There will be fewer Australians in the crowds in South Africa during the Test series, writes Peter Lalor in the Sunday Telegraph.

The sight of a lonely Luke 'Sparrow' Gillian waving the flag alone at Australia's first game in South Africa is an indication of just how bad things are. With Australian cricket. And the economy.

Sparrow has been following his beloved cricket side since the mid-1990s and has seen them play 150 Tests. The founder of Waving the Flag is usually surrounded by hundreds of like-minded fans who have signed up for his budget tours. At the height of Australia's success he had 250 people following the 2004 Tests in India. This week in South Africa, it is Luke and Luke alone.

In the Sunday Age David Hussey, the Australia one-day international, writes about the Victorian bushfires and how they have affected people.