South Africa v Australia: first men’s cricket one-day international – live
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj.
South Africa will rely on spin rather than pace as their depth is tested due to injuries. The absence of Aiden Markram is a big blow with the powerhouse batter missing for personal reasons, while Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs have been left out.
Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Jack Edwards, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
The tourists turn to pace with Jack Edwards handed an ODI debut. The big name pushed out is Alex Carey with Josh Inglis to take the gloves. Batting prodigy Ollie Peake is also absent after showing some decent form in Zimbabwe, while Cameron Green is back in the XI though it remains to be seen if the all-rounder bowls as well as bats.
Australia win the toss and elect to bowl. Captain Mitch Marsh talks up the early start with first ball coming at 10am local time in Durban with a breeze blowing across Kingsmead Ground and expected to generate some movement in the air.
South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma says he would have bowled as well.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the first one-day international between South Africa and Australia in Durban. This the first of three ODIs between the old foes as they take tentative steps down a long path towards the Cricket World Cup to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in little more than 12 months’ time.
But as much as the attention is now on a rare 50-over series in South Africa, and further ahead to the celebration of cricket that is expected for the continent next year, there is no denying the Test series that waits just around the corner is as much front of mind for both sides as well as their fans.
Australia usually time their run to hit top white-ball form for World Cup stages but started to tune up when sweeping a three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe. But South Africa have had a stranglehold on ODI series against their rivals, winning the past five at home and away going back a decade to September 2016. That includes when Australia and South Africa last played an ODI series just over a year ago when the tourists won the opening two games in Cairns and Mackay. Australia claimed a consolation win when scoring 431-2 – their second-highest ODI total, behind their 434-4 against South Africa in that remarkable game 19 years ago. We can only dream of similar fireworks in Durban today.
Toss and confirmed teams will be coming up shortly – with the first ball to be bowled at 10am in Durban / 6pm AEST – so you have time to get in touch with your thoughts and predictions. Drop me an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X.
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