Blast from the past: Mike bobs and Weavers to KO Coetzee for the title

Today in SA sports history: October 25

1980 — Gerrie Coetzee loses his second shot at the world heavyweight title when he is knocked out in the 13th round by Mike Weaver in a makeshift stadium at Sun City. Coetzee had hurt Weaver in the eighth round, but was unable to put him away. Weaver came back strongly while Coetzee faded.

1980 — The Springboks score six tries as they beat South America 30-16 in the final second Test in Santiago to win the series 2-0. Wingers Ray Mordt and Gerrie Germishuys scored two tries apiece, with centre Danie Gerber and captain Morne du Plessis also dotting down.

1993 — Daryll Cullinan scores 337 not out for Transvaal against Northern Transvaal at the Wanderers, smashing the SA first-class record for the highest score by an individual. He overhauled Terence Lazard’s 307 not out, a mark that had been set only the previous month. 

1993 — East London fighter Lindi Memani is beaten on points over 12 rounds by Scotland’s WBO strawweight champion Paul Weir in Glasgow.

1996 — Allan Donald takes 4/31 as the Proteas beat Australia by two wickets in a triangular ODI in Faridabad. Chasing 216 for victory, Daryll Cullinan scored 71 not out to steer SA to victory with 16 balls remaining.

1998 — The Proteas beat England by six wickets in their opening Champions Trophy match in Dhaka, Bangladesh. England captain Adam Hollioake made an unbeaten 83 in his team’s total of 281/7. But Daryll Cullinan (69), captain Hansie Cronje (67) and Jonty Rhodes (61 not out) helped to get SA home with 20 balls remaining.

2000 — Nicky Boje scores 129 from 114 balls and Gary Kirsten 94 as the Proteas amass 324/4 in the third ODI against New Zealand at Centurion. Rain sees the target revised to 305 from 43 overs and SA bowl out the visitors for 189 to win by 115 runs, with Shaun Pollock and Roger Telemachus taking three wickets each.

2009 — Stephen Cook scores 390 for the Lions against the Warriors at Buffalo Park to break Daryll Cullinan’s mark for the highest score in SA first-class cricket, which had been set exactly 16 years earlier. 

2013 — Captain Graeme Smith scores 234 and AB de Villiers 164 to help the Proteas to an innings and 92-run victory over Pakistan in the final second Test in Dubai to draw the series 1-1. Spinner Imran Tahir took 5/32 as SA dismissed the home team for 99 in their first innings and 3/67 in their second knock of 326.

2014 — Hekkie Budler survives an early knock-down to outpoint Xiong Zhao Zhong of China over 12 rounds in Monaco and retain his WBA strawweight title. 

2015 — Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock score centuries in Mumbai as the Proteas amass 438/4 to hammer India by 214 runs in the final fifth ODI to take the series 3-2. Du Plessis struck 133 of 115 balls, De Villiers 119 off 61 and De Kock 109 off 87. Kagiso Rabada took four wickets and Dale Steyn three.