South Africa provide hints to WTC25 Final batting line-up in warm up fixture against Zimbabwe
New Delhi [India] June 6 (ANI): South Africa's batting line-up for the World Test Championship Final has been hinted at through their warm-up exploits at Arundel, with Wiaan Mulder emerging as the likely No.3 to take on Australia at Lord's, according to the ICC website.
Mulder batted in the third spot against Zimbabwe in their final hit out ahead of the June 11 final, though only made 26 before falling lbw to Tanaka Chivanga.
After losing Aiden Markram for 13 early in the day, the Proteas batting unit picked up through half-centuries from Ryan Rickelton (62), Temba Bavuma (58), and Tristan Stubbs (58) to eventually post 313/2, retiring several players to give others batting time in the middle.
With head coach Shukri Conrad all but confirming Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton to stand at the top of the order, the No.3 spot will fall to Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs or Mulder, with the three also against David Bedingham for spots further down the order.
De Zorzi made 28 before being retired batting at No.6, though, should they turn out with a similar make-up from the warm-up game, de Zorzi would likely be the unlucky player to miss out.
Mulder could shoulder an increased bowling workload should the pitch be as fast-bowling friendly as predicted, and assuming spinner Keshav Maharaj is picked to help the quicks.
Despite the murmurs, and considering Mulder's role in the side, batting coach Ashwell Prince kept his cards close to his chest.
'At the moment, the best way to prepare for us as a squad is to keep all possibilities open,' Ashwell said.
'We don't know what the surface is going to look like when we get there. Should it be a case where he's required to do that job, we want to make sure that he's at least had some sort of preparation, but we don't know whether he's going to be required to do that, because we haven't had a look at the surface.'
'We'll only be able to tell when we get there,' he added.
Mulder is yet to bowl in Zimbabwe's innings, with the side led by Craig Ervine resuming on day on 48/1 from 11 overs. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
35 minutes ago
- Hans India
Any time I bowl in England I'm reasonably confident, says Hazlewood ahead of WTC Final
New Delhi: Ahead of Australia facing South Africa in the World Test Championship final, fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood said he always feels reasonably confident while bowling in Tests in England and added that he will increase his pace in the run-up to the one-off clash starting at the Lord's on June 11. In 12 Tests in England, Hazlewood has picked 52 wickets at an average of 26.07. The fast bowler took five wickets in his most recent match at the Lord's, which happened during the 2023 Ashes series against England. "Any time I bowl in England, I'm reasonably confident. I've had some good tours here over the last 10 years, and Lord's in particular. I haven't lost before at Lord's yet as a player, certainly in red-ball cricket for sure, and we have had a couple of good wins there over the years." "Today is sort of post-flight and just to get moving. I will probably nail down a few more overs tomorrow and then over the next few days, tick a lot of boxes,' Hazlewood told ICC on Saturday. Hazlewood hasn't played a red-ball game since he featured in the third Test against India at The Gabba in December 2024 due to a calf strain. Then seamer Scott Boland took over and went on to pick a 10-wicket haul against India at Sydney. This means that there's a toss-up between Hazlewood and Boland for the third seamer's slot at Lord's. What does help Hazlewood's case is Hazlewood that he arrives in London on the back of some overs under his belt while winning IPL 2025 for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, including overcoming a minor shoulder niggle. "I ticked over some good overs just before the (IPL) Final in Ahmedabad in different weather than this, and it was quite a tough session. And then obviously, every time you play a game in the IPL, you're probably going to get almost seven or eight overs in, if you really want to." 'So in and around with warm-ups, and obviously the four overs in the game. And we bowled second a lot of the time in IPL, so that was sort of two warm-ups, so you can squeeze in overs here and there, and things are going pretty well." "Everyone looks in good shape. We've all been in different parts of the world playing or training over the last couple of months, so it's good to get everyone together and catch up with everyone yesterday and the day before and get all on the same page moving forward," he concluded.
India Today
39 minutes ago
- India Today
WTC Final: Nathan Lyon counting on Australia big game experience against South Africa
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon is banking on his team's wealth of big-match experience as they prepare to face South Africa in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025. The highly anticipated summit clash begins on June 11, with South Africa eyeing their first-ever ICC title in red-ball who has been in outstanding form throughout the WTC 2023–25 cycle, has taken 66 wickets in 16 matches at an impressive average of 24 — the most by any spinner in the cycle. While acknowledging the strength of South Africa's batting line-up, Lyon believes Australia's experience in high-pressure games could prove enter the final not only as defending WTC champions, but also as a team loaded with players who have won the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup. 'Having the experience of the guys who have won two (50-over) World Cups and T20 World Cups, and obviously the World Test Championship final a couple of years ago — that experience and that pressure in those big games, it's on our side, isn't it? But it doesn't mean anything when you come to the game,' Lyon told the ICC ahead of the final.'South Africa have got some world-class batters, and they've obviously got some unbelievable bowlers as well, so it's going to be a good challenge — and obviously, it's a one-off Test match,' he de Villiers on WTC Final: South Africa will beat AustraliaadvertisementWhile Australian bowlers are accustomed to the Kookaburra ball — which they used to beat India in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy — the WTC final will be played in England using the Dukes ball. Australia last used the Dukes during the 2024 Ashes, which ended in a 2-2 draw, allowing them to retain the urn.'It's going to be a different challenge with foreign conditions and the Dukes ball. It's going to be the two best bowling attacks going at each other, which is another exciting thing. So, it's going to be a good challenge for all batters,' Lyon concludedMust Watch
News18
41 minutes ago
- News18
Moody Believes AUS Have Edge Over SA In WTC Final: 'That Winning Mentality...'
Last Updated: Tom Moody believes Australia excels in high-stakes matches, giving them an edge in the World Test Championship final against South Africa on June 11 at Lord's. Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody asserts that over the years, Australia has consistently excelled in high-stakes matches, elevating their game ahead of the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa. The match between South Africa and Australia, vying for the ICC's prestigious mace, will commence on June 11 at Lord's. South Africa is striving to secure their first ICC trophy in over two decades, while Pat Cummins-led Australia aims to retain the mace they won after defeating India in the previous WTC final at the Oval in June 2023. Moody remarked on Star Sports, 'The Australians have built that reputation through consistent success in major tournaments. When it comes to ICC events, Australia somehow elevates their game to another level as a team. They genuinely embrace the challenges of tournament cricket and thrive under the pressure of these high-stakes matches. 'It's also about confidence. Historically, many of their players have won multiple ICC tournaments, and they've grown up watching previous generations achieve the same success. That winning mentality is ingrained in them." In the past two years, the Proteas have enjoyed an impressive run in ICC events. They reached the ICC Men's World Cup semi-final, the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final, the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final, and now the ICC WTC final. Moody believes Australia has a slight edge over South Africa due to their greater experience in high-pressure situations. 'You need to trust your instincts and ensure you block out the negativity of not having played Test cricket for several months or suddenly playing in England with completely different conditions. That's the essence and beauty of Test cricket: the ability to adapt and respond as needed. Both teams are likely aware of this, but I think Australia has a slight advantage due to their experience in more big matches compared to South Africa in recent years," he commented. (with IANS sources) About the Author Cricketnext Staff First Published: June 07, 2025, 14:41 IST
