South Africa vs Australia, 2020: 1st T20I – South Africa’s biggest defeat, Ashton Agar's hat-trick, Lowest T20I total for South Africa and more stats

South Africa registered an embarrassing defeat in the Johannesburg T20I as Australia took 1-0 lead in the 3-match series with a 107-run win. Some aggressive instincts at the top by Australia helped them score 70 runs in the powerplay.

They struggled to score quickly in the middle overs but an 18-run last over helped to finish with 196/6. The Australian pacers unsettled the South African chase by taking three wickets in the powerplay. Ashton Agar took a hat-trick in his very first over to demolish the home team’s batting. South Africa were 44/7 at one stage but a 19-ball 22 by Kagiso Rabada pushed them to 89.

All the statistical highlights from Australia’s record victory over South Africa in Johannesburg:

South Africa’s lowest total:

89 – The total of 89 by South Africa in this game is their lowest total in the T20I format. Their previous lowest is 98 against Sri Lanka in the 2018 Colombo (RPS) T20I. These two are the only sub-100 totals in Men’s T20Is for South Africa.

South Africa’s biggest defeat:

107 – South Africa’s 107-run loss in this match is their first defeat in a Men’s T20I by 100+ runs margin. Their previous biggest loss in terms of runs in this format is by 95 runs against Australia in the 2006 Brisbane T20I and also against Pakistan in the 2013 Centurion T20I.

Another 100+ win for Australia:

3 – This is the 3rd time Australia won a Men’s T20I by a margin of 100+ runs; the 3rd team with three such wins. England and Pakistan also won three Men’s T20Is by 100+ runs. Previously, Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 134 runs in the 2019 Adelaide T20I and beat Zimbabwe by 100 runs in the 2018 T20I Tri-series game.

Ashton Agar records Australia’s best with hat-trick:

2 – Ashton Agar is only the 2nd Australian to claim a hat-trick in Men’s T20I cricket. Brett Lee took a hat-trick against Bangladesh in the 2007 WT20 game in Cape Town. It was also the first-ever T20I hat-trick in Men’s cricket.

5/24 – Ashton Agar’s bowling figures of 5/24 are now the best for Australia in Men’s T20Is. James Faulkner claimed 5/27 against Pakistan in the 2016 WT20 game which was the only other 5-fer for Australia in this format.

Agar is now also the first Australian spinner to take four or more wickets in a Men’s T20I. This was also the first time Agar picked more than three wickets in a T20 game.

5/24 – Ashton Agar became only the 2nd spin bowler to claim 5-wicket haul in Men’s T20I cricket on South African soil. Imran Tahir took 5/23

4 – Agar is now the first spinner and overall the 4th bowler to take a 5-fer in a Men’s T20I against South Africa. Umar Gul (5/6 in 2013), Ahsan Malik (5/19 in 2014) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5/24 in 2018) are the other bowlers with a 5-wicket haul in this format against South Africa.

A big total for Australia without a fifty:

196/6 – Australia’s total of 196/6 in this game is their 3rd highest T20I total without an individual fifty. Steve Smith’s 45 is the highest individual score for Australia in this game. They posted 221/5 against England in the 2007 Sydney T20I with a highest score of 48 and 199/7 against South Africa in the 2006 Johannesburg T20I where highest was 43*.

A rare low score for De Kock:

2 – Quinton de Kock scored only 2 runs in Friday’s match; his lowest score in six T20Is as captain. In the previous 5 T20I as skipper, De Kock aggregated 262 runs at an average of 65.5 with help of three fifties and scored 30+ runs in another two games.

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