Lungi Ngidi’s second ODI five-wicket haul, ably supported by half-centuries from Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs, meant that South Africa sealed the 2-0 ODI series victory over Australia, with a game in hand in Mackay. South Africa won the second ODI by 84 runs.
Lungi Ngidi was just relieved that he was able to put in a match-winning performance for South Africa in the second ODI against Australia as he took his second fifer against the six-time world champions in Mackay on Friday, August 22. Ngidi’s figures of 5/42, his second five-wicket haul in ODIs and both against Australia, propelled the Proteas to a thumping 84-run win in the second ODI, thereby taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Ngidi became the first South African bowler to take multiple ODI fifers against Australia and only the fourth bowler overall. Former West Indies pacer Curtly Ambrose and ex-New Zealand quick Shane Bond have picked three five-wicket hauls each against Australia while Trent Boult also has a couple of five-wicket hauls in his name against the six-time champions.
277 wasn’t a daunting score and Australia would have fancied their chance to chase that down on a slightly better wicket as compared to Cairns, which was dry and slow. Josh Inglis played a blinder, scoring 87 off just 74 balls but didn’t get much support before Ngidi stood up for his side, chipping at wickets regularly to didn’t let the Aussies off the hook at any point during the run-chase.
It hasn’t been easy being Ngidi, after he and coach Shukri Conrad were criticised following his selection in the World Test Championship final (WTC) before he delivered the goods in the second innings. Then go on the Zimbabwe tour, perform and straight away, then to Australia, leading the attack in Kagiso Rabada’s absence and really taking the mantle in terms of taking the responsibility and putting his hand up when his team needed one of the pacers to really dent the Australian side.
“It’s been a long tour. Real test of character. Happy to put in a performance like that tonight. Definitely had to step up (in the absence of Rabada). Obviously, we know he’s the spearhead of our attack. When he went down, I knew I had big shoes to fill. Like I said it’s been a test of character,” Ngidi said after the match. The tall pacer might get a rest in the series finale with the assignment already in the bag as the England tour kicks off in a week’s time.