Zondo admits Aus tour has been tough, but Proteas far from downbeat despite hammerings

Proteas batter Khaya Zondo admitted the Australian tour hasn't been kind to them, but said their spirits haven't been dampened by their disappointing displays.

One of them was their fourth-day showing at the Sydney Cricket Ground where on Saturday, Australia held the Proteas down to 149/6 in response to their 475/4 declared.

The Proteas required a further 127 runs to make their hosts bat again and Zondo, along with Temba Bavuma, was one of the batters who was able to show some fight.

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Zondo said the tour hasn't been an easy one, but also admitted that teething processes like this trip are necessary to make them better cricketers.

"It hasn't been the greatest of tours, but as a team, we're still in high spirits and guys are learning," Zondo said.

"Yes, it has been difficult, and the small things aren't going our way, but we're still growing and pushing.

"You don't see too many dull faces and one of the things when a team isn't doing well, which leads to infighting, that's something we're not having at the moment.

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"Cricket can work like that sometimes and you go through patches. You learn from them, and seasoned internationals have also had slumps.

"You can't run away from them. They're part of the growth process."

The Proteas' abysmal batting displays over the past year have again raised the double question of the effectiveness of SA's domestic system and the Proteas' Test cricket exposure.

Zondo, a seasoned First-Class competitor who has dealt with travails few other cricketers have dealt with, hoped there can be more Test cricket for the Proteas.

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