Staff Reporter.
Lungi Ngidi and Gerald Coetzee shared six wickets as the Proteas enjoyed another productive outing on day two of their only warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI at The Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Saturday.
The South Africans reached stumps on nine without loss in the second innings of what is a four-day game, having been bowled out for 347 at the start of the second day and then bowling out the hosts for 226.
It gave them an overall lead of 130 as they head into the second half of the game.
They had started proceedings by losing their last three wickets for 12 runs, with the impressive Kyle Verreynne eventually dismissed for 80 off 105 balls (14 fours, 1 six).
But the bowlers then impressed in their first outing of the tour when they restricted the home side to a deficit of 121 – only two batters among the opposition crossing 11. They were unbeaten centurion Campbell Kellaway (105 off 186 balls, 13 fours) and Jake Doran (78 off 105 balls, 9 fours, 1 six).
Everyone else struggled with Ngidi’s early wickets, putting the CA XI under plenty of early pressure. The paceman, South Africa’s best bowler with 3-26, along with Kagiso Rabada (1-33) helped reduce the hosts to 25 for four, before the major partnership of the innings rescued the score to 168.
Marco Jansen (1-35) eventually ended that stand, with Keshav Maharaj (2-49) and rookie Coetzee (3-36) cleaning up the tail.
Captain and first-innings centurion Dean Elgar was unbeaten on six at the close with Sarel Erwee (2) alongside him.
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 of the three-match series at The Gabba from 17-21 December.