The Proteas have a daunting job of trying to force a positive result in the second test against Australia, after day one was almost completely rained out at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Sunday.
Just 12.2 overs were possible over the whole day, and the Proteas were in trouble on 20/2 during the early afternoon session when rain chased them from the field for the final time.
Captain Temba Bavuma will have a huge role to play if his side are to reach a big enough first innings score to trouble Australia, and he will resume unbeaten on four, along with Marques Ackerman who opened the batting on his Proteas debut and was very watchful in scoring five off 32 balls.
Stumps On Day 1! 🌧️ Rain has the final say at Dafabet St George’s Park, with play abandoned for the day in the second Dafabet Test. #TheProteas end the day on 20/2 after 12.2 overs, with play set to resume tomorrow at 09:45. 🏏 #Unbreakable #SAvAUS https://t.co/p7UVhdHjgE
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 18, 2026
What could add to the Proteas woes is that more rain is forecast on the morning session of day two, before the weather is supposed to clear in the afternoon, with partly cloudy conditions then expected over the final three days of play.
If there are further delays on day two the Proteas will have the tough task of batting positively, while also not losing wickets, to give themselves a shot at a good total, and enough time to bowl the Aussies out twice.
A win for the home team is vital if they are to keep their hopes of a series win alive, after Australia triumphed by 214-runs in the first test in Durban earlier this week, while the third test will take place from the 27th of October to the 31st in Cape Town.
In the morning session on Sunday, Australia won the toss and chose to bowl, but rain arrived before the 10am start and a two-hour delay followed before play finally got under way at 12pm.
A moment to savour for Marques Ackerman 🥹🇿🇦 He earns his first Test run and then gets a wave from his family in the stands 👋 📺 Stream #SAvAUS on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw https://t.co/OhLflOX5XN
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 18, 2026
The first session was supposed to go until 1:30pm, but less than 30 minutes and just 5.3 overs were possible before rain returned and chased the players off for an early lunch with the Proteas on 11/0.
After the break play, resumed at 1:20pm, and despite the Proteas being extremely watchful, Scott Boland made the breakthrough in his second over, the ninth of the innings, picking up a double strike.
He first got rid of opener Aiden Markram (11), who was playing a drive away from his body, only for Boland to get the wobble seam to nip back in and catch the inside edge of the bat which diverted the ball into the top of middle stump which came out the ground.
With the very next ball he got it to nip away this time, with new batter David Bedingham making a tentative push which he didn’t need to outside off, only to get an edge through to keeper Alex Carey, which reduced them to 12/2 at the end of the ninth over.
The Proteas added eight more runs off the next 3.2 overs, before the rain came back to send the players from the field for what proved to be the final time, with an early tea called, before stumps was called shortly after 4pm.
PROTEAS: Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada
AUSTRALIA: Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Renshaw, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood
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