Nic Maddinson made a 33-ball duck after capping off an extraordinary return to cricket from cancer by winning selection as an opening batsman in Australia’s team to face South Africa at Kingsmead.
It was at times difficult to watch Maddinson as he struggled for timing against the new ball in the hands of Proteas new ball pair Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder, who both found a modicum of swing.
Nic Maddinson bats on day one.Getty Images
Maddinson was fortunate when he was struck on the pads by Mulder on his 15th ball, the inswinger shown to be hitting leg stump but the hosts not reviewing the not out decision because they had suspected an inside edge.
Travis Head then departed early, touching a ball down the leg side. By reaching his 33rd ball without scoring before he dragged Jansen back onto the stumps, Maddinson chalked up the third-slowest duck by an opener in Tests – behind the modest duo of Darrin Murray (39 balls for New Zealand against Sri Lanka in 1995), and Zimbabwe’s Trevor Gripper (36 balls against West Indies in 2000).
Only time will tell whether the long duck will be Maddinson’s most memorable moment on this tour, but it will do little to quell the surprise of many that he had been chosen in the first place.
Australia are 2-39 from 15 overs.
