Blast from the past: Mitchell anchors SA to first Test series win in England

Today in SA sports history: August 17

1920 — Bevil Rudd lands the first of his three Olympic medals at the Antwerp Games, taking bronze in the 800m. He had gone out hard to take an early he held into the second lap, but was unable to hold off his rivals, Albert Hill of Britain and American Early Eby.

1935 — Opening batsman Bruce Mitchell scores 128 on the opening day of the final fifth Test against England at The Oval. With No.8 batsman Eric Dalton, unbeaten on 21 at stumps, going on to make 117, SA posted a first-inning total of 476. The home side responded with 534/6 declared, but the visitors stood firm in their second innings, getting to the end of the match on 287/6 after some anxious moments to earn the draw and claim their first-ever series triumph in England 1-0.

1955 — SA’s cricketers, needing 244 to win the deciding fifth Test and with it the series against England, are bowled out for 151 at The Oval. England, after two knocks of 151 and 204, won by 92 runs to claim the series 3-2.

1958 — Cape Town show-jumper Gonda Butters, the day before her 15th birthday, wins the Brighton Horse Show to underline her potential and push her winnings during three months of competition in England to £1,500 (R30,617). Her parents hired a caravan to travel from show to show on a tour that announced the youngster to the world, during which she beat experienced British Olympic riders. The teenage Butters eventually became a household name as Gonda Beatrix.

1996 — The All Blacks score three tries as they down the Springboks 23-19 in the first Test of the three-match series at Kings Park in Durban. Centre Danie van Schalkwyk was the only Bok to score a try, with flyhalf Joel Stransky kicking the conversion and four penalties.

2002 — Fullback Werner Greeff scores an injury-time try, which he also converts, to give the Springboks a 33-31 win over Australia in a Tri-Nations contest at Ellis Park. SA won the try count 5-3, with winger Breyton Paulse dotting down twice and flyhalf Brent Russell and flank Joe van Niekerk also going over.

2013 — The Springboks run in nine tries to smash Argentina 73-13 in a Rugby Championship match at Soccer City on the outskirts of Soweto. Try-scorers included captain Jean de Villiers, wing Bryan Habana and eighthman Duane Vermeulen.

2014 — Opener Hashim Amla scores an unbeaten 122 to guide SA to a 93-run victory over Zimbabwe in the first ODI in Bulawayo. SA posted 309/3 in their 50 overs before bowling out the home side. 

2019 — Captain Siya Kolisi returns to the Springbok line-up after a lengthy injury as SA beat Argentina 24-18 in a friendly in Pretoria. Winger Sbu Nkosi scored both of SA’s tries.