Stephen Cook struck a second-consecutive half-century as the South Africa A team ended Day Three of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Four-Day match against India A with a 184-run, second innings lead with six wickets in hand at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom on Monday. They are one-nil up in the two-match series.

It was a patience game by Cook who returned unbeaten for 55 off 162 balls (seven fours) as the home side posted 138/4 at the close. He and Andile Phehlukwayo (29*) put on 50 runs for the fifth wicket, after they had lost Aiden Markram (19), David Miller (18), Jason Smith (0) and Heinrich Klaasen (5) cheaply up front. 

Argentina is a proud rugby nation and will be determined to reverse the result in Port Elizabeth when the two teams meet again in Salta on Saturday, according to Springbok flank Jaco Kriel.

The Springboks opened their Castle Lager Rugby Championship account on Saturday with a 37-15 triumph over the Pumas in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, scoring four tries in the process. The sides meet again this weekend, this time on Argentine turf in Salta. 

Kyle Simmonds starred with bat and ball as the Powerade South Africa Emerging team sealed an emphatic, 88-run win over Zimbabwe ‘A’ and with it a 3-0 sweep of their One-Day Series in Harare on Sunday.

The young all-rounder first plundered an unbeaten century – he made exactly 100 (81 balls, 11 fours, 2 sixes) – to help the tourists post 290 all out at the Sports Club. 

Opening batsmen, Ravikumar Samarth and Sudip Chatterjee shared a 106-run partnership, giving India ‘A’ a solid foundation in response to the South Africa A team’s 322-run, first innings total on Day Two of the second and last four-day match in Potchefstroom on Sunday.

Samarth and Chatterjee scored 77 and 46 runs respectively, with Shreyas Iyer adding an unbeaten 74-ball 56, leaving the visitors on 181/3 at stumps and the match on an even keel. 

Stephen Cook and Aiden Markram shared a firm, 167-run opening stand to give the Powerade South Africa ‘A’ team a good start on Day One of the second and last four-day match at Senwes Park on Saturday. The hosts are one-nil up in the two-match series.

Braving the biting cold weather in Potchefstroom, the pair did well to see off the new ball on a tough batting wicket after electing to bat first. Cook, who was unlucky to miss out on what would have been a well-deserved century, fell on 98 (205 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) to Shahbaz Nadeem after Markram’s 73-run innings (145 balls, 6 fours, 1 six) was halted by Krishnappa Gowtham five overs prior. 

SA Schools coach Lance Sendin attributed his team’s 52-22 defeat against England at City Park Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday to missed opportunities and lapses in concentration on defence. The defeat left the team winless in the U19 International Series.

Errors at crucial times, missed tackles and the inability to capitalise on their point-scoring chances - which let the team down in their matches against Wales and France - continued to haunt the SA Schools team, despite a call by Sendin on Friday for a vastly improved showing from his charges.

Yaseen Valli’s maiden century paved the way for the Powerade South Africa Emerging team to seal their three-match, One-Day series against Zimbabwe ‘A’ with a narrow 15-run win in the second game in Harare.

The visiting struck an unbeaten 133 (143 balls, 10 fours) to lead his side to an imposing 330/4 after winning the toss and batting at the Harare Sports Club.