Marnus Labuschagne all but sealed his No.3 spot for the first Test against South Africa with a 76-ball century in Australia’s tour match in Potchefstroom on Sunday 4 October, while Cameron Green is reported to be unlikely to recover from an abdominal strain in time for Durban.
Labuschagne made 111 off 89 balls, with 19 fours, AAP reported, before captain Pat Cummins retired him midway through the second session so the rest of the batting group could get some practice. The right-hander hit 13 of his first 36 balls to the boundary, according to cricket.com.au.
The two-day match against a Cricket South Africa Invitational XI did not have first-class status and finished in a draw. The hosts declared at 7-318 on the opening day, built around 152 from former Proteas captain Neil Brand, before Australia batted through the second day and reached 368.
Why the century matters
Labuschagne’s Test place has been under heavy scrutiny. ESPNcricinfo noted he has not made a Test century in more than three years and has averaged 25.43 since the 2023 Ashes, while AAP said this was his first century in any form of cricket for 11 months. Former captain Ricky Ponting had said his place had become “untenable”, AAP reported.
The setting suited him. Labuschagne was born in Klerksdorp, less than 50km from Potchefstroom, and made his maiden ODI century in the same town in 2020. ESPNcricinfo said he now appears certain to keep the No.3 spot for the first Test.
“It looks like he’s got a lot of energy at the crease, which is nice,” Labuschagne’s state and national teammate Matthew Renshaw told cricket.com.au. “It’s the Marn that I know that’s batting well. Really nice to see him getting the runs … his feet were moving well, and he was just reacting.”
How the rest of the top order fared
Steve Smith
61 off 95 balls, retired at tea after a 115-run stand with Labuschagne.
Alex Carey
57, caught at cover off Brand’s left-arm spin.
Beau Webster
42 batting at No.5, Green’s usual position, before retiring.
Matthew Renshaw
32, showing no ill-effects of the knock to his right hand in the final ODI.
Cooper Connolly
20 not out when bad light ended play.
Green unlikely for Durban, Connolly in line
Cameron Green, who strained his lower abdomen while batting in the third ODI in Potchefstroom, did not take part in the tour match, along with recent arrivals Nic Maddinson and Sam Harper.
cricket.com.au’s Louis Cameron wrote of “the improbability of Cameron Green recovering from an abdominal strain in time for the first Test”, and ESPNcricinfo’s Andrew McGlashan reported that Connolly “will be in line to play in Durban if Cameron Green is unfit”. No official ruling on Green had been announced at the time of writing.
Connolly’s case would be strengthened by a turning Kingsmead pitch, given his left-arm spin, cricket.com.au reported, with Maddinson, a surprise addition to the squad, the other middle-order alternative.
What’s next
Australia were due to travel to Durban on Monday 5 October. The first of three Tests against the Proteas runs from Friday 9 October to Tuesday 13 October at Kingsmead, starting at 6:30pm AEDT (9:30am local time), with the second Test in Gqeberha from 18 October.
More News
- Cricket: Cameron Green Sits Out Tour Match as Neil Brand Smashes 152
- Cricket: Maddinson and Harper Called Into Australia Test Squad as Injuries Mount
- Cricket: Australia Beat South Africa by 45 Runs (DLS) as Green and Renshaw Injury Clouds Grow
- Cricket: Ellis and Davies Ruled Out as Australia Eye Cummins Return for 3rd ODI
