Today in SA sports history: April 7
1932 — SA’s premier heavyweight, Don McCorkindale, takes on future world champion Primo Carnera of Italy at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Carnera, who stunned the world the following year by knocking out Jack Sharkey for the world crown, won on points over 10 rounds. McCorkindale was SA’s only world-ranked heavyweight until Kallie Knoetze and Gerrie Coetzee in the 1970s.
1980 — Brakpan-born Desire Wilson becomes the first woman to win a Formula One race when she finishes first in the Aurora British national F1 championship, a non-world championship event. Starting second on the grid, she took the lead at the start and stayed in front for the rest of the 40-lap race at Brands Hatch to win by more than 16 seconds.
1980 — Utility back Chris Burger, playing right-wing, scores two tries and kicks one conversion as Villagers down three-times defending champions Maties 14-3 in the final of the national club rugby championships in Durban. Flyhalf Derek Kohler scored the third try for Villagers, captained by Springbok skipper Morne du Plessis. Burger died later in the year after breaking his neck while playing fullback for Western Province in a Currie Cup match against Free State.
1992 — SA, fresh from beating the West Indies in their World Cup match in New Zealand a month earlier, crash to a 107-run defeat in their series opener in Kingston. Phil Simmons smashed 122 runs off 113 balls to lead the home team to 287/6. Apart from Andrew Hudson (50) and Hansie Cronje (42), SA had little to offer as they were bowled out for 180.
2007 — Bangladesh beat the Proteas in an ODI for the first time, winning their World Cup Super Eight match in Providence by 67 runs. Batting first, Bangladesh made 251/8, Mohammad Ashraful scoring 87 from 83 deliveries before falling to Andre Nel, who took five wickets. SA were bowled out for 184, with Herschelle Gibbs, batting at seven, top-scoring with 56.
2021 — The Proteas lose the final third ODI against Pakistan in Centurion by 28 runs and with it the series 1-2. Chasing a target of 321, the hosts were bowled out for 292, with opener Janneman Malan making 70, Kyle Verreynne 62 and Andile Phehlukwayo 54.
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