A career-best performance by Kyle Mills saw South Africa in trouble on 266 for eight at close of play on the first day of the first Castle Lager Test against New Zealand at Supersport Park on Saturday. Graeme Smith won the toss and decided to bat first on a pitch that appeared to offer something to the bowlers.
Three players in the first Castle Lager Test between South Africa and New Zealand at Supersport Park this weekend will be joining the elite group of cricketers who have played in a hundred Test matches. Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock will be making their hundredth appearance for South Africa, while the New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming will be achieving his century of Tests for the Black Caps.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to watching rugby, along comes another cricket team. As the Australian cricket team flew out of South Africa on Wednesday, bound for a two-Test series against Bangladesh, their Australasian cousins — the New Zealand cricket team — arrived here for a three-Test series against South Africa.
Australia achieved the first whitewash of South Africa in South Africa in more than a hundred years when they won the third Castle Lager Test at the Wanderers on Tuesday by two wickets. The small crowd that came to the ground knew that they were in for an exciting morning, and while they would have been disappointed with the result, they enjoyed an hour of thrilling cricket.
The third Castle Lager Test between South Africa and Australia at the Wanderers was on a knife-edge when bad light stopped play about twenty minutes early on Monday. When the players left the field Australia were 248-6 and needed another 44 runs for victory. Australia took just 13 minutes and 15 balls to wrap up South Africa’s second innings.
A determined partnership of 56 by Mark Boucher and tail-ender Andre Nel saw South Africa through to a useful lead of 283 on the third day of the third Castle Lager Test against Australia at the Wanderers on Sunday. South Africa were 250 for eight when bad light stopped play 13 minutes early.
Australia, led by middle-order batsman Michael Hussey, fought back magnificently after tea on the second day of the third Castle Lager Test at the Wanderers on Saturday. At close of play, Australia had 246 for seven. South Africa resumed play on their overnight score of 238 for six, with one over to go before the new ball was taken.
South Africa struggled to 238-6 on the first day of the third and final Castle Lager Test at the Wanderers on Friday, losing two wickets in each session. Having won the toss, Jacques Kallis, leading the team in the absence of Graeme Smith, who has an injured finger, chose to bat first. Although it was sunny at first, the clouds soon gathered.
Australia beat the fading light and bowled South Africa out for 297 to win the second Castle Lager Test at Kingsmead by 112 runs on Tuesday. Despite a battling partnership of 72 runs by Mark Boucher and Nicky Boje, the South Africans were unable to cope with the wiles of legendary legspinner Shane Warne and were all out with less than seven overs left to play.
South Africa face the daunting task of batting throughout the final day of the second Castle Lager Test on Tuesday if they are to save the match and stay in the series. When bad light stopped play about ten minutes after tea on Monday, South Africa, chasing 410 to win, were 29-0 and faced the prospect of playing on an uneven pitch on Tuesday.