Rassie van der Dussen and Theunis de Bruyn both struck half-centuries to put the Proteas in an excellent position on the penultimate day of their four-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane on Sunday.
There was also some important batting time for Temba Bavuma and Khaya Zondo at The Allan Border Field where the South Africans are playing their only warm-up fixture ahead of the first game of their three-match test series starting on 17 December.
After recording 347 in their first innings and then bowling out the home side for 226, the Proteas resumed the third morning on nine for none – and looking to build on their 130-run lead. They lost opener Sarel Erwee early for two, but captain Dean Elgar scored a steady 26 to go with his first-innings ton.
Batting at No 3, Van der Dussen soaked up his opportunity with a patient 95 off 184 balls (12 fours, 1 six), sharing a large chunk of his time in the middle alongside Bavuma, who did not bat in the first innings as a precaution due to discomfort felt in his left elbow. But the Proteas’ limited-over captain applied himself well by hitting 28 off 92 balls, gaining vital time in the middle as he aims to return to the test team for the first time since injury ruled him out of the mid-year tour to the United Kingdom.
Following his departure and that of Van der Dussen, Zondo hit 37 off 75 balls and was part of another good stand of 98 with De Bruyn, who scored a free-flowing 88 off 86 balls (11 fours, 2 sixes). Marco Jansen added 19 late on day three, which South Africa declared on 304 for eight – a lead of 425.
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 at The Gabba.