Dewald Brevis of South Africa celebrates after reaching his century during game two in the T20 International series against Australia at Marrara Stadium in Darwin on 12 August. (Photo: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images)
Dewald Brevis struck a sublime century to guide South Africa to 218 for seven and an eventual 53-run win over Australia in Darwin to tie the series 1-1, headed into the final match on Saturday.
It was an exhibition of clean hitting by the 22-year-old who now has the record for the highest T20I score for South Africa.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2229696396.jpg "Dewald Brevis of South Africa celebrates his stunning T20I century in Darwin. (Photo: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images)")
He bludgeoned an undefeated 125 off 56 deliveries, surpassing the 119 off 56 balls former captain Faf du Plessis struck against West Indies in 2015.
Brevis aimed straight and he aimed long as he smacked most of his boundaries back over the bowlers’ heads, showing some finesse when doing so by holding his head down until after the point of contact, lifting it only once the ball had sailed over the ropes in what has become his trademark style.
The stylish batter clubbed eight massive sixes and 12 fours in his record-breaking knock, with six of those maximums coming off the spin of either Glenn Maxwell or Adam Zampa, who he took a particular liking to.
“I always knew [that] I would be happy if spin arrived,” Brevis said. “I just watched it and tried to maximise every single ball, but in a way, I felt like I’m happy [to face] the seam because the wicket was nice, I enjoyed it.
“I was just in the moment to be honest, I was happy with whatever bowler it was, if it was pace on, seam on, spin or anything.”
Rebuilding
Brevis walked in at number four with South Africa in a bit of a precarious position on 44 for two in the fifth over. He took his time to get himself going, scoring only 14 runs off his first 12 deliveries, before digging into the Australian bowlers. Off the next 41 deliveries he faced, he scored 102 runs, which included clubbing Maxwell for three sixes and a four in the space of four deliveries in the 12th over.
It was carnage from the youngster who, once he started hitting it out of the park, didn’t stop trying.
Tristan Stubbs (31 off 22), who can be equally destructive, joined Brevis at the crease in the seventh over with the team on 57 for three. When the pair reached their 100-run partnership in the 15th over, he had only a run-a-ball 16 to his name as he shepherded the strike to Brevis.
It’s the first time Brevis has passed 50 for South Africa in limited-overs cricket, having scored 51 on Test debut against Zimbabwe last month, and he made it count. After 11 innings in the green and gold for South Africa, is this the moment he finally feels like he belongs at this level?
“I’ve always believed that this is where I need to be and where I will be,” Brevis said after the match. “I never had any doubt or anything. It’s all about cricket and how things work out.
“It is a roller coaster, you have your ups, you have your downs, but I never, ever doubted myself.
“This is just, for me, the start. It’s not that this happened now, and now I’m happy or anything.
“I just want to keep working hard, do the same things, and the next match is the next match. I can enjoy it now, think a bit about it, watch it maybe, but then when the next match comes, it’s completely new and anything can happen, so you have to be in the moment.”
Finishing the task
For Australia, only the ferocious striker Tim David, who beats the ball more than just hitting it, made any score of significance after scoring 50 off 24 deliveries, his second consecutive half-century against the Proteas.
The wickets were shared between the bowlers, with everyone picking up a scalp. Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch were the standouts with three wickets apiece as South Africa bowled Australia out for 165 in the 18th over.
The third and final T20I takes place on Saturday, 16 August. DM