2018 Australia Tour of South Africa - First Test South Africa Vs England @ Kingsmead, Durban March 01 - 05,2018

4-Match Test Series Schedule

• First Test @ Kingsmead, Durban March 01 - 05 ,2018
• Second Test @ St George's Park, Port Elizabeth March 09 - 13,2018
• Third Test @ Newlands, Cape Town March 22 - 26,2018
• Fourth Test @New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg March 30 - April 03,2018

First Test Preview

 

In battles between Australia and South Africa, the visitors should start as favourites. The past three series in Australia have all been won by South Africa; Australia haven't lost a series in South Africa since 1970. 

When the home team last won a series between these two sides, it was Ricky Ponting's men in 2005-06, at the beginning of a world-record stretch of 16 consecutive Test wins

The last two times Australia and South Africa played series of more than three Tests, South Africa won them both - but they were in 1966-67 and 1970 respectively

Morne Morkel is six wickets from reaching the milestone of 300 in Tests and he would be the fifth South African to the mark, behind Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Allan Donald

South Africa enter this series ranked No. 2 in the world, with winning form behind them, and no shortage of class and experience. There's Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, both over the 8000-run mark in Tests; the soon-to-retire Morne Morkel with nearly 300 Test wickets; Dean Elgar, the leading opener in Test cricket in 2017; Kagiso Rabada, the top fast bowler in Tests last year. And that's without even mentioning du Plessis, Vernon Philander and Quinton de Kock, all of whom have previously troubled the Australians

For Australia ,its captain  Steven Smith is clearly the best batsman in Test cricket right now and David Warner has three centuries from his three previous Tests in South Africa. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are a pace attack of match-winning potential, and Cummins will relish a return to the country of his unforgettable Man-of-the-Match performance on Test Debut as an 18-year-old. And then of course, there is Nathan Lyon, Test cricket's leading wicket-taker in 2017

Day One Thursday March 01,2018

Australia won the toss and chose to bat first

At close of play Australia were 225/5  with Mitchell Marsh 32* and Tim Paine 21* at the crease when bad light ended play four overs before second new ball was due
Opener David Warner scored 51(79 Balls 4x6) ;Captain Steve Smith 56(114 Balls 4x11)and Shaun Marsh 40(96 Balls 4x6)

Captain SteveSmith made his fifth consecutive score of 50 or more as he continued the form he showed in the Ashes series against England in which he scored 687 runs at an average of 137.40.

Day Two Friday March 02,2018 

Resuming from 225/5 Australia were all out for 351

Mitchsell Marsh fell four short of what could have been his second Test hundred in consecutive innings as Australia were dismissed for 351 on the second day at Kingsmead

Mitchell Marsh scored 96(173 Balls 4x13 and 6x1)
Tim Paine 25(72 Balls 4x3)
Mitchell Starc 35(25 Balls 4x4 and 6x2) 

Keshav Maharaj finished the innings with a five-wicket haul -  5/123(33.4 Overs)
Kagiso Rabada finished with 2 /74 (25 Overs)

 The spin of Nathan Lyon and the reverse swing of Mitchell Starc sent South Africa crashing on the second day of the first Test against Australia at Kingsmead on Friday.


South Africa were bowled out for 162 in 51.4 Overs shortly before the close, giving Australia a lead of 189 runs on the first innings.

Lyon started the slide for the hosts and finished with 3/50( 16 Overs) before the tall left-armer Starc gave a magnificent display of fast, reverse swing bowling to take 5/34(10.4 Overs)

AB de Villiers played almost a lone hand for South Africa, making 71*(127 Balls 4x11)