S Africa announce five-Test summer

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa will play three Test matches against Pakistan and two against Sri Lanka during their 2018/19 summer, Cricket South Africa announced on Monday.

South Africa will also host a total of 13 One-Day Internationals and nine Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Pakistan, who will tour South Africa for the first time since 2013/14, will play the prime holiday season Tests in December and January, with Centurion awarded the Test starting on December 26 and Cape Town the traditional New Year Test starting on January 3.

The third Test will be in Johannesburg from January 11.Pakistan will also play five One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 internationals.Sri Lanka will play Tests in Durban and Port Elizabeth in February, to be followed by five One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 internationals.

Zimbabwe will play three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 internationals at some of South Africa’s smaller cricket venues.

Cricket South Africa acting chief executive Thabang Moroe said that the scheduled 13 ODIs during the season would enable the national team to fine tune their preparations for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England.

Fixtures: Zimbabwe in South Africa: Sept 30: First One-Day International, Kimberley; October 3: Second ODI, Bloemfontein; Oct 6: Third ODI, Paar; Oct 9: First Twenty20 international, East London; Oct 12: Second Twenty20 international, Potchefstroom; Oct 14: Third Twenty20 international, Benoni.

Pakistan in South Africa: December 19-21: SA Invitation XI, Benoni; Dec 26-30: First Test, Centurion; January 3-7: Second Test, Cape Town; Jan 11-15 : Third Test, Johannesburg; Jan 19: First One-Day International, Port Elizabeth; Jan 22: Second ODI, Durban; Jan 25: Third ODI, Centurion; Jan 27: Fourth ODI, Johannesburg; Jan 30: Fifth ODI, Cape Town; February 1: First Twenty20 International, Cape Town; Feb 3: Second Twenty20 International, Johannesburg; Feb 6: Third Twenty20 International, Centurion.

Sri Lanka in South Africa: February 13-17: First Test, Durban; Feb 21-25: Second Test, Port Elizabeth; Feb 28: SA Invitation XI, Benoni; March 3: First One-Day International, Johannesburg; Mar 6: Second ODI, Centurion; Mar 10: Third ODI, Durban; Mar 13: Fourth ODI, Port Elizabeth; Mar 16: Fifth ODI, Cape Town; Mar 19: First Twenty20 International, Cape Town; Mar 22: Second Twenty20 International, Centurion; Mar 24: Third Twenty20 International, Johannesburg.