Victoria XI v SA, warm-up Review: Hashim Amla and Tabraiz Shamsi shine for Proteas

South Africa lost the first match of their tour to Australia after the visitors were beaten by a Victorian XI in their 50 over day night tour game as a part of their final preparation for the last Test against Australia at Adelaide.

Chasing 258, the visitors ended their 50 overs at 205/4 with Hashim Amla scoring an unbeaten 81 while Dean Elgar scored 40. The Proteas were originally scheduled to play a two-day warm-up game but decided against it and opted for a one-dayer under Test rules to travel to Adelaide a day earlier.

Visiting skipper Faf du Plessis, who is facing an ICC hearing for an alleged ball tampering in the 2nd Test at Hobart won the toss and elected to bowl and eventually spent enough time in the middle to get used to the conditions ahead of the Pink ball Test at Adelaide starting next week.

Left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi bolstered his chances of representing the national side in whites after picking up 4/72 in 12 overs. Kagiso Rabada also bowled impressively finishing with figures of 3/37. The left-arm spinner had bamboozled the Aussies in an ODI last October and was delighted to see some of the Australians struggling to pick few of his deliveries.

“That’s a theory going around – you can’t necessarily say it’s a given thing, it’s not a proven thing,” he said.

“I’m really happy with the way I’ve gone personally against them. Hopefully it continues.” Shamsi said the tourists had adapted well to the pink ball and were happy ahead of Adelaide. “Some people say there are difficulties seeing it, but I think the guys have done enough practice with it, just to pick it up, So it’s not too bad.”

“We’ve had enough practice with it and we’re happy to move forward, “the left-arm spinner concluded.

Meanwhile, South Africa have already wrapped up the 3 match Test series against Australia having won the first two Tests quite comprehensively at Perth and Hobart.

Brief scores:

Victoria XI – 258/10 (45.2) (S Gotch – 53, M Short – 52, T Shamsi – 4/72)

South Africa – 205/4 (50) (Hashim Amla – 81*, Coleman – 2/26)