1955 — Opening batsman Jackie McGlew scores his second half-century of the first Test against England, but it’s not enough to stave off defeat by an innings and five runs in Nottingham. Captain Jack Cheetham was the only other SA player to make a half-ton in the match.
1976 — Jody Scheckter wins the Swedish Grand Prix in a six-wheel Tyrrell-Ford P34. It was the only time a car with four front tyres won a Formula One race. It was Scheckter’s second triumph at the Anderstorp track.
1998 — Winger Stefan Terblanche scores four tries on debut as the Springboks beat Ireland 37-13 in the first Test in Bloemfontein. Flyhalf Gaffie du Toit, the other debutant in the team, landed three conversions and two penalties.
1999 — Australia head to Headingley in Leeds needing to beat SA in their final Super Six match to stay in the World Cup. Having lost to New Zealand and Pakistan early in the tournament, they had no more breathing room. Herschelle Gibbs scored 101 and Daryll Cullinan 50 as SA reached 271/7 in their 50 overs.
SA were in control when skipper Steve Waugh joined Ricky Ponting with Australia on 48/3. At 152/3, Waugh, on 56, miscued a Lance Klusener to midwicket, where Gibbs, instead of palming an easy catch, spilt the ball as he attempted an elaborate manoeuvre. Waugh went on to score an unbeaten 120, leading Australia to victory by five wickets. A tale emerged afterwards that as Gibbs dropped the ball, Waugh said to him: “You’ve just dropped the World Cup, son.” Waugh admitted later he had made no such comment, but added he liked the story. The result meant Australia and SA would meet in the semifinals.
2009 — Wayne Parnell takes four wickets as the Proteas beat the West Indies by 20 runs in a T20 World group match at The Oval. Herschelle Gibbs top-scored with 55 in SA’s total of 183/7, before the bowlers restricted the Windies to 163/9.
2010 — Dale Steyn takes three wickets in the second innings as the Proteas beat the West Indies by 163 runs on the fourth day of the first Test in Port-of-Spain. Steyn had taken 5/27 in the first innings as SA dismissed the hosts for 102 and a first-innings lead of 250. Chasing 457 for victory, the West Indians were all out for 293.
2015 — Wayde van Niekerk breaks his own South African 400m record as he wins the Diamond League race in New York in 44.24 sec. A year earlier he had run 44.38.
2019 — Banyana are beaten 0-1 by China in a World Cup group match at Parc des Princes in Paris.
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