First Test, Durban (day one of five)

Scorecard

For every Leicester City Premier League victory or Emma Raducanu run in New York, there are countless more examples of sport refusing to follow the fairytale script.

On Friday morning in Durban, 34-year-old Australia batter Nic Maddinson became the latest to experience the stubbornness of the sporting gods.

Maddinson’s shock recall to Australia’s Test side is notable for various reasons, most significantly because he only returned to cricket 12 months ago.

He was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which spread to his lung and lymph nodes, in April 2025. He missed most of last year to undergo surgery and chemotherapy.

Even the most partisan of England fans would have wished him well.

But Maddinson’s return, almost 10 years after the last of his previous three Tests, was tortuous.

He faced 33 balls and did not score a run, making his duck the longest by an Australian opener in Test history – the third-longest by any Test opener.

Of the 33 balls he faced, the left-hander missed 13 and edged one – the attempted cut to Marco Jansen that crashed back on to his stumps.

He could even have been dismissed earlier. Had the Proteas reviewed an lbw shout on the 15th ball he faced, the umpire’s decision of not out would have been overturned.

Maddinson’s struggle also points to the wider issue in this Australia side.

Picking him over 23-year-old Cooper Connolly in place of injured all-rounder Cameron Green, Australia named an entire XI aged over 30 for the first time in their history.

The other new name in their ageing batting line-up from last winter’s Ashes is 30-year-old Matt Renshaw, who made his debut 10 years ago.

Dad’s Army is only getting older.

By the midpoint on day one of this highly-anticipated series, Australia were 127-6 and Renshaw the only frontline batter remaining with 37-year-old Steve Smith, 35-year-old Alex Carey and a trio of 32-year-olds in Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne and Beau Webster all dismissed.

Labuschagne, who actually batted well for 37 before falling lbw to Wiaan Mulder to the last ball before lunch, has now gone 44 Test innings without a Test century.

Before this Test, legendary former Australia opener Matthew Hayden said Australia’s selectors were “disrespecting first-class cricket” by picking Maddinson.

Because of his cancer treatment, Maddinson’s only domestic matches since March 2025 have come against the white ball.

Even Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg had to defend the lack of succession planning during the lunch interval.

“Clearly our selectors have a firm view he is a talent and that is why they picked him,” Greenberg told SEN.

“I understand why there has been debate but I am not going to sit here and get into selections.”

This Test is the third in Australia’s possible 21 before the end of next summer’s Ashes – an unprecedented pile-up of fixtures that includes this tour against the world Test champions, a four-Test home series against New Zealand, a five-Test tour of India, a possible World Test final and the latest contest with England.

At 36, 35, 33 and 38, Australia’s bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon are all closer to the end than the beginning.

They have been a great side. Not everyone gets to live that fairytale.