Blast from the past: Ntini’s on fire in second Test against England

Today in SA sports history: August 3

1947 — Sheila Summers scores a double victory at the invitation lawn tennis tournament in Lausanne as she captures the women’s singles and mixed doubles crowns. She beat the more fancied American Doris Hart, the runner-up at Wimbledon who went on to win a career Grand Slam of singles titles, 6-3 2-6 6-2. Then she teamed up with countryman Eric Sturgess to beat Nancy Bolton of Australia and Italian Gianni Cucelli 4-6 6-4 7-5 in the doubles. Sturgess had lost in the men’s final to Cucelli, 6-4 4-6 7-5 6-4.   

1996 — Joel Stransky scores all of SA’s points as the Springboks beat a dominant Australian team 25-19 in a Tri-Nations match in Bloemfontein. Stransky scored his side’s only try, converted it and added six penalties.

2003 — Makhaya Ntini takes 10 wickets as the Proteas smash England by an innings and 92 runs in the second Test at Lord’s for a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Captain Graeme Smith had scored 259 and Gary Kirsten 108 in SA’s first innings of 682/6. Ntini took 5/75 and 5/145 as SA bowled out England for 173 and 417 in their two knocks.

2012 — Chad le Clos, last with 25m to go, produces his trademark kick to steal a share of the Olympic 100m butterfly silver medal behind Michael Phelps at the London Games. The American won in 51.21 sec, with Le Clos and Russian Yevgeny Korotyshkin touching in 51.44.

2013 — Chad le Clos scoops a rare feat as he wins the 100m butterfly crown at the world championships in Barcelona to add to the 200m ’fly title he’d won a few days earlier. Only one man had achieved the 100m-200m butterfly double at a world championships before — legendary Michael Phelps, who was in retirement at the time.

2015 — The Proteas’ two-Test series in Bangladesh ends in a 0-0 draw after weather ravages the second five-dayer in Mirpur. More than six days were lost between the two Tests.