Category: Cricket

Australia endured a tough first hour on day one of the opening Test as Nic Maddinson fell for a 33-ball duck in his first Test in a decade with the visitors 2/28 at drinks in Durban. Live updates below!

Nic Maddinson’s remarkable return to Test cricket has ended in a 33-ball duck, with the Aussie opener dismissed by Marco Jansen in the first Test against South Africa.

As Temba Bavuma was assessing South African cricket’s finest triumph at Lord’s a year ago, he paused before noting that to walk a mile in his shoes would not be the smoothest of treks for any cricketer.

• Former Test opener is writing a new book released next month

• Australia captain Cummins confirms conversation with Khawaja

Pat Cummins has suggested he is unfazed by the prospect of the sandpaper scandal being raised in Usman Khawaja’s autobiography, which will be the first from any Australian player who played in that 2018 Cape Town Test.

Cummins confirmed that Khawaja had called to inform him he would be writing the book, which will be released days after the end of Australia’s first Test tour of South Africa since the infamous match.

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When Australia’s Test team walks out in front of a hostile South African crowd for the first time since the infamous 2018 series, the man caught with sandpaper in his pocket — and later down his pants – will surely wonder how different things might have been.

One of the Sheffield Shield’s most prolific recent batters has continued his form surge - but he won’t be able to turn it into an Australian Test call-up anytime soon.

It is more than eight years since a devastated dad sat with his shattered son at Sydney Airport, consoling a man who felt he had lost almost everything of importance to him after a moment of madness in South Africa.

A Cricket Victoria initiative launched by an ex-Test spinner to get more fans to the Sheffield Shield has proved an instant success - but the program labelled an ‘Australian dream’ has quickly received backlash.

The most anticipated Test series of the year is finally here.

Australian captain Pat Cummins has confirmed he has chatted with Usman Khawaja about his upcoming autobiography but said he is not concerned about any revelations his former teammate will make about the infamous Sandpapergate series.

Australia has dodged the menacing threat posed by Kagiso Rabada for the opening Test against South Africa beginning in Durban on Friday after he failed in a late bid to prove his fitness.

South Africa and Australian Test debutants have been a match made in heaven in the 21st century.

In its simplest form this series sells itself: reigning world Test champion meets long-term No.1 ranked nation.

The Test series shapes as one of unforced errors and modest scores with both sides unconvincing with the bat and relying on their bowling attack

Lost among the looking back to Australia’s Test tour of South Africa in 2018, there lies a similarity to the team about to take on that challenge in 2026. The previous side relied on a primo bowling quartet of Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, along with David Warner’s power as opener and the middle-order ballast of Steve Smith. The rest of the batting was makeshift: Cameron Bancroft the recently added opener, Usman Khawaja with at that stage a parlous record away from home, and the Marsh brothers an entirely unknowable quantity at five and six.

This time around, the same four bowlers have burnished their careers by a further 998 Test wickets, the proven batting still consists of one aggressive left-handed opener plus Smith, and Australia otherwise remain makeshift.

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Jake Weatherald’s horror return to Sheffield Shield action has gone from bad to worse, with the discarded Australian opener ruled out of South Australia’s season opener with Victoria due to concussion.