Second Test: South Africa v Australia at St George’s Park
Australia and South Africa meet in the second Test of the Qantas Tour of South Africa at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, with the match running from October 18 to 22. First ball is at 10am local (7pm AEDT). Australia lead the series after winning the first Test in Durban by 214 runs.
How to watch and listen
In Australia, all matches in the series will be broadcast exclusively on Kayo and Fox Cricket. Radio listeners can tune in to ABC and SEN, both of which are covering the series. Live scores will be available through the Match Centre.
Post-play news and reactions will be published on the official Cricket Australia website and the CA Live app. The Unplayable Podcast will also release a new episode after each day’s play, with hosts Josh Schonafinger and Louis Cameron recapping the action and talking points from South Africa. Past episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeart Radio.
Session times
The session times below are from the first Test, and the extra 30 minutes are available to complete the daily overs. The first session runs from 10am to 12pm local (7pm to 9pm AEDT), the second from 12:40pm to 2:40pm local (9:40pm to 11:40pm AEDT), and the third from 3pm to 5pm local (12am to 2am AEDT).
Full series schedule
After the second Test, the series moves to Newlands in Cape Town for the third Test, running from October 27 to 31. Play starts at 7:30pm AEDT (10:30am local).
Team news
South Africa have made just one change to their large squad from the first Test. Tristan Stubbs has been dropped after one match to make way for in-form ODI star Matthew Breetzke, who scored a century against Australia in the one-day series in Durban. Breetzke has two Tests to his name so far. Kyle Verreynne will hand the gloves to Ryan Rickelton, while Tony de Zorzi remains unavailable with a hamstring strain. All bowlers have been retained, and Kagiso Rabada is firming for a return.
Australia have recalled Josh Inglis to the squad after he briefly returned home to Perth with a broken finger. He appears to be ticking all the boxes in his return to full fitness. The big watch is Cameron Green, who is recovering from an abdominal strain and racing the clock to be fit for the second Test.
Possible XIs
South Africa are expected to welcome back Rabada, which would be a major boost for the home side in what is a must-win Test. Rabada’s return would likely see Anrich Nortje make way. Nortje delivered some hostile spells and some excellent deliveries, but he was carrying a heavy workload in his first red-ball match in more than three years. With Verreynne and Stubbs out of the top seven, Marques Ackerman and Breetzke are set to fill the vacant spots. Ackerman, a 30-year-old top-order batter, has dominated domestic cricket for the past few seasons and recently scored a double century for South Africa A.
The hosts’ decision to pick two spinners was the major talking point before the first Test, but it backfired as both Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj proved largely ineffective. Harmer could be the unlucky one to make way if South Africa retain Nortje or opt for another seamer, with Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch and Dane Paterson all in the squad.
Australia’s team in Durban was built on a strong recovery. The side slumped to 6-124 in the first innings but then dominated the rest of the match. Every player outside the locked-in top order contributed runs, with Nic Maddinson making 48 and Beau Webster an unbeaten 39 in the second innings. Matthew Renshaw dominated with 190 and 82. While Green and Inglis will push their cases, an unchanged line-up looks the safe assumption, especially with Green not yet at full capacity.
Players to watch
Kagiso Rabada is box office and should return to the South Africa XI. His inclusion will give the Proteas attack a much-needed spark, and he is never afraid to get into the face of his opponents. His Test strike rate is phenomenal, taking a wicket every 39.5 balls, and it has been even better over the past four years at 36.6. He also has a sensational record against Australia, with 58 wickets at 21.39, including nine wickets (match figures of 9-110) in last year’s World Test Championship final.
Alex Carey took another classic catch in Durban, a one-handed grab off Josh Hazlewood that broke a crucial partnership in the final innings. He has enjoyed brilliant form with the bat over the past 24 months but has now gone nine Test innings without passing 30. He will be as desperate as anyone to spend some time in the middle.
Local knowledge
St George’s Park has been the most spin-friendly Test venue in South Africa since the Covid pandemic, with spinners taking 40 wickets at 22.77 compared with pace’s 35 wickets at 34.17. This match, however, is uncharted territory for the ground. It is the earliest Test cricket has been played in the southern summer in Gqeberha, and the first Test here between mid-April and mid-November. Over the past decade of first-class cricket between September and November, pace bowlers have averaged a wicket every 26.94 runs, compared with 32.05 for spin.
Australia have had mixed results at the ground, with three wins and four losses from seven Tests. South Africa hold a two-match winning streak over Australia here, winning by 231 runs in 2014 and by six wickets in 2018.
Form guide and World Test Championship
The loss in Durban was the first under Temba Bavuma‘s captaincy and only the second in the past 10 Tests for the World Test champions. Australia have now won 11 Tests since the 2025 World Test Championship final, with their big win in Durban adding to that run.
South Africa’s first Test defeat saw them drop below New Zealand into third place on the standings. Even so, their 2-0 series win over India has put them in a strong position to qualify for the 2027 decider, with plenty of home Tests still to come. Australia need to keep banking wins. They have started strongly, but dropped games against South Africa, New Zealand or India would see them slide down the rankings.