00:00:07
Speaker 1: The Proteas will be taking on Australia in the first of three tests at 9.30 this morning. It all starts in Durban. Stuart Hess is a cricket writer, joins me on the line now. Stuart, how much of a factor the fact that we haven't played a test cricket match in nine months going to have on our prospects, do you think, for this series?
00:00:26
Speaker 2: Good morning. I think it will play a role. South Africa generally tend to start series and test matches quite slowly. We saw that in the World Test Championship final. Think about the first test against Pakistan in Lahore. Even the start of the test match against India at Calcutta. So I do think it's going to be a factor. This is an experienced group, but it will play a role. And it will be interesting to see how it unfolds, particularly the first day. I think it might take the players just a little bit of time to get into some rhythm.
00:01:07
Speaker 1: I can't remember the last time I watched a Test match being played out in Durban. Tell us about the crease on the field. What conditions should we be expecting?
00:01:17
Speaker 2: Look, it was two years ago that they played the test against Sri Lanka, and that lasted four days. It was slightly later in the year, about November, that test match was played. There is a little bit of the unknown, as it were, around what to expect. Certainly the field yesterday when we were down there looked very good. The South Africans are anticipating that it's going to start turning, hence they picked Sri Lanka. both Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj in the starting 11. The weather is set fair for the five days. It's going to be warm. So if they do kind of get the stages of day three into day four and day five, and they are bowling, then those two spinners are going to come into play.
00:02:00
Speaker 1: We know that Gagadzor Abada did not heal fast enough to obviously be named as part of the squad, but I imagine the selection team and the coaching team would have planned for that, right?
00:02:14
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, absolutely. I think they would have known a while back. I always thought it was going to be It was going to be difficult for Rabada to make this starting team for the first game. Temba Bavuma yesterday spoke about them taking the conservative option, giving him a few extra days before the second test at St. George's Park, which starts on October 18. So, you know, they've taken that route. It's not a surprise. The players have been prepared for it. And, you know, that That bowling attack with the high pace of Andres Nurkia and Marco Jansen alongside those spinners will still provide enough of a threat to the Australians.
00:02:55
Speaker 1: It all starts at 9.30 this morning. Stuart, thank you very much. Have yourself a wonderful, wonderful test. I say you as if you're playing, but you'll be covering and writing about it, of course. I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun. All the best, of course, to the Proteus men taking on Australia in the first of three tests starting today at 9.30 in Durban.
Speaker 1: The Proteas will be taking on Australia in the first of three tests at 9.30 this morning. It all starts in Durban. Stuart Hess is a cricket writer, joins me on the line now. Stuart, how much of a factor the fact that we haven't played a test cricket match in nine months going to have on our prospects, do you think, for this series?
00:00:26
Speaker 2: Good morning. I think it will play a role. South Africa generally tend to start series and test matches quite slowly. We saw that in the World Test Championship final. Think about the first test against Pakistan in Lahore. Even the start of the test match against India at Calcutta. So I do think it's going to be a factor. This is an experienced group, but it will play a role. And it will be interesting to see how it unfolds, particularly the first day. I think it might take the players just a little bit of time to get into some rhythm.
00:01:07
Speaker 1: I can't remember the last time I watched a Test match being played out in Durban. Tell us about the crease on the field. What conditions should we be expecting?
00:01:17
Speaker 2: Look, it was two years ago that they played the test against Sri Lanka, and that lasted four days. It was slightly later in the year, about November, that test match was played. There is a little bit of the unknown, as it were, around what to expect. Certainly the field yesterday when we were down there looked very good. The South Africans are anticipating that it's going to start turning, hence they picked Sri Lanka. both Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj in the starting 11. The weather is set fair for the five days. It's going to be warm. So if they do kind of get the stages of day three into day four and day five, and they are bowling, then those two spinners are going to come into play.
00:02:00
Speaker 1: We know that Gagadzor Abada did not heal fast enough to obviously be named as part of the squad, but I imagine the selection team and the coaching team would have planned for that, right?
00:02:14
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, absolutely. I think they would have known a while back. I always thought it was going to be It was going to be difficult for Rabada to make this starting team for the first game. Temba Bavuma yesterday spoke about them taking the conservative option, giving him a few extra days before the second test at St. George's Park, which starts on October 18. So, you know, they've taken that route. It's not a surprise. The players have been prepared for it. And, you know, that That bowling attack with the high pace of Andres Nurkia and Marco Jansen alongside those spinners will still provide enough of a threat to the Australians.
00:02:55
Speaker 1: It all starts at 9.30 this morning. Stuart, thank you very much. Have yourself a wonderful, wonderful test. I say you as if you're playing, but you'll be covering and writing about it, of course. I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun. All the best, of course, to the Proteus men taking on Australia in the first of three tests starting today at 9.30 in Durban.
