Tim David’s six-fueled innings of 83 from 52 deliveries was backed by some nerveless slog-overs bowling from Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa and Ben Dwarshuis to round off Australia’s 17-run win over South Africa in the opening T20I in Darwin on Sunday.

David found himself at the crease during the fourth over of the match – which began with Mitchell Marsh lofting a six – after South Africa ripped out Australia’s top three, and batted until the penultimate over of the innings, declining singles as deep as the 16^th over. Despite the wickets of Travis Head and Josh Inglis in successive overs, David flexed his muscles without wasting time and put on 40 off 16 balls with Cameron Green who slammed 35 off 13 balls before he was fourth out at 70 in the last over of the Powerplay.

Soon, David found himself with little option but to tee off once wickets kept falling. At 75/6 in the eighth over, once Glenn Maxwell departed, dismissed by left-arm spinner Senuran Muthuswamy – whose first two overs cost a mere two runs – Australia were in trouble. David, with just the bowlers to bat with, started to deposit the ball to all corners of Marrara Oval, one of his eight sixes landing on the roof.

Dropped on 56 by Tristan Stubbs on the boundary off Muthusamy, David realized it was his day and promptly deposited the next two balls over the boundary. Another hallmark of his exceptional innings was the rotation of strike with Dwarshuis, who scored 17 off 19 balls in a partnership worth 59.

David looked on course for a century before he was out in the 19^th over, having added 30 with Nathan Ellis (12 off 11 balls). That Australia did not get closer to 200 owed plenty to young Kwena Maphaka who picked up a career-best 4/20 from his allotment.

Set a target of 179, South Africa’s reply was a stop-start affair. Ryan Rickelton batted 19.2 overs before he was eighth man out for 71 off 55 deliveries, even as wickets fell around him. Losing three wickets inside the Powerplay block dented the chase, with Josh Hazlewood sending back Aiden Markram for 12 in the first over before Dwarshuis and Maxwell each struck.

Rickelton found an ally in Tristan Stubbs (37) and an alliance of 72 was forged. The pair ran well and hit some good shots against the pressure of a rising run rate, and with six overs left it was still a close contest.

That’s when Hazlewood was called on by Marsh and changed the tone of the chase with two wickets in the 15^th over. First, he got Stubbs caught off an under edge and then found the edge of George Linde’s bat for the allrounder to be held at first slip. Hazlewood charging towards the slip cordon, red-faced in animation, said it all.

From here, it was Zampa’s turn to take two in an over, immediately after Hazlewood’s success. Corbin Bosch had no idea to skidder and was bowled, and next ball Muthusamy made a meal of an attempted sweep shot and was lbw.

Rickelton tried to force the pace but ran ouf of steam, with Dwarshuis defending 21 off the last over with two wickets. A superb juggling catch at long-on from Maxwell ended Rickelton’s fight and Kagiso Rabada was bowled off the final ball of the match, meaning that Dwarshuis conceded just four runs in that over.