Kingsmead cricket woes: Sightscreen delays Proteas start, rain looms

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl in the first Test against the Proteas at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday.

However, the start of the match was delayed by over half an hour after the sightscreen malfunctioned, leaving viewers highly frustrated before proceedings were finally able to get underway at 10:34.

Although the delay was minor, it does bring into question the misfortune that seems to beset the Proteas at Kingsmead, which is a venue where South Africa have only won two and lost seven in the last 10 Tests.

Weather and bad light often also seems to plague the Proteas at this venue, and again there is rain forecast for Friday afternoon and most of Saturday and Sunday, suggesting the Test is likely to end in a draw.

READ | DEAN ELGAR ‘COMFORTABLE’ KEY PLAYERS PUT IPL BEFORE PROTEAS

Nevertheless, Ryan Rickelton and Lizaad Williams become Test cap numbers 117 and 118, respectively, as they make their Test debuts for the Proteas.

The match also sees the return of Simon Harmer to international cricket, while Sarel Erwee and Keegan Petersen play their first match at their home ground.

You can check out the scoreboard here

Key battle

Dean Elgar needs 95 runs to become the third South African to score 500 Test runs vs Bangladesh. The left-hander has two centuries in his last three innings against them although he failed to cross 40 in his last six innings at this venue. His main tussle could be against Bangladesh’s Ebadot Hossain, who was the star of their series win in New Zealand with a ‘Player of the match’ performance in Mount Maunganui (1/75 & 6/46). His series average in New Zealand was also 29.33, which is ‘Bradmanesque’ compared to his pre-series career average of 81.54!

Stat attack

– The average first innings score at this venue over the last eight Tests is 297, with only one score above 350.

– South Africa have lost their last nine home tosses going on to bowl first in the most recent eight.

PROTEAS AND BANGLADESH TEAMS:

South Africa

Dean Elgar (captain), Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Lizaad Williams, Duanne Olivier

Bangladesh

Mominul Haque (captain), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali, Litton Das (wkt), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain

Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Adrian Holdstock (both RSA)

TV umpire: Allahudien Paleker (RSA)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)