Boland’s double-strike the highlight as rain ruins day one in Gqeberha

Well, that is a disappointment for all of us hoping for some cricket this evening (and anyone who has just boiled the kettle).

Play has been abandoned for the day with just 12.2 overs possible on the opening day.

That was enough time for Scott Boland to do what Scott Boland does and take two wickets to leave South Africa 2-20.

Temba Bavuma (4) and Marques Ackerman (5) are the not out batters overnight, Ackerman sleeping on his first runs in international cricket, which will make him feel pretty good about himself.

Well, from Dean and I, that’ll do us I expect.

Having checked the weather forecast I am even less optimistic about there being play tomorrow than I was today, but we’ll cross that soggy bridge when and if we come to it.

For now though, get some beauty sleep and we’ll catch you back here on Monday night from 5:30pm AEDT.

Good evening.

I don’t wish to be premature, but I feel like it’s time to call it.

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And there have been no checks from the umpires – for the aforementioned reason.

There is still time left in the day before they call it, but I am not overly hopeful.

There’s nothing I like better than a classic cricket ground, and St George’s Park definitely fits that bill.

St George’s Park is the oldest Test venue in South Africa, hosting the 31st Test in history back in March 1889.

It was the first Test to ever be held outside of Australia or England and just the seventh Test venue ever used after the MCG, The Oval, Lord’s, SCG, Adelaide Oval and Old Trafford.

England won that first Test by 8 wickets, the match finishing inside two days.

England were the first four opponents to play at the ground, and won all of those matches, which were played in 1896, 1914 and 1949.

Australia played there for the first time in 1950 and won by an innings and 259 runs, Arthur Morris (157), Neil Harvey (116) and Lindsay Hassett (167) all scoring big in their first innings total of 7-549 declared.

Keith Miller than took 4-42 to help bowl the South Africans out for 158, before they were bowled out again following on for 132.

South Africa won their first match at the ground in 1954, beating New Zealand by 5 wickets and, in 1957, beat England there for the first time by 58 runs.

The lowest team total ever scored at the ground was 30 all out by South Africa against England in 1896, with the next lowest coming much more recently, Zimbabwe bowled out for just 68 in 30.1 overs in 2017, and Bangladesh falling for 80 in 2022.

Herschelle Gibbs’ 196 against India in 2001 is the highest ever score at the venue, while Keshav Maharaj possesses the best innings figures of any bowler in recent years with a 7-40 against Bangladesh in 2022.

I have already noted to Dean that rain delays are incredibly dangerous for the amount of food that I eat during them.

We are approaching a critical moment, I think…

Might be good to capture the rain, but I wonder whether they will be able to read the values without emptying it.

Plus the water would play havoc with the cork pads.

No, not the cricketers, these players.

The players have taken tea, so there will be nothing doing til at least half past the hour.

But it seems like a good tea to  take, because it’s still raining.

I, for one, applaud their spirit.

Much like the band that played as the Titanic sunk beneath the waves, staying positive and keeping spirits high as one’s feet get damp is essential.

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I think I’m feeling the Mordialloc Maestro more to be honest.

But seeing as cricket looks about as far away as it’s been all day, let’s open it up to the floor….

He’s not an official member of CLASH but Scotty Boland probably would be in just about every other Test team.

As Ric Finlay notes, Boland’s start in Test cricket can be considered among the very best of anyone in terms of wickets taken.

He is only 10 wickets behind Captain Pat at the same stage of his career.

Makes you feel sorry for him to an extent – a man born in the wrong era given the stability and longevity of those ahead of him in the pecking order.

It is not been the first time this has been asked of me tonight. But yes, in the name of maintaining good relations between the two countries throughout this series I can indeed make that sacrifice.

Not really. Still raining, big covers still on, no real sign of any progress at the minute.

There are still technically three and a half hours from which we could get some more cricket tonight, and so we continue to wait.

On a similar note for the longest time, I always thought young Patrick Cummins was going to be the great random old man story of our generation. Back when his injuries kept him from playing and he only had that one Test to his name.

“Let me tell you the tale of a boy called Cummins. Or maybe it was Cummings, nobody really knows for sure. They say he played just one game in South Africa as a wee lad, either 13 or 18 years old, depending on who you ask. It doesn’t matter. He bowled liked the wind, faster than Thommo but on Lillee’s line and length. He took a million wickets, he hit the winning runs, he won man of the match… and then he disappeared. Never to be seen again. They say Jacques Kallis still sees his baby face in his nightmares.”

Anyway yeah, Scott Boland’s good. And it’s raining again.

This really is the worst sort of weather for cricket. The on and off really does make for the worst days, especially for a batting side who are on a hiding to nothing.

It looks moderately heavy now and the big covers are coming out. Time to once again play the waiting game.