Starc picks up four as Australians warm up with win

The Australians began their tour of South Africa with a five-wicket win in the one-off three-day warm-up match against South Africa A in Benoni.

Shaun Marsh (39*) guided the team across the line in the final session on Saturday, 24 February, after Duanne Olivier shook the top order with 4/74 in 12.3 overs.

Tim Paine, who had a good game behind the stumps, gave Marsh company with 17*. Steve Smith, however, was the only other batsman to get at least 25 runs.

“Nice to have a little chase in the end and have to put the foot down to step up the rate and get close in the end,” said Mitchell Starc, who finished with 4/46 in the second innings, after the match. “It was a good three days and a lot of the guys will take heaps out of it.”

Earlier in the day, the South African batsmen braved some fiery bowling from Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Beginning the day on 55/0, they lost quick wickets to be reduced to 71/3. Shaun von Berg and Malusi Siboto added a rollicking 81 from 64 balls for the eighth wicket, pushing the total to an eventual 248.

Apart from Starc’s second-innings effort, Pat Cummins picked up 4/32 in the first innings, and Australia will be pleased with their pacers’ performance going into the first Test in Durban on 1 March.

Starc himself appreciated the chance to get used to conditions, considering he hasn’t played Test cricket in South Africa before. “It’s been good for the body, good to get a couple of wickets and I’m one of the ones who hasn’t played any red ball cricket here. So, it was nice to have a good three days.”

Brief scores: South Africa A 220 in 58.5 overs and 248 in 72.5 overs (Zubayr Hamza 28, PJ Malan 34, Khaya Zondo 27, S Muthusamy 34, Shaun von Berg 52, Malusi Siboto 32; Mitchell Starc 4/46, Mitchell Marsh 2/35, Steve Smith 2/22) lost to Australians 329 in 90.4 overs and 140/5 in 29.3 overs (S Smith 25, Shaun Marsh 39*; Duanne Olivier 4/74) by five wickets.