Blast from the past: Mwelase bobs and weaves his way to Commonwealth gold

Today in SA sports history: March 25

1889 — In only their second Test match, SA are annihilated by England in Cape Town, losing by an innings and 202 runs. Batting first, the visitors scored 292, with opener Bobby Abel officially becoming the first batsman to make a century against SA, top-scoring with 120. The match, scheduled for three days, was over inside of two, with SA being bowled out twice for 47 and 43. Only Fred Smith reached double figures for SA in the second innings, scoring  11 off 28 balls. That would remain SA’s heaviest Test defeat until 1950.

1907 — SA-born Andrew Jephtha becomes the first boxer of colour to win a British boxing title when he knocks out Curly Watson, the British Empire and English welterweight champion, in the fourth round of their scheduled 20-rounder at Mile End in London. Jephtha, who boxed in Cape Town from 1895 to 1901, furthered his career in England, but suffered a detached retina in one of his ring wars. Fighting too soon after undergoing surgery to correct the problem didn’t help, and he ended up going blind.

1972 — Brenda Kirk and Pat Pretorius fight back to give SA a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in the final to claim the Federation Cup at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. This was the first time a country other than Australia and the US had won the competition since it started in 1963. The first singles match ended inside an hour as No.1 Pretorius lost to English star Virginia Wade 3-6 2-6. In the second singles contest Kirk was in trouble against Winnie Shaw, down 2-4 in the second set having lost the first set. But “Spider”, as Kirk was known, hit back to win the match 4-6 7-5 6-0. Kirk and Pretorius, who were both born in Rhodesia, teamed up for the deciding doubles showdown, beating Wade and Joyce Williams 6-1 7-5. Straight after the triumph, Kirk said: “I never drink, but tonight is party night! You name it, I’m going to drink it.” 

1972 — Brenda Williams becomes the first SA woman to score a Test century as she makes a match-saving 100 in the second innings on the second day of the final third Test against New Zealand at the Wanderers to wipe out a 95-run first-innings deficit. Lorna Ward took the third fifer of her career, taking a career best 6/48 in New Zealand’s first innings. The match ended in a draw on the final third day, with the visitors winning the series 1-0. 

2006 — Bongani Mwelase becomes SA’s first Commonwealth Games boxing champion of the post-isolation era when he outpoints Mahimal Viljender of India 33-26 in the welterweight final in Melbourne. The triumph also made Mwelase SA’s first black Games boxing gold medallist. He might have achieved Olympic success too, but instead turned professional soon afterwards. Meanwhile, Viljender went on to win India’s first-ever Olympic boxing medal, a bronze, at the 2008 Beijing Games.

2006 — Also at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, hurdler LJ van Zyl ran the final leg of the 4x400m relay. He took the baton in fifth place and gave chase, but came out of the final bend boxed in. So Van Zyl, who had won the 400m hurdles crown a few days earlier, moved to the outside on the home straight to overtake rivals from Jamaica, England and Nigeria and secure the silver medal for SA. 

2015 — Bafana Bafana beat Swaziland 3-1 in a friendly in Mbabane. All four goals came in the second half. Thulani Hlatshwayo headed in the first, with  Thabo Mnyamane netting the second before Felix Badenhorst pulled one back for the hosts. Substitute Mandla Masango scored SA’s third in the 86th minute.

2017 — Bafana Bafana score from two penalties as they beat Guinea-Bissau 3-1 at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban. Kermit Erasmus and Andile Jali scored from the spot, while Percy Tau was the only SA player to score in open play. Aldair scored for the visitors.