The Proteas find themselves in early trouble on a frustrating first day of the second test against Australia, which has so far been dominated by rain, as the hosts sit on 20 for two with just 12.2 overs having been bowled by the tea break.
It has been a stop-start day since Australia won the toss in the morning and chose to bowl, with rain arriving before the 10am start and a two-hour delay following before play finally got under way at 12pm.
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 without loss.
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, and it came out of 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, and getting an edge through to keeper Alex Carey, which reduced them to 12 for two 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 possibly the final time today, with debutant Marques Ackerman unbeaten on five off 32 deliveries with captain Temba Bavuma at the crease on four.
An early tea was then called. There could still be play if rain relents in the late afternoon and the light allows, with play possible up until 6pm, but it is unlikely with drizzle currently falling and the covers firmly in place.
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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