1993 — Dingaan Thobela loses the WBA lightweight crown he’d won a few months earlier in his first defence, being outpointed over 12 rounds by Russian Orzubek Nazarov in Johannesburg. He said later he had an altercation with his promoter, Gerrie Coetzee, a few hours before the fight, during which the former world heavyweight champion struck him in the face.
1998 — Jacques Kallis scores an unbeaten 113 as the Proteas, on 240/7, smash Sri Lanka by 92 runs on Duckworth-Lewis in Dhaka to advance to the Champions Trophy final. Steve Elworthy and Pat Symcox took three wickets each.
1999 — The Springboks’ World Cup campaign ends in heartbreak as they lose a try-less semifinal to Australia 27-21 after extra time at Twickenham. South African flyhalf Jannie de Beer had slotted two penalties in the final minutes of regulation time for South Africa to draw the match 18-18. But two penalties and a drop by the Aussies to a single De Beer penalty condemned the Boks to the third-place play-off. Australia went on to win the title.
1999 — Captain Hansie Cronje scores an unbeaten 60 on the second day of a one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein to depose Gary Kirsten as the country’s top-scorer in the five-day format, lifting his career tally 3,525. He added four more runs the next day. Kirsten had claimed the mark in the previous Test in March.
2005 — Herschelle Gibbs scores 81 to help the Proteas to a four-wicket win over New Zealand at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, giving the home side an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-ODI series. South Africa reached the 244 target with four deliveries remaining, aided by a late flurry from Justin Kemp, who scored 30 not out off 19 balls, and Shaun Pollock with an unbeaten 21 off 14.
2011 — Cri-Zelda Brits scores 50, but the South African women, totalling 118/2, lose the third T20 against England in Potchefstroom by seven wickets, going down 0-2 in the series.
2013 — Wayne Parnell stars with bat and ball to help the Proteas down Pakistan by one run in the first ODI in Sharjah. Batting at eight he top-scored with 56 to lift the Proteas to 183. Then he took 3/41 and Imran Tahir 3/45. Morne Morkel bowled the final over, conceding just one single before taking the final wicket with three balls remaining to finish with 2/23.
2015 — The Springboks beat Argentina 24-13 in London to finish third at the World Cup. Wing JP Pietersen and lock Eben Etzebeth scored South Africa’s two tries, with flyhalf Handre Pollard landing one conversion and four penalties.
2021 — Matthew Sates becomes the fourth South African to win top male swimmer of the World Cup series, finishing less than three points ahead of American veteran Tom Shields on the overall rankings. Sates joined Chad le Clos, winner of the series four times from 2011 to 2017, Cameron van der Burgh, champion on three occasions from 2008 to 2015 and Ryk Neethling, twice from 2004 to 2006. Sates achieved success across all four galas in Berlin, Budapest, Doha and Kazan, winning the 200m and 400m freestyle three times each, the 200m individual medley on three legs and the 100m and 400m on two.
2022 — David Miller scores 59 not out and Aiden Markram 52 as the Proteas, needing 134, beat India by five wickets at the T20 World Cup in Perth. Lungi Ngidi took 4/29.
2024 — Tony de Zorzi, resuming on 141, scores 177 and Wiaan Mulder 105 not out as South Africa declare their first innings of the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram on 575/6.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.