South Africa announce dates

Cricket South Africa announced a bumper itinerary for Australia’s much anticipated tour of the country next year.

The tour programme consists of three Test matches, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals.

The Tests will be played at the traditional venues of Wanderers Stadium, in Johannesburg, Kingsmead, in Durban, and Newlands, in Cape Town.

The tour starts in the second half of February and finishes in mid-April.

The opening Test gets under way in Johannesburg on February 26.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh will play two Tests at Bloemfontein and Centurion during their month-long tour of South Africa in November and the visitors will also play three one-day internationals.

The tour will begin with a Twenty20 international at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on November 5 and will be followed by three one-day internationals at Potchefstroom (November 7), Benoni (November 9) and East London (November 12).

The first Test will start from November 20 and will be followed by the second Test on November 28.

The tourists will also play a three-day match in Kimberley against South Africa A between November 15 and 17, ahead of the Tests.

South Africa trounced Bangladesh 2-0 in Tests and followed it up with a 3-0 win in the one-day series during their tour earlier in the year.