The Australian men’s cricket team defeated the South Africa national cricket team by 17 runs in the first T20I on August 10, 2025, at TIO Stadium in Darwin.
This exciting match saw Tim David smash 83 runs off just 52 balls with 8 massive sixes, while Ryan Rickelton fought alone for South Africa with 71 runs off 55 balls.
Australia scored 178/10 in their 20 overs after losing early wickets, then their bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Ben Dwarshuis took 3 wickets each to bowl South Africa out for 161/9.
This victory gave Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series and extended their winning streak to 9 consecutive T20I victories – a new Australian record.
This Australian men’s cricket team vs South Africa national cricket team timeline shows every key moment from a match that had everything – explosive batting, brilliant bowling, stunning catches, and a nail-biting finish.
Match Overview: Battle in Darwin
Darwin’s TIO Stadium hosted this crucial first T20I between two cricket powerhouses. South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping to restrict Australia and then chase the target comfortably.
The pitch looked good for batting with short boundaries on all sides. Both teams knew that scoring 160-170 would be competitive, while anything above 180 would be very difficult to chase. The match started at 6:45 PM local time under lights with thousands of fans filling the stadium.
For Australia, captain Mitchell Marsh opened the batting with Travis Head – an unusual move as Marsh usually bats in the middle order.
For South Africa, they had young fast bowler Kwena Maphaka making his debut, and everyone was excited to see how he would perform.
Australia Innings: David’s Demolition to 178
Australia’s innings was a story of two halves – they lost wickets regularly in the first 10 overs, then Tim David’s power hitting took them to a competitive total.
Powerplay Struggle (Overs 1-6): 71/4
Australia lost 4 wickets in the powerplay but still scored 71 runs, showing their aggressive approach.
Over 1-2: Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head started carefully against Kagiso Rabada. Head got a life when George Linde dropped an easy catch in the second over. But soon after, Rabada got Marsh caught for just 5 runs. Australia were 11/1.
Over 3-4: Cameron Green came in and immediately started attacking. He smashed Rabada for boundaries, playing some beautiful shots. Head finally got going too, hitting Kwena Maphaka for sixes. The run rate jumped quickly – Australia were 53/3 after 4.4 overs despite losing Josh Inglis for 5.
Over 5-6: Green continued his assault, racing to 35 runs off just 13 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes. But then Maphaka struck – he bowled Green with a brilliant delivery. Travis Head also fell soon after for 16. Maxwell came and went for a duck. Australia suddenly found themselves at 71/4 after 6 overs.
South Africa looked in control. Their young bowler Maphaka had 3 wickets already, and Australia were struggling despite the fast scoring rate.
Middle Order Collapse (Overs 7-10): Only 34 runs, 2 more wickets
Over 7-10: Tim David and Mitchell Owen tried to rebuild. But Owen got out for 7, and Matt Short fell for a duck. Australia were 105/6 in the 11th over – in deep trouble. They needed someone to play a special innings.
That someone was Tim David.
David’s Destruction (Overs 11-20): 73 runs added
Over 11-15: David started hitting boundaries. His timing was perfect – he was hitting the ball to all parts of the ground. Ben Dwarshuis supported him from the other end, playing smart cricket and giving David the strike. Together they added 50 runs in just 34 balls.
Over 16-17: David reached his fifty off just 29 balls with 3 fours and 5 sixes. He kept attacking every bowler. The South African bowlers didn’t know where to bowl – everything was disappearing to the boundary.
Over 18-19: David’s assault continued. He hit more huge sixes, clearing the boundary with ease. His power hitting was destroying South Africa’s plans. The crowd was going crazy watching this incredible batting display.
Over 20: In the final over, David was finally caught for 83 runs off 52 balls – an innings that included 3 fours and 8 massive sixes. His strike rate was 159.61! Nathan Ellis got run out on the last ball trying to steal a second run.
Final Score: Australia 178/10 in 20 overs
This total looked good considering Australia were 105/6 at one stage. David’s 83 had added 73 crucial runs in the last 9 overs and given Australia a fighting chance.
Australia Full Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | How Out |
| Mitchell Marsh (c) | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 71.42 | caught |
| Travis Head | 16 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 123.07 | caught |
| Cameron Green | 35 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 269.23 | bowled |
| Josh Inglis (wk) | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | caught |
| Glenn Maxwell | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | caught |
| Mitchell Owen | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 77.77 | bowled |
| Tim David | 83 | 52 | 3 | 8 | 159.61 | caught |
| Matt Short | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | caught |
| Ben Dwarshuis | 14 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 100.00 | not out |
| Adam Zampa | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 150.00 | caught |
| Nathan Ellis | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | run out |
| Extras | 10 | — | — | — | — | (2 lb, 8 wd) |
| Total | 178/10 | 20.0 | 12 | 12 | 8.90 | — |
Star Performer: Tim David – 83 from 52 balls with 8 sixes (Player of the Match)
South Africa Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Performance |
| Kwena Maphaka | 4 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 | Debut star |
| Kagiso Rabada | 4 | 29 | 2 | 7.25 | Early breakthroughs |
| Lungi Ngidi | 4 | 49 | 2 | 12.25 | Expensive spell |
| Corbin Bosch | 4 | 42 | 1 | 10.50 | Went for runs |
| Senuran Muthusamy | 4 | 28 | 1 | 7.00 | Controlled middle |
Kwena Maphaka was outstanding on debut, taking 4 wickets for just 20 runs – the best figures in the match. At just 18 years old, he showed great maturity and skill.
South Africa Chase: Rickelton’s Lone Fight to 161/9
South Africa needed 179 to win – a target that looked achievable if their top order fired. But they lost wickets at crucial moments and could never get ahead of the required rate.
Powerplay (Overs 1-6): 50/3
Over 1-3: Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram opened carefully. Josh Hazlewood bowled tight lines, not giving them any easy runs. In the third over, Markram tried to hit a big shot but got caught for 12. Lhuan-dre Pretorius came and went quickly for 3. South Africa were 23/2 after 4 overs.
Over 4-6: Dewald Brevis joined Rickelton. Both tried to accelerate but Ben Dwarshuis struck – Brevis was caught for 10. South Africa reached 50/3 in 6.2 overs, well behind Australia’s 71/4.
Middle Overs (Overs 7-14): Building a Partnership
Over 7-12: Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs now had to rebuild. They batted sensibly, rotating the strike and hitting boundaries when the bowlers gave them width. Stubbs was dropped on 10 by Adam Zampa – a costly miss. The partnership grew slowly but steadily. South Africa reached 101/3 in 12.2 overs.
Over 13-14: Rickelton reached his fifty off 43 balls – a fighting innings under pressure. The partnership had added 72 runs, and suddenly South Africa looked like they might chase this down. They needed 78 runs from 6 overs with 7 wickets in hand.
The Collapse (Overs 15-20): 60 runs, 6 wickets fall
Over 15: Disaster! Hazlewood came back and got both set batsmen. First Stubbs was caught for 37, then Linde got out for a golden duck. Rickelton lost another partner when Corbin Bosch was bowled for 2. South Africa were suddenly 104/6, and the match swung back to Australia.
Over 16-17: Adam Zampa got Senuran Muthusamy out lbw for 0. South Africa were 104/7 now – the game was slipping away fast.
Over 18-19: Rickelton kept fighting with Kagiso Rabada. They added 35 runs together, hitting some boundaries and keeping the match alive. Rickelton finally fell for a brilliant 71 runs off 55 balls – caught trying another big shot. He had fought alone but his partners kept falling.
Over 20: Ben Dwarshuis bowled the final over with South Africa needing 18 runs with just 2 wickets left. Rabada hit a few boundaries, scoring 10 runs, but then got bowled. Maphaka couldn’t score the remaining runs.
Final Score: South Africa 161/9 in 20 overs
Australia won by 17 runs. South Africa fought hard but lost too many wickets at crucial moments.
South Africa Full Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | How Out |
| Aiden Markram (c) | 12 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | caught |
| Ryan Rickelton (wk) | 71 | 55 | 5 | 0 | 129.09 | caught |
| Lhuan-dre Pretorius | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 | caught |
| Dewald Brevis | 10 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 90.90 | caught |
| Tristan Stubbs | 37 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 137.03 | caught |
| George Linde | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | caught |
| Corbin Bosch | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | bowled |
| Senuran Muthusamy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | lbw |
| Kagiso Rabada | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 166.66 | bowled |
| Kwena Maphaka | 3* | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | not out |
| Lungi Ngidi | did not bat | |||||
| Extras | 13 | — | — | — | — | (2 lb, 8 wd, 3 nb) |
| Total | 161/9 | 20.0 | 11 | 1 | 8.05 | — |
Top Scorer: Ryan Rickelton – 71 from 55 balls (only SA batsman to show real fight)
Australia Bowling Excellence
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Best Moment |
| Josh Hazlewood | 4 | 27 | 3 | 6.75 | Got both set batsmen |
| Ben Dwarshuis | 4 | 26 | 3 | 6.50 | Best economy |
| Nathan Ellis | 4 | 44 | 0 | 11.00 | Expensive |
| Glenn Maxwell | 4 | 29 | 1 | 7.25 | Crucial wicket |
| Adam Zampa | 4 | 33 | 2 | 8.25 | Broke partnership |
Hazlewood and Dwarshuis were brilliant, taking 6 wickets between them and never allowing South Africa to get ahead of the required rate.
Key Turning Points
- Tim David’s 83 from 52 balls: His power hitting took Australia from 105/6 to 178, adding 73 runs when his team desperately needed them. Without this innings, Australia might have scored only 120-130.
- Kwena Maphaka’s 4 wickets: The 18-year-old debutant showed great skill, getting Australia’s top order cheaply and giving South Africa hope.
- The 15th Over collapse: When Hazlewood got Stubbs and Linde in quick succession, South Africa went from 101/3 (looking good) to 104/6 (almost finished). This over changed the entire match.
- Rickelton’s lonely fight: His 71 runs kept South Africa in the game, but he didn’t get enough support from other batsmen. If one more player had scored 30-40, South Africa would have won.
- Australia’s 9th straight T20I win: This victory extended Australia’s winning streak to 9 matches – a new national record, showing how strong they are in T20 cricket right now.
Historical Context: Australia vs South Africa Rivalry
These two teams have a long history of close matches. In recent years, South Africa has been competitive but Australia usually wins at home. This match continued that trend – Australia’s experience and home advantage proved too much for a young South African team.
This was also special because it was played in Darwin, a city that rarely hosts international cricket. The local crowd loved seeing world-class cricket in their city.
FAQs
What was the final score in Australia vs South Africa 1st T20I Darwin 2025?
Australia scored 178/10 in 20 overs and South Africa managed 161/9 in 20 overs. Australia won by 17 runs, with Tim David’s 83 off 52 balls being the match-winning innings.
Who won Man of the Match in AUS vs SA 1st T20I?
Tim David won Man of the Match for his explosive 83 runs from 52 balls with 3 fours and 8 sixes. His innings rescued Australia from 105/6 and took them to a competitive total of 178.
Who was the best bowler in the match?
Kwena Maphaka took 4 wickets for 20 runs on his debut for South Africa, the best bowling figures in the match. For Australia, Josh Hazlewood and Ben Dwarshuis both took 3 wickets each.
How many sixes did Tim David hit?
Tim David smashed 8 sixes in his innings of 83 runs – these massive hits completely changed the match and gave Australia enough runs to defend.
What is Australia’s T20I winning streak now?
This victory was Australia’s 9th consecutive T20I win, creating a new Australian record. They are currently the most dominant team in T20 international cricket.
