Newlands

Because after years of knocking on the national test team door, and years of selection near misses, Chad's one and only test came amid a storm of controversy.

Australia this weekend returned to test match cricket in South Africa for the first time since Sandpapergate, the 2018 Newlands test that reserve bowler Chad was immersed in before earning his baggy green in the very next test as the drama exploded.

Hey, Chadd Sayers, welcome.

Thanks for joining us, mate.

Yeah, I think I'll know every time they tour South Africa, um, and what dates they're playing-

[laughs]

... at Newlands, that's for sure.

Jeez, I wa- it was an incident that completely enveloped the country, didn't it? The fallout was huge for individuals and for, I guess, our country's reputation really, but how often now do you get asked about it, like, and, and everything around it in your day-to-day life? Does it come up often?

How does it work, Jeremy?

Well, John, this harks back to March 2018 when we had what was called Sandpaper Gate, where the Australian team had an international five-day test there in Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa.

And during the test, one of our illustrious camera crew members on the Australian camera crew was panning the camera across the field and happened to zoom in on a particular fielder, Cameron Bancroft, who seemed to be doing something strange while he was holding the ball.

And alas, John, as you've alluded to, it turned out that Cameron was actually rubbing sandpaper on one side of the cricket ball.

It is cinema.

So I'll tell you why I said cinema because I was about to say that the cameraman at Newlands Stadium in 2018 for the third test between Australia and South Africa.

2018. yes they deserved to win a Palme d'Or at Cannes because it was cinema not an Oscar a

full on for a man who watches literally zero cinema I'm impressed that you know what Palme d'Or is I know what a Palme d'Or is

It was one all.

It was the third test.

It was being played at Newlands in Cape Town.

South Africa was in a big lead, right? I think there were like 100 or more having lost very few wickets with a lead from the first innings.

especially returning Australia to South Africa for the first time since 2018, as I mentioned in the introduction, what happened there with Cape Town and Sandpaper Gate and all that stuff, and no doubt talk about that, as I said, as this preview progresses.

But before we do that, Jihan, let's reacquaint ourselves and everyone who may be watching and listening um with the schedule of this series it's only a three game series in the month of october uh the first test will be in durban and kings mid uh that's on the ninth and the second test will be in saint george's park which is in quebec formerly known as port elizabeth that's on the 18th of october and then the third and final test Ironic that it's at Cape Town and Newlands on the 27th of October.

So that's the last test of the series.

Quite ironic in terms of what happened back in 2018.

Um-

Springboks in, Springboks in Newlands was, was where I have my, my, my fondest of memories, nighttime memories.

I think that might be before my time.

[laughs]