Proteas fall to heaviest ever ODI defeat as Australian batters dominate

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, the hosts immediately put South Africa to the sword as the Proteas bowlers struggled for control.

Head scored a mammoth 142 before being out caught off the bowling of Keshav Maharaj with Marsh (100) and Green (118) also getting into triple figures.

Alex Carey was the only other Australian to bat and he scored 50.

It was a bleak bowling card for the visitors, with Maharaj and Senuran Muthusamy the only two to take a wicket.

Opening bowlers Kwena Maphaka and Wian Mulder were taken to task with both of them conceding runs at over 10 runs an over from their spells, with Australia ultimately setting a mammoth target of 431/2 off their 50 overs.

Faced with a daunting task, South Africa's batters struggled to make any kind of in-roads with Aiden Markram dismissed early for just two and wickets continuing to fall at regular intervals.

The promising Dewald Brevis top-scored with 49 and Tony de Zorzi (33) was the only other batter to make it past 20 runs as the Proteas were bowled out for a paltry 155.

Cooper Connolly starred with the ball for Australia, becoming the youngest player from the country to pick up a five-wicket haul in the format and finishing with impressive figures of 5/22 off his six overs.