The hosts South Africa whitewashed the visitors Australia after comfortably winning the third and final game of the series by six wickets (with 27 balls remaining) at Potchefstroom.
Coming to bat first in this dead-rubber match after losing the toss, Australia managed to score 254/7 (50 overs). In reply, the hosts lost four wickets but successfully chased down the target in 45.3 overs (258/4).
South Africa: Three Proteas batsmen scored the 50s
South African openers Janneman Malan and captain Quinton de Kock put the 47 runs partnership for the first wicket. While Malan scored 23 runs, de Kock scored 26 runs.
After the dismissals of both the Proteas openers, John John Smuts and Kyle Verreynne built up the 96 runs partnership for the third wicket. Both of them scored half-centuries in that chasing. After Verreynne scored 50 runs (50 balls), Smuts and Heinrich Klaasen built up the 79 runs partnership for the fourth wicket.
After scoring 84 runs off 98 balls (12 fours), the Player of the Match Smuts lost his wicket. However, the hosts easily chased down the target as Klaasen remained not out on 68 runs off 63 balls (10 fours and only six).
Among the Aussie bowlers, only Josh Hazlewood (2/37) managed to pick up more than one wicket in that innings.
Australia: Marnus Labuschagne scored his maiden ODI century
Australia didn’t get a good start in the first innings. While the opener David Warner was dismissed for just four runs, the skipper and another opener Aaron Finch scored 22 runs, and Steven Smith scored 20 runs.
However, Marnus Labuschagne handled the situation very well and guided to the challenging total with his solid batting performance. Along with D’Arcy Short (36), Labuschagne put 81 runs partnership for the fourth wicket. Then, Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh (32) built up the 53 runs partnership for the fifth wicket.
At the late of that innings, Labuschagne and Jhye Richardson put the 64 runs partnership for the seventh wicket.
Playing his fifth ODI innings, Labuschagne hit his maiden ODI century and scored 108 off 108 balls (8 fours). Jhye Richardson remained not out on 24 runs off 20 balls.
Among the South African bowlers, Anrich Nortje (2/35) and Jon-Jon Smuts (2/42) took two wickets each in that innings.
Earlier, in this series, South Africa won the first ODI by 74 runs and second ODI by six wickets (with nine balls remaining). Proteas batsman Heinrich Klaasen won the Player of the Series award after scoring 242 runs in three innings (average 242.00).