Share

Proteas fielding 'embarrassing'

Pretoria - South Africa's fielding bordered on the embarrassing, said vice-captain AB de Villiers after the world's number one team were dominated for the third straight day by Australia in the first Test on Friday.

SA v Oz - Day 3 as it happened

Australia were 288 for three in their second innings at the close of play, a huge lead of 479 runs.

Dropped catches and sloppiness in the field were unwanted features for South Africa as they walked off having seen opener David Warner make 115 and Alex Doolan 89.

"It felt almost embarrassing," batsman-wicketkeeper De Villiers told reporters. "It was not an easy outfield but we were way below our standards.

"The way we fielded and bowled showed no intensity and that's not like us. We are very much in trouble."

De Villiers, who top-scored with 91 in the first innings, is hoping the home team can still clinch a face-saving draw.

"If we can deal with the bounce generated by the Australian fast bowlers we could cause an upset or still draw this test match," he said.

"We can't show any weakness. We have to be prepared to get hurt...once you have no fear you play a lot better."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2247 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE