Despite there having been no rain for the past three hours, a wet outfield has continued delaying play on day two of the second test between the Proteas and Australia at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Monday.
Early morning rain made sure that there wouldn’t be any play during the day’s first session, but after it stopped shortly after 11am there was hope that the teams would be able to get play under way in the early afternoon.
But after the umpires did field and pitch inspections at 12:15pm, 1:15pm and 2:15pm, they still have not cleared the teams to play, and another inspection has been scheduled for 3pm when there will hopefully be some news on if there will be any possibility of play today.
It has been a very frustrating first day and a half of the second test so far, with just 12.2 overs possible over the entire day on Sunday’s first day, which ended with the Proteas already in trouble on 20/2 having been put into bat by the Aussies.
Opener Aiden Markram (11) was bowled off an inside edge by a good wobble seam delivery that nipped back in from Scott Bolane, while David Bedingham followed for a first ball duck off the very next ball after Boland got it to nip away and take the edge, while keeper Alex Carey did the rest behind the stumps.
Marques Ackerman, opening the batting on his Proteas debut was on a watchful five not out off 32 balls, while captain Temba Bavuma was unbeaten at the crease on four, and they will hopefully resume the Proteas first innings later this afternoon and attempt to build a big partnership.
Over the next three days partly cloudy conditions are expected, so a result can still be forced if the weather plays ball and the teams give it a good go.
The Proteas will be desperate to force a result to keep alive their chances of winning the three-match test series after losing the opener in Durban, while Australia don’t have to take any risks considering they are 1-0 up in the series.
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
--------------------------------------------------------
SPORTS PACKAGE
Watch every single ball of every Proteas match this summer with DStv’s new Sports package. Also includes the world’s best football and a Vodacom URC Match of the Week. All this for just R399 a month – click on the banner below
