Webster into the South African fray after Top End 'speed bumps'

Beau Webster is only a few days into his first visit to South Africa, but already the allrounder has had enough to keep him occupied.

A few days after landing in Johannesburg and bussing it across the Highveld to Potchefstroom, Webster was fielding under lights for Australia's ODI team in an unmarked jumper following injuries to Cameron Green and Matthew Renshaw.

With Jack Edwards having also picked up a hamstring niggle in the previous match, it would not have been out of the realms of possibility that the Tasmanian could have fulfilled his wish to make a white-ball debut for Australia. As it happened, his role was strictly confined to that of substitute. 

The morning after that ODI series finale, not long after Webster finished batting in the NWU Oval's nets, it was revealed Green, the Test team's other allrounder, was in some doubt for next week's series opener due to a lower abdominal strain. Renshaw was cleared of any damage.

After Green starred in two Tests against Bangladesh in August, there had been gathering momentum over another allrounder in Cooper Connolly following some solid ODI performances against Zimbabwe and South Africa. With murmurs of a turning Durban surface, Webster had in some corners been flagged as dispensable.

But now, if Green were to miss, Australia's seam-bowling, off-spinning, middle or lower-order batting allrounder might be anything but. "I haven't given it too much thought at the moment in terms of the line-up," he said on Thursday before the severity of Green's injury was confirmed.

"We obviously want Cameron out at his 100 per cent capacity. He's fantastic and coming off a great series up in Darwin and Mackay. So hopefully he's here with all guns blazing.

"I'm just trying to get myself ready and get myself at a point ready to go when we turn up to Durban in that first Test. Whether or not I play, it's not up to me. But I'm doing everything I can to be ready and make sure I can contribute."

For selectors dealing with injuries to Green and reserve wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis (who has a broken finger and will not return until the second Test at the earliest), Webster's redeeming trait is his versatility as they attempt to make sense of their remaining pieces.

Connolly and Nic Maddinson are now the middle-order alternatives if Green's abdominal strain sidelines him from resuming his No.5 spot for the Kingsmead Test. Picking both and punting Marnus Labuschagne, who selectors had previously not locked in at No.3, in a Green-less XI would be an extremely bold move.  

Green pulling through would then leave a decision to be made between picking only two of Labuschagne, Connolly and Webster. Connolly had been flagged as a possible candidate to bat at No.3, though Webster's spot at No.7 would be more familiar.  

Connolly's case would also appear to be strengthened if they are presented with a turning Durban surface, particularly with his left-armers offering a counterpoint to Nathan Lyon's off-breaks.

But Webster's own more-than-useful off-spinners could work in his favour. "I'm happy to do anything, if it's bowl spin, if it's bowl seam, bat anywhere," he said ahead of the weekend's tour game against a Cricket South Africa XI.

Webster was among those throwing balls at Labuschagne on damp practice wickets on which only spin was deemed safe to face. Steve Smith, having landed in South Africa two days earlier, instead hit up in the indoor nets against Michael di Venuto's throw-downs.

Webster, whose only previous experience playing in Africa is a T10 tournament in Zimbabwe, was upbeat as he comes off a lean series in the Top End, recording 12, 5 and 0 while failing to take a wicket. It marked just about the first occasions in which he had not made a notable contribution with either bat or ball since his debut in January 2025.

In the Test immediately before that, the Ashes series finale in Sydney, Webster hit 73no and took three wickets with his off-spin after carrying the drinks for the first four Tests.

"I would have liked some runs up there (against Bangladesh), no doubt," said the 32-year-old who has since played two one-dayers for Tasmania and is not long removed from a 403-run County Championship stint with champions Warwickshire.

"You want to contribute and get big scores, and it wasn't to be for me. I had three hits and three failures. That's the way the game goes. I still feel like I'm hitting the ball really well.

"Confidence is still high and I feel like I've got plenty to add to this group.

"I think the more experience you have, the better you deal with little speed bumps, I suppose. That's what it was – three hits and not many runs is a little speed bump.

"It's easy to start thinking that you're out of form or whatnot. But I look back to my winter in England and probably my last Test before that, I had a really good one and contributed really well with both bat and ball.

"So just being able to stay nice and level-headed (is important)."

Qantas tour of South Africa 2026

All matches to be broadcast exclusively in Australia on Kayo and Fox Cricket

Warm-up match: October 3-4, JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom, 6pm AEST (10am local)

First Test: October 9-13, Kingsmead Stadium, Durban, 6:30pm AEDT (9:30am local)

Second Test: October 18-22, St George's Park, Gqeberha, 7pm AEDT (10am local)

Third Test: October 27-31, Newlands, Cape Town, 7:30pm AEDT (10:30am local)

South Africa's first Test preliminary squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (second Test onwards), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster