Relentless, methodical Aussies send meek Proteas packing with record T20 victory

Never go in cold against the Australians.

That was the glaring lesson a raw, shell-shocked Proteas combination learnt on Wednesday night as they slumped to a record 111-run defeat at Kingsmead.

In hindsight, the sheer waywardness of the home side’s showing could be mitigated by how little cricket the majority of this squad has played.

But there had been a narrative of sorts in the build-up that the South Africans’ enthusiasm for beginning white-ball coach Rob Walter’s era in earnest – Dewald Brevis’ debut highlighted that feeling –  could trump an Aussie team that suffered from several injury withdrawals.

However, the folly of such an argument was exposed as early as the first over as the tourists’ superior game-time shone.

It was ironic that Marco Jansen – spraying the ball on both sides of the wicket – would nab Travis Head with his third delivery because the dynamic left-hander was one of the very few Aussie players not to have played relatively recently.

Then again, his skipper Mitchell Marsh also hasn’t been in the middle since the white-knuckle affair that was the Ashes and he batted like he was never away.

Muscular, elegant and precise, the 32-year-old right-hander was marvellous in crafting a career-best unbeaten 92 off just 49 deliveries.

He proved particularly unstoppable in the power-play, where he hit six fours and two sixes as the visitors galloped to a score of 70.

Marsh was forced to reel himself in though as three wickets – including Gerald Coetzee’s outstanding slower-ball yorker to castle Josh Inglis – stunted his side’s progress.

In fact, the Proteas had seemed in business in only conceding 30 runs between overs 5 and 10 before a combination of their own lack of ruthlessness – which, yes, is attributable too to