Brevis Hits Big Century as Series Tied

Brevis Hits Big Century as Series Tied

Dewald Brevis lit up Darwin’s Marrara Oval with a blazing century to help South Africa to an imposing 53-run victory over Australia in the second Twenty20 match. Brevis hit 12 fours and eight sixes in an unbeaten 125 runs.

Dewald Brevis delivered a breathtaking performance to help South Africa level the T20I series against Australia in Darwin. His unbeaten 125 not only marked the highest individual T20I score by a South African but also came off just 41 balls, making it the second-fastest T20I century for his country. At just 21 years old, Brevis became the youngest South African to score a century in this format, and his innings was a masterclass in clean, powerful hitting.

With 12 fours and eight sixes, he scored 96 of his runs in boundaries and dominated the field, especially down the ground. More than half of his runs 66 came in the 'V', showcasing his control and timing. His partnership with Tristan Stubbs was equally impressive, contributing 91 of the 126 runs they added for the fourth wicket.

Australia’s bowlers had a tough day, with four out of five conceding more than 11 runs per over. Ben Dwarshuis was the only exception, keeping things relatively tight with figures of 4-0-24-1. Despite his efforts, South Africa posted a massive total that proved too much for Australia to chase, even with their strong record while batting second. This match ended Australia’s nine-game winning streak while chasing and marked their first loss to South Africa in seven meetings. To win, Australia would have needed to pull off the highest successful chase ever on home soil an uphill task from the start.

There were moments when Australia looked threatening, especially when they reached 104 for 3 in the 10th over. Tim David was the standout performer, scoring a half-century and keeping the chase alive. However, the required run rate kept climbing, and wickets began to fall. Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch were the most successful bowlers for South Africa, each picking up three wickets. Their efforts helped seal a 53-run win South Africa’s biggest margin of victory over Australia in T20Is.

Brevis’ innings were the turning point. South Africa were struggling at 57 for 3 when he took charge. He was just 12 when Lhuan-dre Pretorius was stumped off Glenn Maxwell, but Brevis had already shown signs of aggression by hitting Maxwell over long-on. By the time Maxwell returned to bowl in the 12th over, Brevis had reached 44 off 24 balls and was ready to explode. He brought up his fifty with a six off Maxwell, then followed it up with two more sixes in the same over. A dropped catch by substitute fielder Matt Kuhnemann gave Brevis another life, and he made the most of it by smashing Maxwell for a third six in the over. In just four balls, Brevis jumped from 44 to 66, and Maxwell’s over cost 24 runs. Brevis reached his century in just 16 balls after his fifty, bringing it up with a boundary off Dwarshuis in the 15th over.

South Africa looked set to cross 220, sitting comfortably at 179 for 3 after 16 overs. However, Australia managed to pull things back slightly. Stubbs, who had played a supporting role in the partnership, was dismissed by Adam Zampa after attempting a reverse sweep. Rassie van der Dussen followed soon after, caught off Dwarshuis, and Bosch was bowled by a full toss from Josh Hazlewood. These quick wickets slowed South Africa’s momentum, and they added only 21 runs in the final 10 balls, finishing at 218.

South Africa also showed improvement in the field. After dropping four catches in the first match, they were sharper this time. Pretorius took a well-judged catch at the boundary to dismiss Travis Head, and Nqabayomzi Peter held onto a diving catch to remove Cameron Green, which was confirmed clean by the third umpire. Stubbs, who had dropped Tim David in both matches, finally redeemed himself by catching Mitchell Marsh at long-on. Brevis also contributed in the field, taking a smart catch to dismiss Maxwell at deep midwicket.

Tim David continued his strong form with another fifty, his third in four innings and second in this series. Despite injuring his shoulder while trying to stop a Brevis boundary, he returned to bat and made an impact. He started with a lucky edge for four but followed it up with two clean boundaries. His second six was the highlight launched over deep midwicket and out of the stadium. David had Australia in a promising position at 104 for 3, but his dismissal to Kagiso Rabada at cover was the turning point that swung the game in South Africa’s favor.