Dippenaar to lead South African Invitation XI

Boeta Dippenaar has been named captain of a South African Invitation XI for the four-day warm-up match against the New Zealanders in Bloemfontein, which begins on October 25.

The South African board was forced to select an Invitation team, instead of an A team as originally planned. "The one-day international team is in Pakistan. We have a team playing in the Hong Kong Sixes and players from the Highveld Lions are not available because they have a match against Zimbabwe," Joubert Strydom, the convenor of selectors, told the Johannesburg-based Sunday Times. However, Strydom said that the board would announce a "fully fledged" A team for the second warm-up match scheduled for next week in Potchefstroom.

Monde Zondeki and Lonwabo Tsotsobe have been included on the back of their performances in the domestic season, which has just begun. Zondeki has remodelled his action, which reaped rewards in its first unveiling, as he took a five-wicket haul in Cape Cobras' draw against Titans. Tsotsobe, the Warriors left-arm seamer, took a career-best 7 for 39 in the drawn match against the Lions.

South African Invitation XI:
Boeta Dippenaar (capt), Morne van Wyk, Imraan Khan, Ahmed Amla, Davey Jacobs, Zander de Bruyn, Thami Tsolekile (wk), Thandi Tshabalala, Monde Zondeki, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Yusuf Abdullah, Ethy Mbhalati (12th man).