Ngidi’s career-best six-for restricts Australia to 271
Bloemfontein: Lungi Ngidi's stellar outing that saw him return a career-best six-wicket haul helped keep Australia to 271 in the second One-Day International of the three-match series at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. After a strong start on Wednesday, regular wickets hurt Australia's chances of getting to a total in excess of 300 on a two-paced wicket. In the end, Australia managed just 29 runs in the last five, losing wickets in a clump towards the end to leave South Africa with 272 to get to win the series. Australia began in a hurry as David Warner found the boundaries at will early on as the visitors raced away to 50 runs in the seventh over. Anrich Nortje bowled at a good pace, but was taken for runs, conceding 27 in his first three. Ngidi, though, struck in his second over to get the big wicket of Warner, who threw his good start of a 23-ball 35, falling to a short-of-a-length delivery that he chipped straight to cover. From 50 for 0, Australia suddenly slipped to 81/3 with Ngidi scalping the big wickets of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne in successive deliveries soon after. Smith spooned one in the slot straight to midwicket, before Labuschagne's back-footed cut was pouched at backward point. With that double strike, Ngidi became the fastest South African to reach the landmark of 50 ODI wickets. He returned in the death to complete his maiden five-wicket haul and return his career-best ODI figures of 6 for 58. Aaron Finch watched his side crumbling from the other end, but the skipper remained unfazed. Australia desperately needed a partnership to get going and the onus was now on Finch to take them forward. He attempted to do that with D'Arcy Short, but the latter's uncertainty at the crease, prevented it early on. Short was handed as many as three lives early on in his innings before he settled down to stage a revival. - AP