Blast from the past: Schultz scythes through Sri Lanka’s batsmen

Today in SA sports history: September 10

1938 — With the series already wrapped up, the Springboks lose the third and final Test against Britain as they go down 16-21 at Newlands. The visitors won the try count 4-3. With World War 2 a year away, this was the last time the Boks played a Test until 1949. That meant a few greats in the team never had full international careers, such as 28-year-old hooker Jan Lotz, one of the try-scorers that day, as well as winger DO Williams, 25, and scrumhalf Danie Craven, 27. Prop Boy Louw, another legend, was already 32.

1960 — Police sergeant Daan Bekker fights for the Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medal at the Rome Games, but his dreams of making history end early when he is stopped in the first round by Italy’s Francesco de Piccoli. Bekker, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, had at least upgraded from the Olympic bronze he took in Melbourne four years earlier. “Buller” Meyers finished with a featherweight bronze to give SA two boxing medals. That’s the last time SA boxers have won Olympic silverware, with not a single fighter winning more than one bout at a Games.

1993 — Brett Schultz takes four wickets and Richard Snell three as SA bowl out Sri Lanka for 119 to win the second Test in Colombo by an innings and 208 runs to lead the three-match series 1-0. Schultz, who took 5/48 in the first innings, finished with a career-best match haul of 9/106. Hansie Cronje scored 122 in SA’s innings of 495, in which skipper Kepler Wessels made 92. 

2016 — The Springboks blow an early 14-3 lead as they go down 17-23 to Australia in a Rugby Championship contest in Brisbane. The victory ended a six-match losing streak for the Wallabies. 

2017 — Hank McGregor and Jasper Mocke win their third men’s K2 marathon title at the ICF Canoe World Championships in Pietermaritzburg. Countrymen Andrew Birkett, the K1 runner-up behind McGregor the day before, and Jean van der Westhuizen were third, 1.55 sec behind.