Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell produced a heroic batting performance to secure the home T20I series against South Africa with a thrilling victory in the series-decider on Saturday (August 16) night. 

It was the last game of the three-match T20I series, where both the hosts Australia and the visitors South Africa had chances to win the series by winning the match at Cairns. After Australian captain Mitchell Marsh chose to field first, South Africa scored 172/7 (20 overs), and Australia chased down the target in 19.5 overs after losing eight wickets.

Dewald Brevis once again impressed

South African top-order batters once again failed to provide solid starts, but Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs once again rescued the team with a 61-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Brevis, who scored a century and recorded South Africa's highest T20I score in the last game, hit his second consecutive T20I 50+ score in the series-decider with his 53 off 26 balls, where the right-handed batter hit one four and six sixes.

[WATCH]: Dewald Brevis storms with 3 consecutive no-look sixes in AUS vs SA 3rd T20I

Earlier, Lhuan-dre Pretorius (24 off 15 balls; five fours) produced some glorious shots before losing his wicket in the crucial moment. While Stubbs scored 25 runs, Rassie van der Dussen stayed till the end of the innings and scored a crucial 38 not out off 26 balls with three fours. 

Among the Australian bowlers, Nathan Ellis (3/31) took three wickets, while Adam Zampa (2/24) and Josh Hazlewood (2/30) got two wickets each.

Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh were heroes for Australia

In reply, captain Mitchell Marsh produced a fiery start, but he wasn't getting strong support from the other end, as the hosts were losing wickets at regular intervals. Captain Marsh scored 54 off 37 balls with three fours and five sixes, while Glenn Maxwell played the other important innings in that successful chase, as there wasn't any more batter in that innings with the score of 20 runs. Player of the Match Maxwell scored 62 not out off 36 balls with eight fours and two sixes, as he snatched the series win on the penultimate delivery of the final over of the match. 

Australia were under pressure in the late moments after Kagiso Rabada took two back-to-back wickets in the 19th over, which was also a maiden over. In the final over, the hosts needed 10 runs to win. Maxwell scored two and a boundary in the first two balls of that over, which was delivered by Lungi Ngidi, and the next two deliveries were dot balls. On the fifth ball of that over, Ngidi delivered a full toss, and Maxwell successfully went for a reverse sweep over the short third for the match-winning four. 

GLENN MAXWELL WINS IT ON THE SECOND LAST BALL!#AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/gvrzvyHnGc

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) August 16, 2025