why Scott Boland is so difficult to face, Nathan Lyon’s future in the Aussie side, next crop of batters, scores, latest news, video, highlights

Australia are well on top after another rain-reduced day in Gqeberha with South Africa 5/97 at stumps on day two.

Only 30.4 overs were possible on Monday, largely due to a wet outfield, but the visitors made up for lost time with Scott Boland doubling his overnight wicket tally to have four for the innings.

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The Victorian has certainly repaid the selectors faith after Nathan Lyon was dumped for him, while Matt Renshaw’s screamer at first slip rubbed salt into the Proteas’ wounds with their skipper unable to find teammates willing to come along for the ride.

Scroll down for the biggest talking points from day two of the second Test!

PROTEAS CAPTAIN’S WORDS FALL ON DEAF EARS

As Temba Bavuma assessed the difference between his team and Australia in Durban in the first Test, he implored the batters to shelve the shoddy shots and put a price on their wicket.

It sounded familiar, for Pat Cummins had been banging on about it for weeks as well and in the first Test, Matt Renshaw and the bowlers rose to the occasion in disciplined fashion.

Bavuma endured a lean start to the series when failing in both innings in Durban, but he had shown leading into the second Test he was prepared to match his deeds to his words.

The South African skipper was the last Protea to leave the nets on both Thursday and Saturday at St George’s Park and then after rain cut the first day short, he headed to the indoor nets for an extended session, facing throwdowns as Fox Cricket’s The Follow On podcast canvassed the major news lines for the first day.

“He just needs to bat time, to spend time out in the middle, and the runs will come. The bowlers will tire,” former Proteas quick Vernon Philander said.

The topic of discussion for Day 2 will be the fact that those teammates have failed to follow the example set by their leader given the dismal shots that led to a couple of dismissals.

Opener Marques Ackerman and No.5 Matthew Breetzke, who both came into the side for this Test, will be lamenting the manner with which they got out on the rain-marred day.

The latter’s wild waft to a wide one from Mitchell Starc, in particular, was lamentable.

But Katich said it was a symptom of a broader issue for the South Africans, who have played a bare minimum of Test cricket since winning the World Test Championship last June.

“He has joined the club of South African gropers,” Katich said on SEN.

“They just cannot control their hands outside off stump. We saw it last week in Durban. We have seen it again this week. There are technical issues with a number of players in this batting order.”

Kayo Sports expert analyst Mark Waugh said during the Durban Test the biggest issue for the hosts was that the batting order was filled with reasonable, but not great, batsmen.

He stressed the same thing again during the rain delays on the first day when saying he was not convinced in the class of the Proteas top-order.

“They don’t have a world class batter,” Waugh said. “They all average 35 and it’s what they really lack.”

HISTORIC LYON CONCERN AFTER LATEST AXING

Former Australian leg spinner Kerry O’Keeffe warned on day one that leaving out Nathan Lyon in this Test set a “dangerous precedent”.

Now, the Fox Cricket expert analyst is deeply concerned that Australia’s second leading all-time Test wicket-taker will miss out on the chance to don the baggy green on one of the grandest stages of all due to Australia’s selectors’ willingness to forgo a specialist spinner.

“I feel desperately sorry for him because I know he wants to play the 150th anniversary Test against England in Melbourne,” O’Keeffe said on Kayo Sports.

“It’s a pink ball Test. It’s March. The ball will move. I was the spinner in that Test 50 years ago. It’s unlikely Nathan Lyon plays in that Test.

“It’s one of the iconic games in a career and I think he’ll miss it.”

O’Keeffe’s fear is certainly not unfounded.

Lyon has been left out of Australia’s two most recent day/night encounters – against the West Indies in Jamaica and against England at the Gabba.

His record with the pink ball is strong, taking 43 wickets at 25.62 in 13 Tests, but in his most recent day/night appearance, Lyon sent down just one over against India in Adelaide in 2024.

Grassy, seamer friendly conditions have meant Australia have opted for a four-man pace attack, as they have done this week in Gqeberha.

But the fact Lyon has been left out three times in the last 12 months based on conditions, does not mean the 38-year-old’s career is done, according to O’Keeffe.

With the series finale in Cape Town, four home Tests against New Zealand, five Tests in India and an away Ashes to come across 2026/2027, O’Keeffe believes Lyon still have plenty more Test wickets to take.

“It’s not fake outrage,” O’Keeffe said.

“I think it’s a dangerous precedent to keep dropping the spinner. I can see why they’ve done it, without question.

“I feel for ‘The GOAT’. His numbers are not tailing off. His strike rate, his average is still very good.

“Okay, his body’s ageing, but numerically, he’s still the force he was.”

Lyon’s former Australian and New South Wales teammate Moises Henriques agrees that the selection call is no reflection on the country’s most prolific ever off spinner.

“He is still the trump (card) for the Australian team,” Henriques said on Kayo Sports.

“I think if they were picking another spinner than he’d have some worries.”

WARNIE REMARK HIGHLIGHTS BOLAND COMPARISON

Many an Australian cricket fan has likened Scott Boland to Stuart MacGill.

The latter enjoyed a fine career, taking 208 wickets in 44 Tests, but he was always stuck behind the late, great Shane Warne with MacGill’s appearances coming in Warne’s absence or on the rare occasions Australia fielded dual leg spinners.

Boland’s plight has been similar.

Since his whirlwind 6/7 on debut in the Boxing Day Test against England in 2021, Boland has never been a regular.

This the 37-year-old’s 20th Test, but he has ran the drinks in 31 Tests since that unforgettable debut.

Last summer’s Ashes series, due to injuries to Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, was the only time in his career that Boland has played an entire series.

It is mind-blowing, and a testament to the quality of Australia’s ‘Big Three’ that someone who has taken 84 Test wickets at 18.2 has been relegated to the sidelines so often.

While not taking away from Boland’s brilliance, former Australian leg spinner Kerry O’Keeffe believes there is a slight caveat to the Victorian’s incredible numbers.

“He does bowl on accommodating surfaces,” O’Keeffe said on Kayo Sports.

“Shane Warne used to say that Stuart MacGill only plays when it turns. Scott Boland plays on pitches that suit him.

“Those numbers, he is the genuine article. He is elite.

“But the reason he is playing in this Test match rather than the tweaker is that the conditions are going to suit him.”

O’Keeffe’s claim is only somewhat true.

Boland has featured in Test matches in India and England on surfaces that were far from seamer friendly, while his opportunities have mainly come due to availability rather than conditions like in Gqeberha.

Former Australian fast bowler Brendon Julian said that Boland reminds him of Ryan Harris – who took 113 wickets at 23.52 in 27 Tests.

Like Harris, Boland earned his opportunities after many years toiling away in Sheffield Shield cricket.

Remarkably given how his Test career has panned out, Boland was initially regarded as an MCG specialist for his ability to extract life from what was once the most docile pitch in the country.

And the key to his ability to get the ball to talk with his use of wobble seam, is like Harris, a deceptive pace.

Do not be fooled by the speed gun being regularly in the 130s or by Alex Carey standing up to the stumps at times in the Ashes, Boland bowls a heavy ball that hits the bat, and often thigh pads, hard.

“Ed Cowan rang me when I called him just medium pace,” O’Keeffe recalled from when Boland earned his maiden Test call-up.

“He is far better than medium pace. All those who played against him in Shield when he made that Test debut endorsed that this is a Test match bowler.”

Former New South Wales captain Moises Henriques added with a laugh: “For someone who’s played a lot against him in first-class cricket, it’s been so good to see him troubling international cricketers and to go, it’s not just me!”

YOUNG BATTERS URGED TO PUT MORE ON THE BOARD

It was fitting on a day where a few of the nation’s brightest young batting talents got good scores under their belt in the Sheffield Shield, but failed to kick on to make it a statement that Moises Henriques had a strong message for the next generation.

“What can you say as a selector other than continue to score some runs? Make the decisions harder for us,” the former three-format international all-rounder said on Kayo Sports.

“Make the decisions for us, simply by weight of runs. Obviously, they’ve felt that whoever has been scoring the runs hasn’t been knocking hard enough.”

As the second round of Shield action got underway, Ollie Davies backed up his insane 253 with 52 off 58 balls, while his New South Wales opening partner Sam Konstas made a patient 71 off 142 at the WACA.

It came as Nathan McSweeney, who was running out of partners, scored a dogged 54 off 150 deliveries at the Adelaide Oval.

It was an innings that typified former Australian leg spinner Kerry O’Keeffe’s assessment of McSweeney.

“I think he’s very old school,” he said.

“He soaks up a lot of balls. He has a limited stroke range, but he values his wicket and that is the key.

“He’s a one, two or three. He can’t bat any lower than that.

“He’s an option. He didn’t get enough runs for Australia A in India, but he’s come back and got runs. So, he’s already putting something in the bank.

“They like him. They see him as a leader.”

Henriques admitted that the decision to call-up his former NSW teammate in Maddison caught him “off guard”, but stressed that the experienced crop within Shield cricket are still the most reliable to make the step up to international level right now.

Sam Harper, who Kerry O’Keeffe regarded as the best opener of last Shield season, is also in South Africa, but Henriques named three players with Test cricket experience as the ones who will be front of mind for the Australian selectors if change is needed.

The timing was fitting given one of them scored a century at the WACA on Monday.

“If you’re talking, who are your most experienced batters I can pick from to come out here and play this Test match, I think it’s Nic Maddinson, (Peter) Handscomb and Kurtis Patterson,” he said.

“They’re the three. I don’t know how Handscomb and Kurtis feel about the decision given Nic hasn’t played much Shield cricket, but for me, if you’ve got a happy and confident Nic Maddinson, you’ve got someone who can win a game for you.”

Henriques added: “Keep in mind, Nic Maddinson’s come off a hundred in the one-day game just before he went away. Scott Boland played in that game. It was a low-scoring game. The wicket was doing a little bit.”

Maddinson may need to lean on that performance against the white-ball at the Junction Oval in Gqeberha.

The early signs show that life may be tough for batters against the new Kookaburra, and like Jake Weatherald previously, O’Keeffe believes Maddinson could quickly find himself on the scrap heap if he does not rise to the challenge.

“Maddo’s expendable,” he said.

“This’ll be different gravy when he bats in this innings.

“When he batted in the second innings after the 33-ball duck in the first, they gave him width for a start. Australia had a 106-run lead, momentum in the game and no Rabada.

“It’s a different circumstance when he goes out to bat (this time). He’s good enough. We know that. His temperament is phlegmatic.

“He did a job in that second dig. He started the party and Australia rattled along at five-and-a-half an over and gave themselves plenty of time to bowl them out.”

MORE BATTING ORDER CHAT…

Following on from Kerry O’Keeffe’s comments about Nic Maddinson being “expendable”, Moises Henriques believes Matt Renshaw needs to return to opening.

“I prefer him at the top of the order,” Henriques said.

“He’s done a fantastic job at five, but he’s one of those guys that you can build a batting order around. He’s a ball soaker.

“I think for that Australian batting order, he can allow the other boys to play while he soaks up the pressure at the other end.”

But that does not mean necessarily mean Maddison should make way.

In fact, Henriques is a big believer that Travis Head should return to No.5 and dismisses any suggestions of Steve Smith batting at No.3 if Marnus Labuschagne was to be displaced.

“I like Steve at four and Travis at five,” Henriques said.

“Travis can turn the game so quickly at five.”

Usman Khawaja made no secret of the fact he would have preferred to bat in the middle order than open following his recall to the Test side during the 2021/22 Ashes.

Henriques sees similarities between Khawaja’s resurgence and Renshaw’s.

“We saw Usman Khawaja bring his Test career back on the back of his reverse sweep and his sweep when he went to Dubai against Pakistan (in 2018),” Henriques said.

“We’ve seen Renshaw here, in his second phase of his Test career, start to bring out some shots he didn’t have in his first phase.

“But there’s a big difference between just bringing a shot out because you’ve got it and bringing it out because I’ve got this shot down to an art where it’s now a safe option.

“He was able to move the ball around. The ball was spinning last Test match, but he was just able to keep their spinners under constant pressure.”

With Renshaw at the top and Smith and Head acting as key pillars in the middle, Henriques believes Australia would be well structured for their big series to come.

Henriques knows Smith well having come through the ranks of NSW cricket together, and is sure that Australia can continue to plan around the 37-year-old – who has scored 10,972 Test runs at 55.69, behind only Allan Border (11,174) and Ricky Ponting (13,378) among Australians.

Henriques stopped short of “promising” that this summer’s SCG Test will not be Smith’s last on home soil, but believes he is well-placed to extend his career beyond next year’s Ashes in England.

“I think he’ll keep going as long as he thinks he’s adding value to the cricket team,” Henriques said.

“The time where he feels like he’s not doing what he should be doing for that Australian cricket is when he’ll step away.

“I don’t think that’ll be any time soon.

“He’s obviously playing really well. He’s moving really well. Still wants it in a field, the hunger is there.”

While O’Keeffe believes that Smith and his wife Dani’s decision to relocate abroad will be a key factor in prolonging his time in the baggy green.

“Manhattan, New York has been good for him. It seems to have freshened him up,” O’Keeffe said.

“He spends a lot of time there. He loves the anonymity, but it freshens him up for hard-nosed cricket when he comes back to Australia.”