Australia are now undefeated in their last seven bilateral T20I series. Of those, this was the first one in that time that went down to a decider and they showed their mettle under pressure. South Africa, on the other hand, have only won one of their last 10 T20I series. They have lost their last three finals in the last over, dating back to last year’s T20 World Cup and including last month’s tri-series final against New Zealand in Zimbabwe, and questions about their ability to close out close games will continue.

The drama aside, South Africa simply did not have enough runs after a slow start. None of their top three got going and it was thanks to Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs’ fourth wicket stand of 61 off 29 balls that they built towards a competitive total, which they made a fist of defending. They had Australia in trouble on 88 for 4 in the 11th over and 122 for 6 in the 14th over but Maxwell was strong square of the wicket, held his nerve and struck at 172.22 to finish with 62 not out off 36 balls and take Australia home.

With the Cairns surface noticeably slower than the Darwin one, the role of spin was always going to be a talking point and Adam Zampa had the first decisive say. He was brought on in the over after the powerplay and could have had a wicket with his first ball. Brevis miscued a pull but Maxwell could not get to the chance in time. Zampa only had to wait four more deliveries to get a reward. Ryan Rickelton misread the googly, played a premeditated sweep shot and top-edged straight up. Rassie van der Dussen was unable to get Zampa away and Stubbs, who reverse-swept Zampa for two fours, fell playing the conventional sweep. He moved across his stumps, missed the shot and was bowled to leave Zampa with an excellent return of 2 for 24 from his four overs.

Nathan Ellis celebrates the key wicket of Dewald Brevis [Cricinfo]

Brevis picked up exactly where he left off after his unbeaten 125 in game two and swivel-pulled the fifth ball he faced over the stadium roof. He went on to top-edge Josh Hazlewood over backward square leg for another six and hit Aaron Hardie for four sixes in the 10th over, which cost 27 runs.

Brevis’ fifty came off 22 balls and he looked set for another century before Maxwell stopped him. As Brevis tucked into a slower short ball from Nathan Ellis and pulled it wide of long-on, Maxwell made significant ground and ran to his right, where he completed the catch diving forward. That was his second stunner of the series after catching Rickelton on the rope in the first match.

While South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram has now gone 31 T20I innings without a half-century, Australia’s skipper Mitchell Marsh broke his drought with a first fifty in 19 innings. He also played his part in Australia’s first half-century opening stand in eight matches.

Marsh got the chase underway when he pulled the last ball of Kagiso Rabada’s opening over – a slower one – into the crowd for six. He gave a Lungi Ngidi cross-seam delivery the same treatment and then hit Kwena Maphaka’s first delivery for four, over mid-off. Rabada could not hold on to a tough return chance when Marsh was on 25 and then saw the fifth ball of his second over flicked over square leg for another six. Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy bore the brunt of Marsh’s big-hitting and was taken for 17 runs off the eight balls he bowled to him, including two sixes that bookended his opening over. Marsh’s fifty also came off Muthusamy, off the 35th ball he faced.

Australia were cruising on 64 without loss after seven overs when Markram brought himself back on in what he has called “gut feel” decision-making over when and how much to bowl. Four deliveries into his second over, Travis Head played a full-blooded pull back towards him. Markram dived to his left but couldn’t take the catch in what turned out to be a boundary-preventing stop. Two balls later, Head top-edged a sweep to short fine and Markram had sparked a collapse. In the next over, Bosch bowled Inglis for a golden duck, then Maphaka had Marsh and Cameron Green caught on the boundary. Australia lost four wickets for 22 runs in the space of 18 balls and South Africa were back in the game.

Australia needed 27 runs off the last three overs, Maxwell was on 39 off 25 balls and Rabada was about to bowl his final over. The balance of the game, it seemed, hung on those six balls. Rabada started off with a full toss that went over Maxwell’s head and was called a no-ball. Maxwell punished him by hitting the free hit, a low full toss, for six.

Two balls later, Maxwell guided Rabada over short third and then brought up fifty off 30 balls with a single to long-on. Rabada conceded 15 runs in that over as Maxwell took control. It looked like a simple win from there, with Australia needing 12 off 12 and with Maxwell at the crease they would always have backed him to finish the job.

Brief scores:
Australia 173 for 8 in 19.5 overs  (Glenn Maxwell 62*, Mitchell Marsh 54, Travis Head 19, Tim David 17,  Kagiso Rabada 2-32, Aisen Markram 1-06, Kwena Maphaka 2-36, Corbin Bosch 3-26 ) beat South Africa 172 for 7 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 13, Lihuan-dre Pretorius 24, Dewald Brevis 53, Tristan Stubbs  25, Rassie van der Dussen 38; Josh Hazelwood 2-30, Nathan  Ellis 3-31, Adam Zampa 2-24) by two wickets

[Cricinfo]