Proteas batting under the microscope as Australia appear stronger in that department
South Africa's batsmen look like no match for their Australian counterparts on paper, but a deeper look reveals it's closer than it initially appears.
South Africa's and Australia's bowlers are fairly evenly matched, so the battle for the World Test Championship (WTC) mace is likely to come down to whose batters perform best. On the face of it, Australia's batters are far superior.
The Proteas are in the process of a hit-out against Zimbabwe in a warm-up match in Arundel in Sussex in preparation for the WTC final.
All of the batters got a chance to be out in the middle and face a red leather ball for the first time since their New Year's Test at Newlands.
Three batters passed 50 before retiring — Ryan Rickelton (62), Temba Bavuma (58) and Tristan Stubbs (58). The only batters to be dismissed were Aiden Markram (13) and Wiaan Mulder (26) as the team posted 313 with nine players padding and facing up.
'It was a nice opportunity for the batters to get out there,' said Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince. 'I'm sure some of the batters would have liked to stay out there a bit longer, but we're keeping an eye on the weather… We're taking this for what it is, it's preparation.'
Bavuma and Rickelton scored their runs in quick time with strike rates of more than 65, while Stubbs faced more than double the number of balls to score his runs.
'Most of the guys got a nice stint out there in the middle,' Prince said. 'Some were a little bit more fluent than others, but we have some days left for all of the guys to find their rhythm.
'Batting can be that way sometimes where not everyone has the same rhythm.
'The main outcome is that everybody had a chance and could spend some time in the middle.'
A closer look
The South African batters' techniques will be under the microscope when they face Australia next week.
Rickelton is the only Proteas batter in the World Test Championship squad with a batting average more than 40 (41.06). His last innings, which was a wonderfully constructed 259 against Pakistan in South Africa's last Test match, is a big reason it isn't below 40 as he had a stuttering start to his international red-ball career.
Meanwhile, every batter in Australia's top six — barring the vacant opening spot — has a Test average in excess of 40 with star batter Steve Smith leading the way with a world-beating 56.74 average.
While Smith has an outstanding record around the world, his overall average and those of the rest of the top six are inflated by their records in their home country, Australia. Smith's average would still exceed 50 even if he played every match of his career away from home, as he's one of the best Test batters to have played the game, but his overall average would be much lower if you remove the nearly 60 runs per innings he scores at home.
Marnus Labuschagne, for example, averages nearly 56 in Australia but only 35 once he leaves Aussie shores.
It's not unusual to be better suited to your home conditions, nearly every player averages more at home than away, but South Africa don't have the same luxury of scoring a similar volume of runs at home because of how tricky the conditions often are. Proteas batters aren't able to compensate to the same extent at home for poor away records.
A tough outing
Batting in Test cricket in South Africa is one of the hardest tasks in the sport, even if you're from the country. While Australia offers additional heightened bounce and speed off the wicket for bowlers, South African decks do the same with the inclusion of lateral movement, both off the deck and through the air — depending on the venue.
High individual scores and team scores are rare in the republic. Over the past 10 years, besides South Africa, England are the only side to have scored over 400 more than once in the country.
Statistically, 39.5% of matches in South Africa are likely to see a score in excess of 400 in any innings of a Test match (17 of the 43 matches that have been hosted in the country across the last 10 years). However, 67% of matches in Australia have seen a score in excess of 400 in any innings in a Test match in the same time period (35 of the 52 matches).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
4 hours ago
- eNCA
SA martial artist wins big on global stage
JOHANNESBURG - From Eldorado Park to the world champs. This has been quite the month for Mzansi when it comes to the world of sports... Not only did the Proteas become the ICC World Test Champions, but one athlete brought home the silverware from the 21st Kimura Shukokai karate world championships that was held in Finland. Renaldo Kok discussed this achievement with eNCA.
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Dortmund edge Sundowns in a seven-goal thriller
Goals from Felix Nmecha, Serhou Guirassy, Jobe Bellingham, and a Khuliso Mudau own goal ensured the Bundesliga outfit registered their first win of the tournament. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Trent Patterson/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock (15367892n) Mamelodi Sundowns defender Khuliso Mudau (25) celebreates with Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Lucas Ribeiro Costa (10) and he scored the first goal of the an Fifa Club World Cup game at TQL Stadium Soccer 2025: Mamelodi Sundowns Vs. Borussia Dortmund, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA – 21 Jun 2025 Borussia Dortmund claimed a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in a pulsating FIFA Club World Cup Group F encounter at the TQL Stadium on Saturday night. Sundowns' spirited fightback Goals from Felix Nmecha, Serhou Guirassy, Jobe Bellingham, and a Khuliso Mudau own goal ensured the Bundesliga outfit registered their first win of the tournament, despite a spirited fightback from the South African champions. ALSO READ: PSG stunned by Botafogo after Messi lights up Club World Cup Sundowns took a surprise lead just 11 minutes into the game. Lucas Ribeiro went on a brilliant solo run from the halfway line before calmly slotting past Gregor Kobel. However, the lead was short-lived following a misplaced pass from Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams who gifted Nmecha a simple finish into an empty net to level matters in the 16th minute. Teboho Mokoena was then caught in possession in midfield, and Dortmund made no mistake on the counter, with Guirassy heading home from Julian Brandt's pinpoint cross to make it 2-1. Dortmund extended their advantage before the break after Williams failed to deal with Brandt's low cross. He spilled the ball into the path of Bellingham, who tapped in his first goal for the club. The German side went into the break 3-1 up after an entertaining first half. The scoreline grew more lopsided on the hour mark when Mudau inadvertently turned a cross into his own net to make it 4-1, but Sundowns hit back just two minutes later. Iqraam Rayners rose highest to head Mokoena's free-kick against the upright, then reacted quickest to steer in the rebound. It was his second goal of the tournament, following his match-winner against Ulsan HD on Wednesday. Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso made only one change to the line-up that beat Ulsan, bringing in Tashreeq Matthews for Arthur Sales. Matthews, facing his former club, was withdrawn after 70 minutes for Jayden Adams. Mothiba magic Substitute Lebo Mothiba gave the Brazilians late hope with a composed finish from Kutlwano Letlaku's assist in the 90th minute, but Dortmund held firm in the dying moments to secure all three points. ALSO READ: Flamengo floor Chelsea at Club World Cup The result sees Dortmund move to the top of Group F with four points from two matches, while Sundowns sit second. Attention now shifts to the other clash between Ulsan HD and Fluminense, which kicks off at midnight (SA time) on Sunday.
IOL News
6 hours ago
- IOL News
Borussia Dortmund outclass Mamelodi Sundowns in a 4-3 classic to roar Club World Cup championship challenge
Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Lucas Ribeiro Costa heads an uncontested ball against Borussia Dortmund during a Fifa Club World Cup game at TQL Stadium Soccer in Cincinnati on Saturday. | Shutterstock In a classic battle that saw class triumph over endeavour, German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund, eight-time Bundesliga champions, ran out 4-3 winners over South African perennial champions Mamelodi Sundowns, on Saturday in Cincinnati, Ohio. The outcome will take Dortmund to the top of the FIFA Club World Cup's Group F log, and both teams still have a chance to reach the play-offs with one round of matches remaining. At the outset, both teams adopted a possession-based playing style, launching attacks from their defensive third and focusing on intricate, short passes to advance downfield. Sundowns seemed the more adventurous as they sought to unlock the resources of their talented midfield to penetrate the Dortmund defence. Sundowns' attacking rhythm was punctuated by bursts of speed that the opposition struggled to contain but Dortmund did not allow their opponents to settle. The South Africans always looked more likely to score first after 10 minutes, even though Dortmund forced a corner during this period of play. Just as the tide appeared to turn in favour of the Germans, Sundowns capitalised on the fleeting opportunity to take control of the match. Former Dortmund striker Tashreeq Matthews, who was the only change in the Sundowns squad, sent a perfectly timed pass through the central Dortmund defence to Brazilian forward Lucas Ribeiro, who confidently slotted home the first goal after shaking off three defenders in the 11th minute (1-0). It was a fitting moment for Ribeiro, who was playing his 50th game for Sundowns. A terrible mistake by 'Mr Reliable', as the Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has been dubbed, changed the tone of the match, as they grabbed an equaliser. Williams attempted a pass out from the back but got it all wrong, and the ball fell to the lurking Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, who calmly scored the equaliser with unnerving composure in the 16th minute. Sundowns continued to hold the whip, although they did create threatening scoring opportunities. Just past the half-hour mark, Sundowns were dispossessed in midfield, and the tide turned sharply. They were left to rue their lapse as Dortmund's leading marksman Serhou Guirassy made them pay, heading home a goalmouth cross from close range. This gave Dortmund a 2-1 crucial lead, amplifying the pressure on Sundowns as they approached the half-time mark. In a half that held much promise for Sundowns, their anxieties deepened just before half-time when Dortmund's prodigious talent, Jobe Bellingham, found the net with the opposition defence in disarray (3-1). The Birmingham-born midfielder is the brother of England international Jude Bellingham. When second-half play resumed, Sundowns refused to buckle under the pressure and hard to assert their dominance on the field. They managed two half-chances in the opening 15 minutes, but once Dortmund absorbed that pressure, they went further ahead on the hour mark through an own goal by Sundowns fullback Khuliso Mudau (4-1). Despite the setback, Sundowns did not allow despair to set in, and they continued to push forward in search of redemption. The tireless pursuit finally bore fruit three minutes later when Iqraam Rayners reduced the deficit (4-2). In the final minute, substitute Lebo Mothiba scored Sundowns' third goal but it was a case of too little too late.
