St George’s Park to host Aussie test
SOUTH Africa will play a four-test home series against Australia for the first time since readmission next summer, with Port Elizabeth hosting the second match at St George’s Park in March next year.
Australia’s tour will end a bumper 2017-18 season in South Africa that could feature as many as 13 tests.
With the Bangladesh and Australia itineraries confirmed‚ South Africans now await the schedule for India’s visit in the first half of the summer.
That tour is also expected to feature four tests.
Success against the Australians and the Indians holds important implications for South Africa’s test ranking.
“Australia are the No 2-ranked team on the table and we will need to beat them and India to regain our place at the top of the table‚” CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said.
The Australia series starts at Kingsmead on March 1 and is scheduled to end at the Wanderers on April 18‚ which coincides with the Easter weekend. The Port Elizabeth test will be contested from March 9 to 13.
That could prove an interesting experiment as the size of crowds for Boxing Day tests at Kingsmead and St George’s Park have disappointed.
Should the Wanderers see a better turnout, an argument could be made for moving tests during holiday periods to the Highveld. Australia tour itinerary: February 22 to 24: SA Invitation XI‚ Benoni March 1 to 5: First test‚ Kingsmead March 9 to 13: Second test‚ St George’s Park March 22 to 26: Third test‚ Newlands March 30 to April 3: Fourth test‚ Wanderers