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Handy knocks from captain Aiden Markram (41 off 23 balls), Reeza Hendricks (42 off 30) and Tristan Stubbs (25 off 16) helped steady the ship before Donovan Ferreira (48 off 21 balls) provided the late fireworks after a middle-order slump.

Australian legspinner Tanveer Sangha, who snared 4-31 on debut in the series opener, should have had a wicket in his first over on Sunday.

Hendricks was on 18 when he was struck on the midriff by a Sangha delivery. The ball bounced down and hit the base of leg stump with some force – but the bail didn’t budge.

Sangha and captain Mitch Marsh laughed in disbelief, but the smiles soon vanished as South Africa moved to 3-116 in the 13th over.

A middle-order collapse of 3-6, which included a double-wicket maiden from Abbott, resulted in South Africa crashing to 6-122.

But debutant Ferreira got things back on track by thumping five sixes and one four in his blistering knock.

Abbott was the chief destroyer, his four-wicket haul including the wicket of Markram just as the South Africa skipper looked set to launch into a huge total.

Stoinis (2-39) made a strong start but was pummelled in his later overs, while Sangha (1-39) also copped some punishment, but it was Nathan Ellis (0-50) who copped the brunt of South Africa’s fightback, especially when Ferreira was at full force.

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