BRISBANE: Rassie van der Dussen and Theunis de Bruyn both struck half-centuries to put the Proteas in an excellent position on the penultimate day of their four-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane on Sunday.

There was also some important batting time for Temba Bavuma and Khaya Zondo at The Allan Border Field where the South Africans are playing their only warm-up fixture ahead of the first game of their three-match Test series starting on 17 December.

After recording 347 in their first innings and then bowling out the home side for 226, the Proteas resumed the third morning on nine for none – and looking to build on their 130-run lead. They lost opener Sarel Erwee early for two, but captain Dean Elgar scored a steady 26 to go with his first-innings ton.

Batting at number three, Van der Dussen soaked up his opportunity with a patient 95 off 184 balls (12 fours, 1 six), sharing a large chunk of his time in the middle alongside Bavuma, who did not bat in the first innings as a precaution due to discomfort felt in his left elbow. But the Proteas’ limited-over captain applied himself well by hitting 28 off 92 balls, gaining vital time in the middle as he aims to return to the Test team for the first time since injury ruled him out of the mid-year tour to the United Kingdom.

Following his departure and that of Van der Dussen, Zondo hit 37 off 75 balls and was part of another good stand of 98 with De Bruyn, who scored a free-flowing 88 off 86 balls (11 fours, 2 sixes). Marco Jansen added 19 late on day three, which South Africa declared on 304 for eight – a lead of 425.

The match is not classified as a first-class game allowing for the Proteas management to give everyone in the squad an opportunity for game time ahead of the first Test at The Gabba.

Proteas Test squad against Australia

Dean Elgar (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Temba Bavuma (DP World Lions), Gerald Coetzee (ITEC Knights), Theunis de Bruyn (Momentum Multiply Titans), Sarel Erwee (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Simon Harmer (Momentum Multiply Titans), Marco Jansen (Dafabet Warriors), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Anrich Nortje (Dafabet Warriors), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Rassie van der Dussen (DP World Lions), Kyle Verreynne (wicketkeeper, Six Gun Grill Western Province), Lizaad Williams (Momentum Multiply Titans), Khaya Zondo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins).

South Africa Test Tour to Australia Itinerary

Four-day Tour Match

09 – 12 December

Cricket Australia XI vs South Africa – The Allan Border Field, Brisbane

Tests

17 – 21 December

Australia vs South Africa – The Gabba, Brisbane

26 – 30 December

Australia vs South Africa – MCG, Melbourne

04 – 08 January

Australia vs South Africa – SCG, Sydney

Cricket came to South Africa during the Napoleonic Wars and with the British forces occupying South Africa. The first match recorded was in 1808 in Cape Town between two service teams, for a prize of one thousand rix-dollars.

The oldest cricket club in South Africa is the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, founded in 1843. Few clubs in the world can boast such a long existence. The first championship was held in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in 1876 for the “champion bat.” Competing teams were Cape Town, Grahamstown, King Williams Town, and Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha). It was won by King Williams Town and the year after that too.

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Alan Straton

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Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.

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