South Africa has staged an incredible late revival to defeat Australia by three wickets in a thrilling Twenty20 international in Johannesburg to draw the series 1-1.
The Proteas looked dead in the water after Graeme Smith and Johan Botha fell, but Wayne Parnell (29 runs off 11 balls) and Rusty Theron (30 off 16) had other ideas with some incredible hitting in the final five overs.
Theron brought up the victory with five balls remaining, striking a giant six off David Hussey over square-leg, before turning to the dug out and pumping his fist in celebration.
The Australians appeared destined for a series clean sweep when South Africa slumped to 7-84 off 14.4 overs in reply to the tourists' total of 7-147.
In the crucial death overs it was Doug Bollinger (1-36), Stephen O'Keefe (1-35) and youngster Pat Cummins (2-26) who took the biggest pounding, as Parnell and Theron brought the near-capacity crowd at The Wanderers to their feet with one six after another.
Cummins bowled brilliantly earlier in the innings and looked to have put Australia in the winning position with a return of 2-3 in his initial spell.
But he learned in the 19th over just how brutal Twenty20 cricket can be, giving up 13 runs.
Hussey caught and bowled Graeme Smith (24 off 22) while Stephen O'Keefe took the wicket of South Africa's other in-touch batsman, Johan Botha (34 off 28), and that point victory seemed a mere formality for the tourists.
Earlier, debutant Mitchell Marsh lifted Australia from a precarious position with the bat and it looked until the very end that Australia's bowlers were doing enough to defend what was an intriguing total.
Marsh was a late inclusion for vice captain Shane Watson, who pulled out with a hip strain.
He had no time to settle into international cricket after Australia won the toss and quickly lost star opener David Warner for a consecutive duck.
After entering the series on the back of consecutive centuries in the Champions League, Warner hasn't made a run in South Africa and was caught in the second over from the bowling of Morne Morkel (2-37).
Australia finished 8-147 from their 20 overs, but things could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for Marsh's 36 from 23 in the final overs which included four crushing sixes.
Captain Cameron White (39 off 26) was important while Marsh's older brother Shaun was also in good touch before being caught off the bowling of Rusty Theron for 26 from 23.
The Marshes became the first brothers since Mike and Dave Hussey to play T20 cricket for Australia.
Watson is expected to be fit for the first one-dayer on Wednesday in Centurion.
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