanted to rest some guys and give others a chance. We've got some world-class back in our side now which is really pleasing in this brutal tournament, The way South Africa fought was outstanding. They fielded and bowled brilliantly. In the end, we needed some luck to go our way and we got it.
Temba Bavuma (South African captain): We want to talk about us being resilient. Big ups to the guys to take the game to the last over. We didn't get enough on this wicket and it wasn't going to be easy but the bowlers did really well to make a game of it. I think they adapted to the conditions early on. They didn't give us an opportunity to get some momentum. Credit to Aiden to get something of significance on the board. The day didn't go according to plan but we can take positives from it. We spoke about not giving up at the halfway mark and the boys gave everything out there. We'll take the positives from this one and move on.
Josh Hazlewood (Player of the Match): I think the length was the key. Just bowling the right length and hitting the top of the stumps was the plan. Anything too full or short would have made it easy for the batters. (On the de Kock dismissal) He's pretty good at that ramp shot so we worked out a field for it. Luckily it hit the glove and went straight onto the stumps. Good to see the back of him early. The wicket seemed reasonably good. It just stopped a bit and it can play like that in the daytime. We've got a number of all-rounders but Maxi was the man to open the bowling for us today and he did a great job. I was sitting inside - it got close towards the end but it was a great finish.
Australia won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining).
Who says low-scoring thrillers aren't enjoyable contests? It was the grit, desperation, and determination on display as both sides fought hard to get their tournament off to a winning start. Handshakes everywhere, with a smile on the face of the Australians. Frustration for South Africa. So near, yet so far. They did brilliantly to make a contest of this game, having an under-par total on the board. Far from a complete performance for both outfits, but Australia will gladly take the two points in the group of death.
Defending 119 was always going to be a tough ask for the South Africans. However, they showed enough character and belief which they can be proud of. However, they failed to hold their nerve in the end and perhaps even missed out on a sixth bowler. Batting will be a big cause of concern for both sides going ahead in the tournament but they've shown that their bowlers have enough in their arsenal to defend a respectable total.
Stoinis and Wade sealed the deal for Australia in the end, which will b quite pleasing considering that Stoinis is expected to play the finisher's role throughout the tournament. The top-order's form will be concerning and might open the door for Josh Inglis in the coming games. So, Australia get off to a winning start at the expense of the South Africans. Stay tuned for the post-match presentations!
Full toss, as easy as they come. Marcus Stoinis is too good to miss out on that and Australia have managed to sneak over the finishing line in this enthralling contest. What a way to get the Super 12's underway! Australia won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining).
20.0
19.4 Dwaine Pretorius to Marcus Stoinis, FOUR! STOINIS SEALS IT FOR AUSTRALIA! Wretched full toss at the stumps on middle and off, Stoinis sits deep in his crease and powers it flat over mid-wicket as the vacant real estate in the deep take the ball through to the fence to complete the formalities. What a game we've had to kickstart the group stages - Australia beat South Africa by 5 wickets with 2 deliveries to spare!
19.3 Dwaine Pretorius to Marcus Stoinis, DOT BALL! Full length delivery outside off, Stoinis hangs deep in his crease to drill it along the ground towards mid-off.
The power of Marcus Stoinis! He's standing deep in his crease to make some room for himself. Langer punches the air in delight. That'll ease the nerves in the Australian dugout.
Video
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G Maxwell
Q de Kock
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Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
