Chris Lynn of Australia walks off after being dismissed for 15 during Australia's innings. Photo / Photosport
Chris Lynn of Australia walks off after being dismissed for 15 during Australia's innings. Photo / Photosport
Shane Warne launched an astonishing attack on Australia's underperforming batsmen as Aaron Finch and Co. slumped to another defeat against South Africa.
The one-off T20 clash on the Gold Coast was reduced to 10 overs a side when rain delayed the start of the match and the Proteas adjusted better to the changed playing conditions to end their tour on a high with a 21-run victory.
Set 109 for victory after winning the toss and bowling, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals and the top order failed to fire as Warne and Andrew Symonds questioned the home side's approach with the bat after earlier slamming its start with the ball.
Chris Lynn cracked two boundaries in the opening over to get the chase off to a positive start and was gifted a life when he went aerial to the leg side. Reeza Hendricks at deep square leg ran infield before realising he'd completely misjudged the trajectory and tried to backtrack but it was too late and the ball sailed over his head for four.
But it was all downhill from there for Justin Langer's side. Finch was bowled for seven after being dropped two balls prior, D'Arcy Short was caught at cover for a golden duck and Lynn was cleaned up by a Chris Morris Yorker for 14.
Shane Warne, former Australian cricketer. Photo / Photosport
Marcus Stoinis hit a four through cover then was caught at point next ball and Ben McDermott got too fancy, out for four when he got on his knees for an attempted ramp over the wicketkeeper's head only to be caught behind.
Although only having 10 overs to work with, Symonds criticised the shot selection of the home team.
"Shot selection's been very average in my opinion," Symonds said. "You've still got to play the percentages. Is that McDermott's best shot? Is he giving himself the best chance?"
Warne ripped into the willow wielders, slamming Australia for making the same mistakes over and over in every format of the game.
"It's been poor, hasn't it. Leading to the shot selection, there's been no awareness of the game situation, that's why it's even more disappointing," he said.
"There has to be a reason why they continue to play the wrong shot and the (poor) match awareness. There has to be a reason for that.
"Why suddenly in Australian cricket are the batsmen making these wrong decisions consistently in games in tough situations? They just make the wrong choice with shot selection, just not summing up the game."
Warne questioned whether batting coach, former England star Graeme Hick, was the right man for the job because all these mistakes are happening on his watch.
"What are you telling these guys?" Warne said. "It's happening too often. Is there a specific thing they're trying to do? Because it's wrong.
"They're continuing to make these mistakes. Maybe it's time for a change there to get a new batting coach because the batters aren't performing.
"Start talking to them about how they're thinking leading up to their dismissal. It seems to be the same mistakes game after game after game, that's the most frustrating thing.
"Their batting is in disarray in all forms of the game."
Ben McDermott failed to deliver. Photo / Getty
Glenn Maxwell top scored with 38 but Warne was critical of him too for moving around the crease too much.
"You'd think after (the third ODI in) Hobart he'd have learnt and thought, 'What could I have done better?' Stand still," Warne said.
After Alex Carey holed out to long off for eight, whatever slim hope Australia had of a miracle win evaporated as it finished its 10 overs at 7/87.
It was a limp ending after Australia fought back admirably to restrict South Africa to a gettable score when it looked at one stage like the visitors would pile on a monster total.
The Proteas started with a bang as opening batsmen Reeza Hendricks and Quinton de Kock let loose from the outset. The pair put on 42 for the first wicket, belting three sixes and three fours before Hendricks was caught at deep square leg for 19 from eight balls.
The radar of the Aussie quicks was off to start the innings and Warne questioned whether the hosts had any plans or were just bowling and hoping for the best.
"Australia are in retreat mode … because of the way they started," Warne said in the third over. "Australia were just a little bit lethargic straight away.
"It doesn't look like they have a plan, just bowling line and length and hoping South Africa will hit one up in the air.
"It doesn't look to me like there's any plan whatsoever."
But Maxwell sparked an Aussie revival by bowling a tight first over then taking the key wicket of De Kock in his second, stumped for 22.
Then he helped out Billy Stanlake by taking a spectacular catch on the mid-wicket fence to dismiss Faf du Plessis. Maxwell jumped up to catch the ball above his head, threw it up in the air before he landed outside the rope, then quickly hopped back into the field of play to complete the remarkable catch.
"He had no right to catch that. I'm sorry, that's extraordinary," Adam Gilchrist said in commentary.
Australia finished its bowling innings on a high note, conceding just four runs in the final over and 10 in the last two as Nathan Coulter-Nile and Andrew Tye stepped up.
