# Australian cricket team in South Africa in 2005–06

The Australian cricket team toured South Africa for cricket matches during the 2005–06 South African cricket season. Australia won the Tests with a 3–0 whitewash, but lost both the limited overs series, the one-off Twenty20 and the five-match ODI, which was concluded with what was described as "the greatest ODI ever".

## Squads

| Australia | South Africa | Additional squad members for South Africa in Twenty20 |
| Ricky Ponting (c) Adam Gilchrist (wk) Nathan Bracken Stuart Clark Michael Clarke Brad Hogg Michael Hussey Phil Jaques Mitchell Johnson Simon Katich Brett Lee Mick Lewis Damien Martyn Andrew Symonds Shane Watson | Graeme Smith (c) Mark Boucher (wk) AB de Villiers Boeta Dippenaar Herschelle Gibbs Andrew Hall Justin Kemp Charl Langeveldt André Nel Makhaya Ntini Robin Peterson Shaun Pollock Ashwell Prince Johannes van der Wath | Loots Bosman Neil McKenzie Justin Ontong Robin Peterson Roger Telemachus Thandi Tshabalala |

## T20I series
### Only T20I

* 24 February 2006 (D/N) Scorecard
| South Africa 201/4 (20 overs) | v | Australia 199/7 (20 overs) |
| GC Smith 89* (58) HH Gibbs 56 (34) ML Lewis 2/31 (4 overs) | | B Lee 43* (21) GB Hogg 41 (25) AJ Hall 3/22 (4 overs) |
* South Africa won by 2 runs New Wanderers, Johannesburg Umpires: M Erasmus and KH Hurter Player of the match: GC Smith (SA)
* South Africa won the toss and elected to bat

## ODI series
### 1st ODI

* 26 February 2006 Scorecard
| Australia 229/8 (47 overs) | v | South Africa 207/4 (37.3 overs) |
| MEK Hussey 56 (73) MJ Clarke 53 (82) SM Pollock 3/23 (10 overs) M Ntini 2/42 (9 overs) | | GC Smith 119* (124) AB de Villiers 43 (30) NW Bracken 1/27 (8 overs) GB Hogg 1/30 (8 overs) |
* South Africa won by 6 wickets (D/L method) Centurion Park, Centurion, Gauteng Umpires: BG Jerling (SA) and JW Lloyds (ENG) Player of the match: GC Smith (SA)
* Australia won the toss and decided to bat.
* Australia innings was reduced to 47 overs. South Africa target was 204 runs in 41 overs

### 2nd ODI

* 3 March 2006 (D/N) Scorecard
| South Africa 289/7 (50 overs) | v | Australia 93 (34.3 overs) |
| HH Gibbs 66 (71) JM Kemp 51* (41) SR Watson 2/46 (10 overs) GB Hogg 2/48 (9 overs) | | SR Watson 27 (39) MEK Hussey 22 (49) M Ntini 6/22 (9.3 overs) A Nel 3/30 (8 overs) |
* South Africa won by 196 runs Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town Umpires: KH Hurter (SA) and JW Lloyds (ENG) Player of the match: M Ntini (SA)
* South Africa won the toss and elected to bat
This was Australia's second worst loss in their history of One Day internationals.

### 3rd ODI

* 5 March 2006 Scorecard
| Australia 254/6 (50 overs) | v | South Africa 230 (47.2 overs) |
| RT Ponting 62 (82) DR Martyn 51 (69) SM Pollock 2/45 (10 overs) AJ Hall 1/39 (9 overs) | | SM Pollock 69 (74) AB de Villiers 68 (92) B Lee 4/48 (9 overs) SR Watson 2/49 (10 overs) |
* Australia won by 24 runs St. George's Park, Port Elizabeth Umpires: BG Jerling (SA) and JW Lloyds (ENG) Player of the match: B Lee (AUS)
* South Africa won the toss and elected to field

### 4th ODI

* 10 March 2006 (D/N) Scorecard
| South Africa 246/9 (50 overs) | v | Australia 247/9 (49.1 overs) |
| HH Dippenaar 101 (145) SM Pollock 53* (33) NW Bracken 2/36 (10 overs) ML Lewis 2/38 (10 overs) | | AC Symonds 76 (71) SM Katich 46 (68) R Telemachus 3/34 (10 overs) JH Kallis 2/46 (9 overs) |
* Australia won by 1 wicket Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban Umpires: KH Hurter (SA) and JW Lloyds (ENG) Player of the match: HH Dippenaar (SA)
* South Africa won the toss and elected to bat

### 5th ODI

The 5th One Day International cricket match between South Africa and Australia, played on 12 March 2006 at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, has been acclaimed by many media commentators as being one of the greatest One Day International matches ever played. The match broke many cricket records, including both the first and the second team innings score of over 400 runs. Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 434 for 4 off their 50 overs, beating the previous record of 398-5 by Sri Lanka against Kenya in 1996. In reply, South Africa scored 438–9, winning by one wicket with one ball to spare.
* March 12 2006 Scorecard
| Australia 434/4 (50 overs) | v | South Africa 438/9 (49.5 overs) |
| Ricky Ponting 164 (105) Roger Telemachus 2/87 (10 overs) | | Herschelle Gibbs 175 (111) Nathan Bracken 5/67 (10 overs) |
* South Africa won by 1 wicket New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Brian Jerling (South Africa) Player of the match: Herschelle Gibbs (RSA) & Ricky Ponting (Aus)
* Australia won the toss and chose to bat
* Australia scored the first ever team total over 400 in men's cricket in ODIs.
* Australia scored the highest ever team total in ODIs (434); surpassing Sri Lanka's total of 398 in 1996; before South Africa surpassed it in the same match (438). [Later Surpassed]
* South Africa chasing 434 was the highest successful ODI chase of all time and the highest team total in the second innings in ODIs.
* This match recorded the highest aggregate runs in a match: (872), surpassing the previous record of 693 set by India and Pakistan in 2004.
* This match recorded the most sixes hit in a match in ODIs (26) and the most fours hit in a match in ODIs (89). [Later Surpassed]
* Ricky Ponting (AUS) scored the fastest 150 in ODIs, reaching this target in 99 balls. [Later Surpassed]
* Mick Lewis conceded the most runs in an innings in ODIs (113). He also became the first bowler to concede 100 runs in a fifty-over ODI match. [Later Surpassed]

## Test series
### 1st Test

* 16–18 March 2006 Scorecard
* Australia won by 7 wickets Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and BR Doctrove (WI) Player of the match: SR Clark (AUS)
* South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
* The match was scheduled for five days but completed in three.
* SR Clark (AUS) made his Test debut.
As well as gaining his Test match debut, Stuart Clark, in scoring the best bowling figures for both of South Africa's innings, won himself Man of The Match.

### 2nd Test

* 24–28 March 2006 Scorecard
* Australia won by 112 runs Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban Umpires: SA Bucknor (WI) and BR Doctrove (WI) Player of the match: SK Warne (AUS)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.

### 3rd Test

* 31 March-4 April 2006 Scorecard
* Australia won by 2 wickets New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg Umpires: SA Bucknor (WI) and AL Hill (NZ) Player of the match: B Lee (AUS)
* South Africa won the toss and decided to bat.