PERTH: Australia’s barren run in limited-overs cricket continued on Sunday as South Africa recorded a six-wicket victory in the first one-day international.
And the latest defeat was slammed by legendary former Baggy Green Shane Warne.
Speaking after Australia were bowled out for 152 in 38.1 overs in their first international at home since the infamous ball tampering incident during a test match in Cape Town in March, the spin king said the current climate in the Australia camp wanted to “make him vomit.”
He criticized Cricket Australia’s new “buzz words,” saying that they are nothing more than “verbal diarrhea.”
Photos of a number of slogans painted on the changing room walls at the team’s Perth training complex, including one saying “elite honesty”, were mocked on social media.
Warne said: “Forget all the words, forget the verbal diarrhea and all that sort of stuff. That’s just rubbish.
“Seriously, it makes you want to vomit. At the end of the day, cricket is a simple game and it’s a performance-based game.”
The defeat to South Africa is Australia’s seventh in a row and the Baggy Greens have now lost 17 of their past 19 ODI matches.
Chasing a measly 153 to win, South Africa openers Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks both missed out on half centuries before South Africa reached the target for the loss of just four wickets with more than 20 overs to spare.
Marcus Stoinis grabbed 3-16, but not before both South African openers had featured in a productive 94-run stand.
Fast bowlers Andile Phehlukwayo (3-33), Dale Steyn (2-18) and Lungi Ngidi (2-26) ran through Australia’s batting after South Africa captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to field.
“Exceptional with the ball and in the field, a very good day in the office,” du Plessis said about his team’s performance. “Brilliant to have Dale back. It’s good to have that x-factor in your bowling attack.
“I’d have liked us to be a little more clinical, (a victory by) maybe eight, nine wickets but we’ll take the win.”
Steyn did the early damage when he had Travis Head and D’Arcy Short dismissed in his second over while Phehlukwayo and Ngidi struck at regular intervals.
South Africa were clinical in the field with du Plessis taking a sharp two-handed catch in the slip to dismiss Short.
“Disappointed, didn’t play anywhere near our potential,” new Australia ODI captain Aaron Finch said.
“South Africa put us on the back foot early... we were a bit careless at times and were off the mark slightly.”
Spin king Shane Warne slams woeful Aussies after defeat to South Africa
Spin king Shane Warne slams woeful Aussies after defeat to South Africa
Proud dad Zinedine Zidane watches Algeria beat Sudan 3-0
- Former Real Madrid legend Zidane watches his son Luca keep a clean sheet in the Algeria goal during the Africa Cup of Nations match in Rabat
- Riyad Mahrez scores twice for Algeria, one of the tournament favorites, who move top of Group E
RABAT, Morocco: France great Zinedine Zidane watched his goalkeeper son’s safe hands as Algeria started its Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 3-0 win over 10-man Sudan on Wednesday.
Riyad Mahrez scored twice and the 20-year-old Ibrahim Maza scored his first international goal for Algeria, one of the tournament favorites, to move top of Group E.
“The most important thing was to start with a win,” Mahrez said. “The last two AFCONs, we didn’t start good. Today, we really wanted to make it happen and we did.”
Zidane, who was at the sweet-smelling Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat to see his son Luca Zidane playing in the Algeria goal, was feted by the crowd every time he was shown on the big screens.
Luca Zidane opted to represent his grandfather’s country after getting the Fennec Foxes’ invitation and he’s been given his chance to shine because of an injury to Alexandre Oukidja, who might have been expected to start otherwise.
Algeria wasted little time Wednesday with Mahrez sweeping in the opener in the second minute after unselfish play from Hicham Boudaoui to set him up.
Zidane was called into action shortly afterward to deny Yaser Awad on a break.
Sudan had to play all its qualification games away from home because of the near 1,000-day old civil war ravaging the country.
Though the Algerians looked confident and played with intensity, the big chances fell at the other end, with Zidane saving again from Awad before Abdel Raouf fired over.
Salah Adil was sent off just as the rain began to fall shortly before the break with his second yellow card for a foul on Rayan Aït-Nouri, who would have been through otherwise.
But the Algerian fans, who were in a majority, needed to be patient.
Mohammed Amoura produced a brilliant cross with the outside of his boot for Mahrez to score in the 61st, and Baghdad Bounedjah headed the ball into Maza’s path for the substitute to complete the scoring in the 85th.
Drama in Casablanca
Edmond Tapsoba completed a remarkable turnaround as Burkina Faso scored two goals in stoppage time to beat 10-man Equatorial Guinea 2-1 in the early Group E game.
Tapsoba’s team had pushed hard for the opening goal after Basilio Ndong was sent off early in the second half for a bad challenge on Bertrand Traoré’s ankle.
Marvin Anieboh then stunned the Stallions when he launched himself at Carlos Akapo’s cross to score with a looping header in the 85th minute.
Georgi Minoungou equalized in the fifth minute of stoppage time and Tapsoba headed the winner three minutes after that.
Later Wednesday in Group F, defending champion Ivory Coast began its title defense against Mozambique in Marrakech and five-time champion Cameroon opened against Gabon in the coastal city of Agadir.
