Green, Head and Marsh flay centuries ás Australia put on a show

Centuries from Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and a maiden ODI hundred from Cameron Green, off just 47 balls, took Australia to their second highest ODI total, behind their 434 for 4 against South Africa 19 years ago.

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But there was no repeat of that match, as South Africa were bowled out for 155 and slumped to their heaviest defeat by runs by 276 runs to finish the series 2-1 winners. The consolation win meant that Australia's record of never being whitewashed in an ODI series at home intact and completed their second biggest ODI victory.

While Australia's seamers found movement under lights to blunt South Africa, the second innings belonged to Cooper Connolly. At 22 years and two days old, he became the youngest Australia to take a five-for in ODIs and the first Australian to do so since March 2023. He also finished with the best figures by an Australian spinner in the format.

All three matches in the series have been won by the team batting first, and all by big margins. In Mackay, it was noticeable how much more the ball did under lights and that difference in conditions prompted Marsh to bat first for the first time in 22 tosses. He would have been even happier with the way Australia responded to his call.

After being bowled out for under 200 in the first two matches of the series, Australia showed they meant business when Marsh and Head shared in Australia's fourth-highest opening stand of 250. They batted together for 34.1 overs which still left plenty of time for Green to score the second-fastest ODI hundred for Australia after Glenn Maxwell. In the process, Australia also became only the second side in which the top three all scored centuries in an ODI innings.

The other team to have achieved that feat was South Africa against West Indies, a decade ago at altitude in Johannesburg. Australia's trio of hundreds came on the Queensland coast, on a used but flat pitch, and against a weakened South African attack.