Best bets & specials for Australia vs. Sth Africa, 2nd ODI

1:50pm ACST Friday, November 9 at Adelaide Oval

THINGS are going from bad to worse for the Australian men’s cricket team.

After losing both the Test and Twenty20 series to Pakistan in the UAE, the green and gold needed to show something when they faced South Africa on Sunday.

Instead they were bowled out for 152, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey (33) and fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile (34) the only men to pass 20.

The Proteas chased that down with six wickets and more than 20 overs to spare.

It was Australia’s seventh consecutive defeat in One Day Internationals – the team’s worst-ever losing streak in the 50-over format.

The ICC Cricket World Cup holders have lost 10 of 11 ODI games in 2018.

To make matters worse, Shaun Marsh is going under the knife to have an abscess removed from his buttock.

The national selectors have called up Tasmania’s Ben McDermott as cover.

While the Aussies were poor in Perth, South Africa’s bowling was on the money from ball one.

Dale Steyn (2/18) set the tone with two early wickets before Andile Phehlukwayo (3/33) cleaned up the middle order.

Lungi Ngidi (2/26) also impressed with the new ball, while Imran Tahir (1/39) did his part as per usual.

It speaks volumes of South Africa’s bowling quality that they dismissed Australia so cheaply without star seamer Kagiso Rabada taking a single wicket.

There were some concerns over the tour side’s depth of batting heading into this series, but they were hardly tested as Quinton de Kock (47) and company cruised to the most comfortable of victories.

Dale Steyn top wicket-taker odds

Man of the match	+1200	+1400	+1400
Top South Africa bowler	+300	+300	+300

Steyn showed on Sunday that he is still the top dog in South Africa’s fearsome bowling attack.

Now 35 and approaching the end of his ODI career, the veteran quick piled on the pressure early when he removed Travis Head and D’Arcy Short in the space of three balls.

His ability to get batsman fishing outside their off stump early on could prove very handy on an Adelaide wicket that might offer some movement for the seamers.

Best bets for top runscorer

Aaron Finch ($4 at Sportsbet)
How do you even pick an Aussie candidate for top batsman after the performance in Perth? In the absence of any better ideas, we are sticking fat with the notion that Aaron Finch cannot keep striking out forever.

Quinton de Kock ($4 at Sportsbet)
He didn’t have to do anything special for his 47 in the first ODI, but de Kock is an absolute monster when given license to free the arms. The keeper is definitely the pick of South Africa’s powerful top order.

Australia vs. South Africa betting predictions

The odds have tightened somewhat, but online bookmakers still have the hosts as favourites to win in Adelaide. How that can be the case after seven straight ODI defeats and a dreadful T20 series against Pakistan… well, we have no idea. Anything in the vicinity of $2 odds for the Proteas is a bargain.

South Africa to win ($2 at Bet365)

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