Maddinson's No.1 fan keeps him grounded during Test recall

Amid the disappointment following his 33-ball duck on Test return, a brutally honest comment from his son August brought Nic Maddinson thundering back to earth.  

"I saw you got out and all the stumps fell over. It was really funny," was the feedback three-year-old 'Augie' had for his father the morning of day two.

Maddinson said he couldn't help but laugh along with his oldest child after feeling the pressure of being back in the national spotlight following a recall not even he initially saw coming.

"That lightens the mood a little bit," Maddinson, playing his first Test since 2016, told Fox Cricket prior to day five in Durban.

"When you're away from family, you can get caught up in a little bubble sometimes.

"And when you feel like you're under a bit of pressure from missing out in the first innings, you realise that at the end of the day I'm just really lucky to be here and to try and make the most of that opportunity in the second innings."

Maddinson said speculation that selection chair George Bailey had told him he would play in Durban before leaving Australia was false, confirming he found out on Thursday, the day before the match.

Given a wave of online criticism for his selection in the Test, the 34-year-old has made an effort to stay off his phone while in South Africa.

Except to call home, of course, which Maddinson did once again after his second-innings 48.

The NSW captain hit six fours and two sixes in his whirlwind knock, which spanned across the end of day three and the beginning of day four.

In direct contrast with the first innings, he got off the mark with his first ball, a pull shot off Proteas opening bowler Marco Jansen.

"Going out there I was just thinking I've got to get bat on this, regardless of where it is," Maddinson said.

"And luckily, I got a bit of a loosener first up from the big fella … which was a huge relief for me."

As Maddinson neared the first Test half-century of his career, an Anrich Nortje in-swinger spectacularly ripped out both the middle and leg stumps.

But August, who was glued to the TV at home in Byron Bay, was satisfied with his dad's performance.

"Yeah, he was pretty happy," Maddinson said. "All he cares about is when you hit sixes.

"And he got another bit of a laugh that two stumps fell out this time."

In this Test Maddinson is playing his first first-class match since March 2025 after battling, and overcoming, testicular cancer.

He played three Tests in 2016 and admitted that we doubted he would ever pull on the Baggy Green again.

Qantas tour of South Africa 2026

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

First Test: Australia won by 214 runs

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 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