Moeen Ali became the first bowler in The Oval’s 100-Test history to take a hat-trick as England wrapped up a crushing 239-run win in the third Test against South Africa on Monday. Victory put England 2-1 up in this four-match series, with just the fourth Test at Old Trafford starting on Friday to come. After … Read more
South Africa were bowled out for 175 in reply to England’s first innings 353, a deficit of 178 runs, on the third day of the third Test at The Oval on Saturday. Temba Bavuma was last man out for an innings top score of 52, caught behind off debutant paceman Toby Roland-Jones, after helping the … Read more
Ben Stokes took the attack to South Africa after Alastair Cook fell in sight of a hundred on the second day of the third Test at The Oval on Friday. England were 269 for six at lunch, with Stokes 64 not out and Moeen Ali unbeaten on 10. Stokes shared stands of 63 and 75 … Read more
England captain Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat against South Africa in the third Test at The Oval on Thursday. Root made his decision despite overcast skies and a green-tinged pitch both offering the prospect of assistance for the Proteas’ impressive pace attack in what was the 100th Test staged at The … Read more
South Africa’s has insisted memories of an inspired innings will play no part when he returns to one of his favourite venues for the third Test against England at The Oval. Five years ago at the south London ground, Amla made South Africa’s highest individual Test score of 311 not out, his marathon effort playing … Read more
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said Vernon Philander was on the way to becoming the “new Jacques Kallis” after his man-of-the-match winning display in a crushing 340-run win over England in the second Test at Trent Bridge. Philander was in fine form with both bat and ball as South Africa won with more than … Read more
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat in the second Test against England at Trent Bridge on Friday. The ground has a reputation for aiding swing bowlers and with the grey skies overhead offering the promise of assistance to the quicks, Du Plessis admitted at the toss: “It’s a … Read more
South Africa great Graeme Pollock has told AFP the Proteas will have to accept being a “middle of the road” Test side at best if they stick with racial transformation as a key component of selection. Transformation is designed to cope with the legacy of apartheid, when largely only white players such as Pollock, one … Read more
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has urged the Proteas to pass a “huge test of character” when they face England again at Trent Bridge. Du Plessis did not play in England’s crushing 211-run win in the first of a four-Test series at Lord’s last week following the birth of his first child. But he … Read more
Kagiso Rabada is “heartbroken” at being banned from next week’s second Test against England at Trent Bridge, according to South Africa team-mate Temba Bavuma. Rabada was suspended after picking up a fourth demerit point for swearing at England’s Ben Stokes after he dismissed the all-rounder on the first day of this four-match series at Lord’s … Read more
England’s new captain, Joe Root, won the toss and elected to bat against South Africa in the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday. A lightly grassed pitch and blue skies overhead offered the promise of good batting conditions in the first of a four-match series. This was Root’s first Test as England captain following his … Read more
South Africa stand-in captain Dean Elgar is confident there will be no “scarring” on show when his side face England paceman Stuart Broad again in the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday. Broad’s Test career has been studded with several dramatic match-winning spells, notably his Ashes-clinching eight for 15 against Australia at the Nottinghamshire quick’s … Read more
South Africa great Barry Richards believes the rise of Kagiso Rabada has “lessened the pain” of Dale Steyn’s absence ahead of a Test series in England. Steyn, perhaps the best fast bowler of his generation, has been ruled out of the four-Test campaign with a longstanding shoulder problem that has sidelined him since the end … Read more
Heino Kuhn’s two centuries on the South Africa A tour of England earned him a call-up on Monday to the senior squad for their upcoming four-Test series with England. The 33-year-old batsman — who notched the landmarks against Hampshire and then the England Lions — is one of three uncapped players along with Aiden Markram … Read more
AB de Villiers left South Africa’s tour of England saying he would decide his cricket future in August. One of the outstanding batsmen of his generation, the 33-year-old headed home after captaining the Proteas in a 19-run defeat by England in Cardiff on Sunday that saw them beaten 2-1 in a three-match Twenty20 series. They … Read more
Tom Curran took three wickets on his England debut as South Africa captain AB de Villiers led an improved batting display in the second Twenty20 international at Taunton. The tourists’ total of 174 for eight was a significant improvement on the 142 for three they managed during a nine-wicket defeat at Southampton on Wednesday, which … Read more
South Africa captain AB de Villiers top-scored for the Proteas as they were held to 142 for three by England in the first Twenty20 international at Southampton on Wednesday. De Villiers made 65 not out and Farhaan Behardien 64 not out after the Proteas had collapsed to seven for two and 32 for three following … Read more
South Africa captain AB de Villiers wants the Twenty20 series against England to help soothe the Proteas’ wounds after their early exit from the Champions Trophy. De Villiers’ men did not make it out of the group stage of the eight-team one-day international tournament, their fate sealed with a thumping defeat by India at The … Read more
Indian movie star Shah Rukh Khan added a third Twenty20 franchise team to his collection when he was named as one of the owners in the new eight-team South African Global League on Monday. The Bollywood leading man expanded his established Knight Riders Brand with the purchase of the Cape Town franchise to add to … Read more
AB de Villiers will captain South Africa in their three-match Twenty20 series against England, team officials announced Tuesday. De Villiers takes over from Faf du Plessis, who has returned home, following South Africa’s group-stage exit from the Champions Trophy, to attend the birth of his first child. However, the senior batsman is expected back in … Read more