In a heart-stopping finale that had fans on the edge of their seats, Australia snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against South Africa, winning the third ODI by two wickets and claiming the series 2-1 in a match that went down to the very last over.
The clash at Hamilton's Seddon Park was a classic tale of two halves. South Africa, powered by a magnificent 90 from Marco Jansen and a solid 48 from David Miller, set a competitive target of 285. Their innings was a rollercoaster, recovering from a precarious 116-5 to post a defendable 284-9, thanks largely to Jansen's career-best knock.
Australia's chase mirrored the Proteas' innings, stumbling early as their top order collapsed to 89-5. The match seemed all but lost for the visitors. However, the middle order had other ideas. A heroic, game-changing partnership of 112 between Marnus Labuschagne and the explosive Josh Inglis resurrected the innings and swung the momentum decisively.
Labuschagne anchored the chase with a composed 80, while Inglis provided the fireworks, blasting a rapid 65 off just 43 balls to put Australia firmly back in the driver's seat.
The drama, however, was far from over. A late flurry of wickets set up a tense finale, requiring cool heads in the closing moments. It was captain Pat Cummins and Ashton Agar who held their nerve, guiding their team across the line with three balls remaining, sparking wild celebrations in the Australian camp.
This victory marks a significant turnaround for Australia, offering crucial momentum as they build towards the upcoming one-day series against India and next year's Champions Trophy.
