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Forgotten SA skipper stuns as Aussie tour game call confirms major injury scare
ICC announces major rule changes | 00:43Forgotten ex-South African captain Neil Brand was the star of the day as Australia were made to toil to begin their pre-series tour match in Potchefstroom.
Facing a Cricket South Africa Invitational XI, Brand, who in 2024 captained a vastly undermanned Proteas team that toured New Zealand with the majority of its stars unavailable due to SA20 commitments, struck a rapid 152 as the tourists carefully managed their bowling stocks throughout the afternoon. On a docile surface, the 30-year old crunched 16 fours and five sixes in the 174-ball knock to score the lion’s share of the team’s tally of 7/318 at stumps, with Australia bowling first by mutual agreement.
Watch Australia’s Tour of South Africa Live & Exclusive on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo?48 of his runs came in just 17 balls in the final overs, as he smashed Beau Webster around the ground to leave Australia with every fielder on the boundary in a comical end to the day.
His innings would finally be ended by a stunning Travis Head catch at the deep square leg boundary, who flicked the ball back in off the rope and celebrated wildly, to offer Webster some respite after his five-over spell was bludgeoned for 41 runs. 11 different Australians had bowled throughout the day, with seven individual wicket-takers as captain Pat Cummins rotated through his options ahead of the first Test against South Africa, which begins on Friday evening and will be broadcast live and exclusively on Fox Cricket.
Nathan Lyon and Matt Kuhnemann were the most-used members of the bowling attack, with the Aussies weighing up whether to pick both spinners in the same team due to the heavy influence slow bowling is expected to have on the series. The Aussies’ relaxed attitude to the contest was summed up by Mitchell Starc opting for his ODI cap in the field.
“Me and Nathan had a good session yesterday as well … probably 30 overs under our belts in the last couple of days, so it was really nice. “ Cummins bowled himself for just eight overs across two spells to keep himself fresh for the Tests. Starc and Josh Hazlewood were used similarly sparingly after having opener Lesego Senokwane caught by Marnus Labuschange at first slip in the day’s tenth over.
With local cricketers used throughout the innings as sub fielders to allow for ample rest for the tourists, two notable absentees were Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green, who aregoing into the first Test after suffering blows in Australia’s third ODI win over the Proteas last week. While Renshaw, who took throwdowns in the nets while watching on, is expected to be fine to open the batting in Durban after suffering a wrist injury, Green is in doubt with an abdominal injury.at stumps, Brand said it was “awesome” to face – and dispatch – an Australian line-up full of Test stars.
“It’s amazing, someone like Nathan Lyon talking to you about batting is awesome, he’s someone I’ve always admired as a cricket player. Brand also revealed an amusing exchange in which Lyon questioned the amount of revolutions he was putting on the ball during a spell.
“He was asking if he was getting shape on the ball … I was like, ‘you’re the best spinner ever, don’t know why you asking me’,” he said. Along with Brand, emerging 19-year old talent Jorich Van Schalkwyk showed his class with 33 in a 74-run stand in the afternoon session.
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