1960 — Willie Toweel fights for the last time in his career, taking on rising star Emile Griffith at Madison Square Garden in New York. Griffith won on an eighth-round technical knockout. After Griffith had killed opponent Benny Kid Paret, Toweel, who had killed his friend Hubert Essakow in 1956, wrote a letter to the American encouraging him to continue. Griffith, who took consolation from that missive, went on to fight 337 world championship rounds, more than any other boxer.
1988 — Harold Volbrecht knocks out Phumzile Madikane in the 11th round at Sun City in a record 19th defence of his South African welterweight title. That’s the most defences by any national champion at any weight. Volbrecht won the white South African title in 1976 and in 1978 he defeated black national champion Morris Mohloai for what was called the unified Supreme title. But racially divided titles were scrapped in 1979 and Volbrecht carried on as the South African champion until retiring in early 1989 with a points win over Canadian Dewith Frazer.
1995 — Hansie Cronje takes 4/33 as the Proteas, bowled out for 239, beat Zimbabwe by 112 runs in the final second ODI in Harare to take the series 2-0. Jonty Rhodes scored 53 and Adrian Kuiper 50.
2000 — Nicky Boje scores 64 and Gary Kirsten 57 as the Proteas chase down the 195-run target to beat New Zealand by six wickets in the second ODI in Benoni and take a 1-0 lead in the six-match series.
2001 — Neil McKenzie hits an unbeaten 131 and Gary Kirsten 124 as the Proteas smash Kenya by 208 runs in a triangular tournament ODI at Newlands. Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher made an unbeaten 51 from 20 balls as South Africa amassed 354/3. Charl Langeveldt took 4/21.
2010 — JP Duminy strikes 129 from 117 balls and AB de Villiers 109 off 99 as the Proteas amass 399/6 before thrashing Zimbabwe by 272 runs in the final third ODI at Willowmoore Park in Benoni for a 3-0 series victory. That was South Africa’s biggest margin of victory in a limited-overs international. The top contributor in the visitors’ 127 was Tatenda Taibu on 28.
2011 — Eight years after winning his first world crown, Hank McGregor finishes first in the K1 marathon over 30.1km in Singapore in 2hr 16 min 11 sec, one second ahead of Petr Jambor of the Czech Republic and two seconds in front of Hungary’s third-placed Mate Petrovics. McGregor’s countryman Shaun Rubentstein, himself a former world champion, was fourth (2:16:19).
2015 — AB de Villiers’ 112 from 107 balls isn’t enough as the Proteas lose the fourth ODI against India in Chennai by 35 runs. Chasing 300, too few of South Africa’s batsmen scored runs, with Quinton de Kock second-best on 43.
2016 — Masabata Klaas takes 3/32 as the South African women bowl out New Zealand for 130 on their way to winning the sixth ODI in Paarl by five wickets.
2017 — Faf du Plessis scores 91 off 67 balls at Buffalo Park in East London as the Proteas beat Bangladesh by 200 runs in the third ODI for a 3-0 series victory. Quinton de Kock made 73 and Aiden Markram 66 to help push the South African total to 369/6.
2019 — Theunis de Bruyn’s 30 is the highest score in South Africa’s second innings as they are bowled out for 133 to lose the final third Test against India in Ranchi by an innings and 202 runs, suffering a 0-3 series whitewash. South Africa failed to bowl out India once during the series.
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