Former Proteas skipper trumps his heroes in Aussies' first hit-out

Neil Brand was not the South Africa captain Australia's all-star bowlers would have envisaged giving them grief on this tour. But the 30-year-old who led his country in a dark hour two years ago was the talk of the Aussies' first day in the field ahead of their three-Test campaign.

Brand, who skippered a makeshift Proteas team on a 2014 New Zealand tour while first-choice players instead played in the SA20, notched a commanding 152 to underpin the Cricket South Africa Invitational XI's valiant first-day effort in the Potchefstroom tour match.

The hosts reached 7-318 by stumps in the low-key, two-day affair serving as Australia’s main red-ball warm-up for the series beginning in Durban next week. The Aussie top-order will get their chance to respond on a dead-flat NWU Oval surface on Sunday.

Not to diminish the efforts of Brand - who pounded three of his five sixes off Beau Webster in a late flurry - but on a spectrum between 'glorified centre-wicket practice' and 'Test-match intensity', Saturday's action was very much skewed towards the former.

Cummins cycled through 11 different bowlers, most sticking to pre-allocated workloads, while two local North West University students, Callum Appolis and Luyolo Phakade, filled in as extra fielders. The match does not have first-class status.

The Australians did not wear their Baggy Greens, players cycled on and off the ground regularly, while the only ambience were Three Doors Down, Vance Joy and Neil Diamond covers radiating from a stage at a nearby Afrikaans primary school hosting a music festival.

Nathan Lyon, who took 1-31 from 14 overs in a promising enough outing, spent as much time asking Brand for feedback on his ball flight as he did actually bowling to him. "He was just asking me if he's getting good shape on the ball," said Brand. "I was like, 'Mate, you're probably the best spinner ever – I don't know why you're asking me'.

"Someone like Nathan Lyon speaking to you while you're batting is awesome. He's someone I've always admired as a cricket player … He's a really nice guy and hopefully I can have a beer with him after the game."

Lyon's spin sidekick Matthew Kuhnemann was also tidy, particularly in his first spell after lunch, as he makes a case to play on what has been touted to be a turning Kingsmead wicket.

"Everyone had a good bowl-out, the fielders had 90 overs (on their feet), fast bowlers and spinners got enough out of it, it was good hit out," said Kuhnemann.

"Me and Nathan had a good (bowling) session yesterday as well, so back-to-back days, (we have got) probably 30 overs under our belts in the last couple of days. It was really nice"

Despite the at-times casual approach from Australia, Brand's 174-ball hand was a more-than-useful demonstration of how to take on their champion quicks on a placid surface.

The 30-year-old left-hander, who pulled Cummins for consecutive boundaries during the opening session, ticked the scoreboard over consistently through the warm afternoon before saluting his ton in the final session.

A dropped one-handed chance by Steve Smith at mid-wicket, when Brand was on 66, marked the only chance he offered the Australians.

"There's a lot of heroes in that team there for me, so it's nice to play against them," said Brand, who has not played international cricket since his Test debut as captain in the two-match series against NZ in 2024.

"They're a world-class bowling unit and have got the best batter in the world in Steve Smith as well. So it's awesome to be on the same field as him.

"It's a great opportunity that I've been given here and really thankful that I could have taken it today. I've worked really hard over the winter on my batting. I feel mentally in a much better space now (than when he captained South Africa)."

Brand admitted he held conflicting emotions about his brief time leading South Africa.

"Obviously it was a tough series for us and for our country with everything going on with the SA20," he said. "It took me some time to get over that.

"It was a massive honour ... but it took a lot out of me and took me some time to get over that. I'm very passionate about my country and in a way we feel like we let them down. I'm in a better space now."

Despite his quick scoring, Brand largely kept the ball along the carpet for the bulk of his four-and-a-half hour knock. But after saluting his ton, he teed off in dying light, Webster copping the brunt of the damage until the allrounder dismissed him with the last ball of the day.

Just about the only sideways movement Australia's five seamers found all day was some final-session reverse swing from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, though by that stage the ball was soft and Brand was set.

Australia, having pre-arranged to bowl first, took to the field wearing a mixture of floppy hats, ODI and training caps on the strip two over from the one used for Wednesday's third ODI.

The CSA XI top order took few risks. Captain Lesego Senokwane, the team's Test-capped player, edged Josh Hazlewood to Marnus Labuschagne at first slip, while a searing Cummins yorker smashed Tshepang Dithole on the foot.

There was virtually no assistance for Australia's spinners either, though both Lyon and Kuhnemann made second-session breakthroughs.

The 75-run stand between Brand and Jorich Van Schalkwyk was broken by Cooper Connolly when the latter was bowled aiming a paddle, while Michael Neser ended an 81-run union when he trapped Jean du Plessis lbw with the second new ball.

Matthew Renshaw, still recovering from a blow to the hand from the ODI series, did not take to the field and instead faced throw-downs in the nets. Cameron Green likewise remains on ice, with the allrounder in considerable doubt for the first Test after straining his abdomen.

Sam Harper shook his jet-lag by running drinks after the back-up wicketkeeper's dash from the Australia A series in Puducherry to replace injured back-up keeper Josh Inglis.

CSA Invitational XI for tour match against Australia: Lesego Senokwane, Tladi Bokako, Neil Brand, Wilco de Bruin, Jade de Klerk, Tshepang Dithole, Jean du Plessis, CJ King, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Jiveshan Pillay, Joshua Richards, Ntando Soni, Jorich van Schalkwyk

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