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Summary South Africa beat Australia by three wickets in the second Twenty20 international at Wanderers.
Tailenders Juan Theron and Wayne Parnell combined for 64 runs in just 27 balls to steal a dramatic three-wicket win for South Africa over Australia in the second Twenty20 international on Sunday.Theron hit 30 not out off 16 balls and Parnell 29 not out off 11 in their game-changing partnership at Wanderers to bring South Africa back from the dead and level the two-match T20 series 1-1.No. 8 Parnell and No. 9 Theron came together with South Africa on 84-7 in the 15th over and way off Australias total of 147-8. But Theron clubbed three fours and a six and Parnell three fours and two sixes to win the match and save the series for the Proteas.Teenager Mitchell Marsh had made 36 off 21 balls on debut for Australia to drag the tourists to 147 in their innings after South Africas bowlers made a strong start.Aussie captain Cameron White hit 39 off 26 balls to start the tourists revival after South Africa seamers Lonwabo Tsotsobe (2-11), Theron (2-28) and Morne Morkel (2-37) dominated the batsmen early on.Australia then appeared to be well on course for a series win when Proteas wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn was caught and bowled by James Pattinson (2-17) off the fourth ball of the 15th over to see South Africa slump to 87-5 in its chase, still needing 64 off 32 balls.But at the Johannesburg ground where South Africa loves to play Australia and the scene of its then world-record run-chase of 438 in a one-dayer five years ago Theron and Parnell turned the game completely in less than five overs.Theron whose best T20 international score before Sunday was 1 not out began the fightback with two fours off Doug Bollinger in the 17th over.Left-hander Parnell hit a four and two sweetly struck sixes off spinner Steve OKeefe as the pair plundered 18 runs off the 18th over. Theron won the game with a slog-sweep for six over midwicket off David Husseys first ball of the final over.The countries will also contest three ODIS and two Tests, with the one-day series starting on Wednesday.
