Blast from the past: Benni blitzes four goals in 21 minutes against Namibia

Today in SA sports history: February 16

1952 — The Springboks finish off their tour of the UK and France unbeaten in all Tests as they down France 25-3 in Colombes. The visitors scored six tries, with winger Paul Johnstone dotting down twice and legendary skipper Hennie Muller going over once. It was their second biggest margin of victory after the 44-0 drubbing of Scotland in their opening Test of the tour.

1966 — Jeppe Girls’ High pupil Ann Fairlie clocks the fastest 110-yard backstroke time in SA as she beats Olympic silver medallist Kiki Caron of France in an invitation gala at the Hillcrest swimming pool in Pretoria. Fairlie was timed at 69.1 sec, just 0.4 outside the 68.7 world record Kimberley schoolgirl Karen Muir had set in England the previous year. Caron, runner-up in the 100m and 200m backstroke events at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, had just arrived in the country for a series of galas that would also feature Muir and Olympic champion Cathy Ferguson of the US.

1996 — Gary Kirsten hits a record 188 not out in SA’s opening World Cup match against the United Arab Emirates in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, guiding his team to a crushing 169-run victory. His effort made him the top-scoring South African in a one-day international, eclipsing the unbeaten 169 hit by Dave Callaghan against New Zealand at Centurion in December 1994. It remains to this day, with Faf du Plessis having come closest with 185 against Sri Lanka in February 2017. 

1998 — Benni McCarthy scores four goals in the opening 21 minutes to give Bafana Bafana a 4-0 victory over Namibia in their final African Nations’ Cup group match in Burkina Faso. McCarthy’s hat-trick, which came in the 19th minute, was the first for SA. To date he remains the only South African to have scored an international hat-trick. The win was also sweet revenge, having lost to Namibia in a friendly the previous month.

2019 — In a gripping finale, Sri Lanka edge the Proteas by one wicket to take a 1-0 lead after the opening Test in Durban. Chasing 304 for victory, the visitors seemed in trouble at 226/9, but an unbeaten 153 by Kusal Perera and tail-ender Vishwa Fernando’s six not out got them over the finish line on the fourth day. 

2019 — Behind on the judges’ scorecards, Dee-Jay Kriel knocks out Carlos Licona to win the IBF strawweight crown in Los Angeles. Kriel, who moved to Las Vegas to further his boxing career, had only three amateur fights, which he lost. He also lost his professional debut in 2014.