Proteas in Australia
Rain halts Proteas charge
2012-11-10 08:28
Rain falls at the Gabba (AFP)
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Brisbane - The entire second day's play in the
first cricket Test between Australia and South Africa was washed out in
Brisbane on Saturday.
Match officials called the day's play off at 08:00 (SA time) after the pitch remained under covers throughout the day.
The
last full day's wash out at the Gabba ground was back on November 29,
1983 on the final day of Australia's second Test with Pakistan.
South
Africa went to Friday's first day stumps at 255 for two with Hashim
Amla not out on 90 and Jacques Kallis on 84 after winning the toss.
The
Proteas suffered a significant blow overnight with confirmation that
batsman JP Duminy was out of the three-Test series with an Achilles
injury.
The lower-order batsman was warming down by kicking a
rugby ball around with teammates on the Gabba playing field after stumps
when he suffered the injury.
Duminy's loss poses an immediate
problem for the Proteas, who went into the first Brisbane Test without a
recognised spinner after preferring seamer Rory Kleinveldt to
leg-spinner Imran Tahir in an all-pace attack.
Duminy's off-breaks
would have come in handy to add balance to the South African bowling
attack, which will be spearheaded by Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander,
Jacques Kallis and Kleinveldt.