By Estea Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: CSA.
South Africa’s bid to level the Test series against Australia got off to a difficult start at St George’s Park on Sunday, with Scott Boland striking twice before persistent rain brought an early end to the opening day.
Only 12.2 overs were possible, leaving the Proteas on 20 for two after Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl. Play was abandoned at 4.15pm, with the hosts already under pressure following their 214 run defeat in the first Test in Durban.
Boland, recalled to the Australian side in place of Nathan Lyon, made an immediate impact. The experienced seamer removed Aiden Markram and David Bedingham with consecutive deliveries in his second over, leaving South Africa struggling to establish a foothold in the match.
Markram had looked comfortable during his brief stay, producing two attractive drives against Mitchell Starc. However, Boland found movement back into the right hander, who played forward and edged the ball onto his middle stump.
Bedingham fell the next delivery, pushing at a ball outside off stump and offering a thick edge. Boland came close to claiming a hat trick when Temba Bavuma inside edged the following delivery into his pads, prompting brief appeals from the Australian fielders.
The double strike underlined the threat posed by Australia’s pace attack on a surface that offered assistance to the seamers. It also left South Africa needing a substantial recovery when play resumes.
Marques Ackerman, making his Test debut, faced a challenging introduction to international cricket. The opener had never previously opened in first class cricket and spent 14 deliveries without scoring before a thick edge past gully brought his first Test runs.
Bavuma, who struggled with the bat in Durban, also had to work hard for his first runs, getting off the mark through an edge that passed through the slips.
Rain had already disrupted the schedule before the first ball was bowled. Morning drizzle delayed the start by 90 minutes, and only 5.3 overs were completed before another stoppage forced an early lunch. A further brief period of play followed before the weather intervened again.
The lost time leaves the teams facing a substantial backlog of overs, with further poor weather forecast to threaten the remainder of the Test.
Australia’s decision to leave Lyon out was one of the major talking points before play. It was the first time since 2013 that the off spinner had been omitted from a red ball Test despite being available for selection.
Boland’s inclusion gave Australia an all pace attack, with Cummins, Starc and Josh Hazlewood providing the other frontline options. The decision reflected the conditions and the depth of Australia’s fast bowling resources.
South Africa also made changes after their defeat in Durban. Kagiso Rabada returned from a hamstring injury, while Keshav Maharaj was left out as the hosts adjusted their bowling combination. Simon Harmer remained the specialist spinner.
Matthew Breetzke also came into the batting line up, while Ryan Rickelton moved into the middle order and took over the wicketkeeping duties.
Rabada’s return is a significant boost for a South African attack that struggled to contain Australia in the opening Test. His presence gives the hosts an experienced leader as they look to respond to their opponents’ early dominance.
However, South Africa’s immediate concern is with the bat. Markram and Bedingham are already back in the pavilion, and the remaining batters must find a way to counter Australia’s disciplined seam bowling.
With the series on the line and valuable World Test Championship points at stake, the Proteas need a strong response. After a rain affected opening day, their challenge is to rebuild their innings while making the most of whatever playing time remains.