Kyle Abbott

David Warner said he needed to be dropped from Test squad following his pub brawl with Joe Root during which the Aussie landed a punch at the Englishman.

South Africa's Kyle Abbott took a hat-trick as Hampshire beat Gloucestershire by six wickets on Friday to maintain their challenge for English cricket's County Championship title. Gloucestershire, bottom of the First Division table, were 316-5 in their second innings at Cheltenham and threatening to deny the visitors a win when former Proteas quick Abbott, 35, struck either side of the lunch interval.

Faf du Plessis has tasted enormous success in all formats of the game. While he has played numerous knocks that have helped South Africa cross the finish line over the years, the one innings that's often been spoken about is his Test debut ---against Australia in Adelaide in 2012.

The end of the Kolpak system in England will be a major boost for South African cricket’s attempts to keep its best talent at home in a more competitive domestic scene, according to seam bowler Kyle Abbott. South African cricketers have been major beneficiaries over the years, signing lucrative contracts with English counties that automatically disqualified them from representing the national team.

The decision to rest Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma backfired badly as India were precariously placed at 145/6 at stumps on Day 2.

The Chevrolet Knights ended the first day of their Sunfoil Series match against the Sunfoil Dolphins trailing the visitors by 167 runs with eight wickets in hand at Bloemfontein.

South Africa pacer Kyle Abbott said that longer India batted, the better it will be for his side to save fourth Test as they would then need to bat lesser number of overs.

"Husband to a gorgeous wife, father to a beautiful daughter and a passionate Proteas cricketer," is how the Twitter profile of South Africa batsman Rilee Rossouw reads.

Rohit's 62-ball century set South Africa a formidable target of 200 and gave India the kind of performance they needed to come up with after being put to bat.

The end of Kolpak deals offers South African cricket the chance for an injection of much-needed experience and talent into the domestic game that should provide more depth for the national team.

South Africa on Thursday received a setback ahead of the second Test with pacer Vernon Philander being ruled out for rest of the series

South Africa will play two four-day Test matches against both opponents as well as a triangular ODI series which will consist of two matches each against both Australia and India followed by a final.

Experienced opener Imraan Khan struck a measured century to spearhead the Sunfoil Dolphins to their second Momentum One-Day Cup win of the season as they overcame the Nashua Titans by four wickets at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, in Durban, on Friday.

In the County Championship Division One match between Somerset and Hampshire, Shoaib Bashir was initially saved from being bowled out due to a towel dropping from Kyle Abbott's trousers, causing distraction. The umpire ruled it not out, but Bashir was dismissed LBW three balls later. Somerset concluded their innings at 136 runs.

There was some good news for the visitors after allrounder JP Duminy was declared fit to play after recovering from a finger injury sustained during the third ODI.

India face a formidable South Africa in their final World Twenty20 warm-up game on Saturday, a contest which promises to be a tough test of the hosts' strengths before the tournament's main draw begins on March 15.

As with all ICC tournaments, South Africa enter as contenders but their success at the 2016 World Twenty20 rests more on their ability to not choke.

Buoyed by their overwhelming victory against arch-rivals Pakistan in the opening game, India will aim to turn the tables when they meet a formidable South Africa in the World Cup on Sunday.

Hashim Amla scored an unbeaten fifty to guide South Africa to a win in their final match of the ICC World T20 against Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Monday.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith on Tuesday said his country will welcome back former Kolpak players willing to be part of the domestic structure as he sees it as a possible way to provide more depth to the national team.