Australia Clinches T20I Series Over South Africa with Narrow Victory

Australia clinched a thrilling two-wicket victory over South Africa in the third and final T20 International in Cairns, securing a 2-1 series win. Set a target of 173, Australia relied heavily on captain Mitchell Marsh's quick 54 and a match-winning unbeaten 62 from Glenn Maxwell, who finished the game with a reverse lap over short third-man in the final over. South Africa, aiming for their first T20 series win in Australia, were led by Dewald Brevis, who top-scored with 53 in the final match and had previously smashed a record-breaking century in the second game to level the series. Despite early setbacks with the loss of key batsmen, South Africa fought hard, with contributions from Rassie van der Dussen and Tristan Stubbs, but ultimately fell short in a close finish. The series decider was marked by tense bowling performances from South African bowlers Corbin Bosch and Kagiso Rabada, who kept Australia under pressure until the final moments. The Proteas now look ahead to continuing their momentum in upcoming tours and the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, with a historic series win on Australian soil still highly coveted.