Aussies claim T20 series over South Africa February 27, 2020 by Michael Ramsey

CAPE TOWN, AAP - Australia's T20 World Cup preparations continue to go from strength to strength after David Warner and Steve Smith enjoyed a triumphant return to Cape Town, piloting the tourists to a 2-1 series victory over South Africa.

Returning to the scene of their sandpaper nightmare, Warner (57 off 37 balls) and Smith (30no off 15) starred with the bat before Australia bowled out the lacklustre Proteas for 96 in response to their 5-193.

The commanding 97-run win means Australia have now won four straight T20 international series after clean sweeps of India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan last year.

A weakened South Africa haven't won a series in any format since March 2019.

Australia also have T20 fixtures in New Zealand and England to come but they look to be in rude health ahead of hosting the World Cup in October.

Ashton Agar (3-16), Mitchell Starc (3-22) and Adam Zampa (2-10) were among five wicket-takers for the tourists at Newlands, reinforcing their impressive depth.

"The more experience you can keep having in games like that where there's a series on the line is going to be really important going forward," captain and man-of-the-series Aaron Finch said.

"It's something we've really prided ourselves on over the last couple of years, making sure that when we're in situations to win series that we take them.

"I felt as though we played a pretty clinical game today."

Starc, for the second time in the series, knocked over de Kock's middle stump before accounting for the badly out-of-form Faf du Plessis.

Agar very nearly had his second hat-trick in three games after bowling Lungi Ngidi for a golden duck.

Smith, batting at No.5 in a retooled line-up, provided the fireworks when he smacked two sixes off the final over in a valuable late cameo.

He would have been out for six when he was clean-bowled by a Kagiso Rabada yorker, but the Proteas spearhead was called for a front-foot no ball.

Warner earlier combined with Finch (55) to give Australia a dream start, racing to 0-75 off the powerplay against the weak Proteas.

The tourists made the surprise move to send Matthew Wade and Mitch Marsh in at No.3 and No.4 respectively after their strong start.

Wade's ineffective series continued when he was dismissed for 10, while Marsh (19) successfully challenged an lbw dismissal but holed out in the deep soon after.

Ultimately it was the Proteas who were left facing more significant questions after a series in which they suffered losses of 107 and 97 runs.

"It's just another blowout the way I see it," de Kock said.

"It's not good enough doing it twice in one series. We're going to have to have a good look at ourselves and ask some honest questions."