Wayne Parnell

Pretoria: South Africa beat Australia by seven wickets on Sunday to square the five-match series at 1-1 after opening bowlers Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn took four wickets each to help bowl out Australia for 131.

Parnell, a 19-year-old left-arm seamer, finished with four for 25 in just his second ODI after having figures of 3/3 in his first four overs, while Steyn claimed four for 27 as Australia were dismissed in less than 41 overs for their 16th lowest total.

The Proteas reached 132 for three in the 27th over at SuperSport Park after captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis had added 69 in 11.1 overs for the second wicket.

“Wayne is a young guy with loads of potential. It is handy to have a left-hander, and it allows tactical changes,” South Africa captain Graeme Smith said.

“The teams are pretty close. If you are not on the money, you get beaten.”

Smith hit five fours to score 40 in 48 balls, and Kallis stroked five fours in 42 deliveries for 31. AB de Villiers (36 not out) and J.P. Duminy (10 not out) added an unbroken stand of 39 to steer South Africa to victory after the team had recorded their biggest ever one-day loss to Australia, losing by 141 runs in Durban on Friday.

Callum Ferguson top-scored with 50, and bowlers Mitchell Johnson (30) and Nathan Hauritz (10) were the only other Australian players to reach double figures.

Steyn made the initial breakthrough, bowling Brad Haddin off an inside edge for 1 on the sixth ball of the day.

Australia then unravelled, falling to 14 for 3 by the sixth over after captain Ricky Ponting was caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher for 8 off Parnell, who had trapped Michael Clarke leg-before for 5 in his previous over.

David Hussey was caught behind off Steyn five runs later. Parnell, who captained South Africa’s under-19 side at the World Cup in Malaysia last year, bowled a late swinging delivery that trapped Michael Hussey plumb in front for 3 to leave Australia reeling at 19 for five.

Johnson lasted 62 balls to add 63 with Ferguson and help take Australia into three figures before he was out lbw to Botha in the 31st over to make it 103 for 7.

Ferguson was finally out 21 runs later to a diving catch by AB de Villiers running in from point. He was Steyn’s third wicket and had hit three fours in 83 balls. Nathan Bracken was caught by Herschelle Gibbs for 5 off Parnell and Steyn soon dismissed Hauritz to wrap up the innings.

Australia picked an unchanged team. The Proteas made three changes, Kallis back from a groin strain to replace Hashim Amla. Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel, who were both expensive Friday, were replaced by Parnell and rookie spinner Roelof van der Merwe.