Published: Aug 05, 2015, 09:08 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 31, 2016, 01:45 PM (IST)
Hello everyone and a very warm welcome to CricketCountry’s coverage of the first A Team Triangular series between Australia Australia A and South Africa A at Chennai. South Africa A have won the toss and elected to bat first. Earlier, in the second unofficial Test, Australia A defeated India A by 135 runs. Cameron Bancroft and Usman Khawaja guided the Australia A team in reply hitting to a meagre score of 150, set by India A. Virat Kohli was part of the India A team which played the second unofficial Test, to prepare himself for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. However, the India Test skipper could not do much. South Africa A’s captain is Dean Elgar and Australia A skipper is Usman Khawaja.
Usman Khawaja’s 73 and Joe Burns’s 63 lead Australia A to a nine-wicket victory over South Africa A after the latter were bowled out for 171 in 48.4 overs.
Live Cricket Score Australia 18/0 | 5 overs | Target 172: Despite Lonwabo Tsotsobe touching over 120kmph, the Aussie opener Jos Burns and Usman Khawaja seem to be unaffected as they go steadily.
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 171 in Overs 48.4: Australian bowling attack bundle up their opponents under 200 with James Pattison removing Lonwabo Tsotsobe in the 49th over. Another short and wide delivery from Pattison, the batsman cuts it into the air but goes until the fielder at the point who takes a comfortable catch. OUT! Lonwabo Tsotsobe c Joe Burns b James Pattison 4(8)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 164/9 in Overs 46.2: James Pattison goes down leg, Wayne Parnell gets a little nick and Mathew Wade dives on his right side, taking an excellent low catch. OUT! Wayne Parnell c Mathew Wade b James Pattison 10
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 160/8 in Overs 43.5: Ashton Agar gets his second on the last over of his 10-over spell. While trying to play it towards the gap at the long on, Beuran Hendricks instead airs it back into the hands of the bowler. OUT! Beuran Hendricks c & b Ashton Agar 0 (3)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 159/7 in Overs 43: Trying to go straight, Hardus Viljoen misses and top of his off-stump gets smacked. A third wicket for Coulter-Nile today, Australia surely are trying to bundle up the opponents under 200. OUT! Hardus Viljoen b Coulter-Nile 4 (14)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 142/6 in Overs 38.5: Coulter-Nile gets a double, an inside edge from Khaya Zondo goes straight inside the glooves of Mathew Wade. This leaves South Africa with new batsmen at the crease yet again. OUT! Khaya Zondo c Mathew Wade b Coulter-Nile 21 (31)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 141/5 in Overs 38.1: Khaya Zondo ends South Africa’s boundary-drought with two consecutive fours off the last two deliveries of the 38th over, the second one being a beautiful reverse sweep. As the batsmen seemed to get some touch, Coulter-Nile is brought into the attack who removes Dane Vilas in the very first ball of the 39th over.
OUT! Dane Vilas c Mathew Wade b Coulter-Nile 8 (30)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 128/4 in Overs 35: It’s been 28 balls since the South Africans scored their last boundary. With just 13 runs coming off last 5 overs, Australian bowlers have surely kept the game under control.
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 117/4 in Overs 30.2: Here goes the fourth wicket for South Africa, this time it was the big man– Cody Chetty. A slight inside edge from Chetty that crashed into his off-stump. Quick fall of wickets are building pressure on the batting side. Dane Vilas joins Khaya Zondo at the middle. OUT! Cody Chetty b Sean Abbott 8 (20)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 113/3 in Overs 29: With this over, Cameron Boyce finishes his spell of 10 overs. He has done his job with the ball, getting the big wickets of Theunis de Bruyn and South African skipper Dean Elgar.
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 104/2 in Overs 25.1: Suddenly, the Proteas have two new batsmen on the crease, Ashtin Agargets his first wicket for the day. Another fuller dwelivery from Boyce, Hendricks picks it in the air but unfortunately manages only the man at the sweeper. OUT! Reeza Hendricks c Ferguson b Agar 43 (64)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 104/2 in Overs 24.4: Cameron Boyce gets a reward for his patience. Bruyn tossed up a fuller from Boyce and landed safely in the hands of the short extra cover fielder, Callum Ferguson. OUT! Theunis de Bruyn c Callum Ferguson b Cameron Boyce 17 (37)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 104/1 in Overs 24: That’s 100 up for South Africa A with Theunis de Bruyn and Reeza Hendricks well settled at the crease. Although, the Aussies aren’t leaking too many runs, just 11 off the last five overs.
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 73/1 in Overs 14.4: Finally! Australia A get something to cheer about as Dean Elgar falls to Cameron Boyce. A good, clean catch by James Pattinson as the batsman looked to smash the Australian A spinner over the park, but was caught at long on. Theunis de Bruyn comes on to bat. BATTING Reeza Hendricks 29 (30),
OUT! Dean Elgar c James Pattinson b Cameron Boyce 28 (49)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 56/0 in Overs 11: Dean Elgar and Reeza Hendricks have provided South Africa A a splendid start. They have batted very well on this flat Chennai wicket, collecting runs on the both sides of the wicket. Australia A have not been able to troubles these two much. BATTING Reeza Hendricks 29 (30), Dean Elgar 21 (36)
Live Cricket Score South Africa A 6/0 in Overs 3: James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile have started on a good note for Australia A. Pattinson bowled a maiden over to start the match proceedings. Coulter-Nile gave away just two runs in his first over. Reeza Hendricks and Dean Elgar are yet to break-free and hit boundaries. BATTING Reeza Hendricks 1(8), Dean Elgar 5(10)
TOSS: South Africa A won toss and elected to bat.
Teams:
South Africa A: Reeza Hendricks, Dean Elgar (c), Theunis de Bruyn, Cody Chetty, Khaya Zondo, Dane Vilas (wk), Wayne Parnell, Beuran Hendricks, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Eddie Leie, Omphile Ramela.
Australia A: Usman Khawaja (c), Joe Burns, Travis Head, Peter Handscomb, Callum Ferguson, Matthew Wade (wk), Ashton Agar, Sean Abbott, James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Cameron Boyce.
The South African senior team for four Tests and five One-Day International (ODI) series against India starting late September will be announced soon and the selectors might view this series as a trial for some of the fringe players. In the batting department, Australia A will depend on Usman Khawaja, Matthew Wade, Callum Ferguson, while Chris Lynn, James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile form a formidable pace bowling unit.
