Agar hattrick assists Australia go 1-0 up
Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar took a hattrick as Australia crushed Southern Africa by 107 works in the first Twenty20 international at the Wanderers Stadium on the subject of Friday.
Steve Smith, back South Africa for the very first time because the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, reach a top score of 45 for Australia, who made 196 for six just after being sent in.
South Africa made a good bad begin against the pace of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins before Agar's triple hit sent them hurtling to their all-time lowest T20 total of 89.
It had been also the sponsor country's biggest defeat in the format.
Man of the match Agar finished with career-best numbers of five for 24.
"It had been really exciting, a good highlight of my cricketing lifestyle," he said.
But he gave praise to the fast bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson and Pat Cummins who started South Africa's collapse.
Starc made an essential breakthrough when he bowled South African captain and batting star Quinton de Kock for just two with an easy, swinging delivery found in the first over of the house side's reply.
South Africa were reeling at 40 for four when Agar came to bowl.
He previously Faf du Plessis caught at deep go over along with his fourth delivery, trapped Andile Phehlukwayo leg before next ball and Dale Steyn superbly caught at slip by captain Aaron Finch to complete the hat-trick.
Smith and Finch (42) create Australia's big total with an aggressive second wicket stand of 80 off 52 balls, benefitting from some loose South African bowling.
"I'm nearly sure what happened," said De Kock. "Their energy was there however the skills weren't good enough."
In comparison Australia's bowlers were on aim for immediately.
"The way we attacked the crease and bowled an extremely good, aggressive duration was important," said Finch.
"We pride ourselves on not giving away width with the new ball and building the batsmen hit good shots off great balls."
It was a successful go back to South Africa for Smith, who was stripped of the captaincy and banned for a year following the 'Sandpaper-gate' scandal in 2018.
David Warner, who was also banned for a good year for his component in the affair, struck a four off the first ball of the meet but was caught at okay leg off another delivery from Steyn, ending a sequence in which he had scored 267 works and only been dismissed once found in his previous 6 T20 internationals.
The win extended Australia's unbeaten run in the format to nine suits, with eight wins and one no-result. Their previous defeat was in November 2018.
The second meet of the series is at Port Elizabeth on Sunday with the 3rd and final game in Cape Town on Wednesday.
