Cackling Australians all around them … never mind the Proteas players, their South African compatriots in the Test commentary booths have also probably had to deal with the phenomenon for a few weeks.
Under the circumstances, the visiting pundits like Shaun Pollock (he's known hardship Down Under, as skipper in the 0-3 whitewash of 2001/02), Ashwell Prince and others have mostly struck the right balance between sympathy and realism in their work behind the mic for SuperSport.
I don't include co-international Morne Morkel as a "visitor" because he is now mostly Aussie-resident … although his infusion to commentary in the series has seen him emerge as a positive, surprise package.
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Not customarily the most verbally animated of characters, the unassuming beanpole quickie has nevertheless been an asset for his intelligent, calm observations, qualities that are always a good foil for whoever is on "lead" and likelier to be more prolific for words.
Morkel will have found the lopsided series quite painful watching, considering his stellar role in the preceding bilateral series on our soil in 2017/18, when he signed off majestically from Tests with 15 wickets at 19.6 in the 3-1 SA triumph.
Pollock has confirmed his astuteness on technical and procedural aspects of the Test game, while Prince has been typically, often agreeably blunt … such as sharply criticising wilting SA body language in the field soon after tea on day two of the final Test: "You have to try (harder) to stay strong in the mind after only one and a half days of a match …"
Everything has been pulled together, in SuperSport terms, with typical polish and professionalism by neutral anchoring figure Mark Nicholas, even if he is clearly under "instruction" to punt the upcoming SA20 at every conceivable opportunity.
I suspect "Nicko" has been influential, too, in coaxing to the SA booth at times personalities like Ian Botham (due in SA soon on wine business; no bombshell there!) and Merv Hughes.
Rob's Awesome Foursome:
1 Cricket: Australia v South Africa, third Test, Sydney, to Sunday 01:30, SS Grandstand, SS Cricket & CSN
The Proteas' backs were depressingly to the wall already when this was penned, after two weather-plagued days' play at the SCG … to the extent that a clean-sweep-sparing draw seemed their best and only remaining option, really.
For those hoping to see some highly overdue SA mettle at the crease - assuming there hadn't already been disastrous events during day three! - the weather prospects looked reasonable for Saturday and Sunday.
I feel some sympathy for the beleaguered tourists, having lost the toss on all three occasions in the series, they went in with two spinners here so it was a blow right at the start that they had to bowl immediately when conditions traditionally favour the trade much less.
If there's to be any chance of Dean Elgar's side holding out, the ground's recent track record - draws in each of the last two Tests, featuring India and England respectively - is some cause for statistical optimism.
2 Soccer: Manchester City v Chelsea, FA Cup, Manchester, Sunday 18:30, SS Premier League
It might be an unorthodox season due to the lengthy Qatar jamboree distraction, but this is the conventional time of year for the FA Cup to get serious - with the advent of the big dogs' entry in the third round.
While games featuring minnow sides against leading Premier League lights remain attractions in their own, romantic way, the standout strength-versus-strength fixture is Sunday's all-Blues duel at the Etihad Stadium.
League champions City will be keen on a good Cup run, given that retaining the title seems a tough ask with Arsenal's present progress at the top, but they're up against last season's losing finalists to Liverpool. Chelsea will seek to go one better this time.
How strongly the sides commit their best troops will be interesting to gauge, given the fixture squeeze for the remainder of the campaign, but I wouldn't anticipate too many second-stringers in either instance.
Holders ‘Pool are at home to Wolves on Saturday (22:00 SA time).
3 Rugby: Connacht v Sharks, United Rugby Championship, Galway, Saturday 19:15, SS Grandstand, SS Rugby & CSN
Games in Galway are reliably eventful … and much of it has to do with tempestuous weather at the exposed coastal Irish venue. (It is the wettest and probably windiest place in a famously damp country.)
Surprise, surprise, a strong wind and solid precipitation were in the pipeline when I last looked for this clash.
It is Connacht's best ally against the in-form tourists from KwaZulu-Natal, who are used to monsoon-like rain themselves, though generally when the temperature is altogether more tropical.
On a spirit-soaring sequence of five wins across competitions, Neil Powell's charges should take some stopping, regardless of the conditions tossed their way.
I see them winning by a tight margin (maybe not with a bonus point) against the weakest-firing, again, of the Irish quartet … expect an engrossing enough arm-wrestle on the night.
4 Soccer: Richards Bay v Mamelodi Sundowns, DStv Premiership, Umlazi, Friday 19:30, SS PSL
Are Sundowns heading inexorably to an unbelievable sixth consecutive league title?
A glance at the current table strongly suggests as much, especially as they've returned from the World Cup break already fuelled by 2-0 victories over each of Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows.
The Brazilians have an ominous seven-point cushion over nearest challengers SuperSport United, but at least for neutrals there's some possibly of a stall - or maybe just a partial one - to their progress at King Zwelithini Stadium in a game that kickstarts the current round.
That's because they tackle relatively unfashionable but high-flying (in third) Richards Bay, who don't score many goals - less than one a game so far! - but have an amazingly steely defence statistically and are on a long unbeaten run stretching back to late August.
Against that backdrop, I'll wager they hold ‘Downs to a 0-0 or 1-1 type of outcome here.
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
