Blast from the past: McGregor powers to K1 world title

Today in SA sports history: October 22

1960 — Willie Toweel fights for the last time in his career, taking on rising star Emile Griffith at Madison Square Garden in New York. Griffith won on an eighth-round technical knockout. After Griffith had killed opponent Benny Kid Paret, Toweel, who had killed his friend Hubert Essakow in 1956, wrote a letter to the American encouraging him to continue. Griffith, who took consolation from that missive, went on to fight 337 world championship rounds, more than any other boxer. 

1995 — Jonty Rhodes scores 53 and Adrian Kuiper 50 as the Proteas are bowled out for 239 before beating Zimbabwe by 112 runs in the final second ODI in Harare. SA won the series 2-0. Hansie Cronje took 4/33.

2000 — Nicky Boje scores 64 and Gary Kirsten 57 as the Proteas chase down the 195-run target to beat New Zealand by six wickets in the second ODI in Benoni and take a 1-0 lead in the six-match series.

2001 — Neil McKenzie hits an unbeaten 131 and Gary Kirsten 124 as the Proteas smash Kenya by 208 runs in a triangular tournament ODI at Newlands. Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher made an unbeaten 51 from 20 balls as SA amassed 354/3. Charl Langeveldt took 4/21.

2010 — JP Duminy strikes 129 from 117 balls and AB de Villiers 109 off 99 as the Proteas amass 399/6, before thrashing Zimbabwe by 272 runs in the third and final ODI at Willowmoore Park in Benoni for a 3-0 series victory. The top scorer for the visitors was Tatenda Taibu on 28.

2011 — Eight years after winning his first world crown, Hank McGregor finishes first in the K1 marathon over 30.1km in Singapore in 2hr 16 min 11 sec, one second ahead of Petr Jambor of the Czech Republic and two seconds in front of Hungary’s third-placed Mate Petrovics. McGregor’s countryman Shaun Rubentstein, himself a former world champion, was fourth (2:16:19).

2015 — AB de Villiers’ 112 from 107 balls isn’t enough as the Proteas lose the fourth ODI against India in Chennai by 35 runs. Chasing 300, too few of SA’s batsmen scored runs, with Quinton de Kock second-best on 43.

2017 — Faf du Plessis scores 91 off 67 balls at Buffalo Park in East London as the Proteas beat Bangladesh by 200 runs in the third ODI for a 3-0 series victory. Quinton de Kock made 73 and Aiden Markram 66 to help push the SA total to 369/6.

2019 — Theunis de Bruyn’s 30 is SA’s top second-innings score as they are bowled out for 133 to lose the final third Test against India in Ranchi by an innings and 202 runs, suffering a 3-0 series whitewash. SA failed to bowl out India once during the series.