1912 — Ken McArthur and Christian Gitsham give SA its second one-two finish of the Stockholm Olympics, in the marathon. McArthur, after whom the athletics stadium in Potchefstroom is named, won in 2hr 36 min 54.8 sec ahead of Gitsham (2:37:52) and American Gaston Strobino (2:38:42.4). Tennis players Charles Winslow and Harry Kitson did it in the singles competition a week or so earlier, but it’s a feat no other South Africans have managed since. The double pushed SA’s total tally to four golds and two silver, still the country’s best haul of gold medals from one Olympics.
1956 — The Springboks go down 6-10 to the All Blacks in Dunedin in the opening match of their four-Test series. Centre Pee-wee Howe scored SA’s only try on his international debut. Fullback Roy Dryburgh added a penalty.
2000 — The Proteas crash to a 30-run defeat against hosts Sri Lanka in the final of a triangular series in Colombo. Sri Lanka made 294/7 with opener Sanath Jayasuriya scoring 68 and Russel Arnold 51. Gary Kirsten made 76, but with nobody else reaching a half-century, SA limped to 264/9 in their 50 overs. Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was named man of the match, taking 5/44. SA failed to beat the hosts in that tournament, which also featured Pakistan.
2001 — Matthew Booth and Bradley August score goals as Bafana Bafana beat Malawi 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Durban.
2007 — A second-string Springbok team is hammered 6-33 by New Zealand in a Tri-Nations match in Christchurch. Flyhalf Dan Carter scored one of the hosts’ three tries and converted all three and kicked four penalties. SA flyhalf Derick Hougaard kicked two penalties.
2007 — Long-jumper Karin Mey leaps 6.93m in Bad Langensalza, Germany, to break Karen Botha’s SA record from 1990. Mey, winner of the competition that day, equalled that mark a year later before switching allegiance to Turkey.
2007 — Takalani Ndlovu fails in his first bid for the IBF junior-featherweight title, getting stopped in the ninth round by Canadian Steve Molitor in Orillia. Ndlovu would fight Molitor twice more for the same belt, winning on the third attempt.
2008 — Centuries by captain Graeme Smith, Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla in the Proteas’ follow-on innings sees the first Test of the four-match series against England at Lord’s ending in a draw. Ashwell Prince had scored 101 in SA’s first innings.
2018 — The Proteas, chasing 352 for victory, are bowled out for 73 to lose the first Test against Sri Lanka in three days in Galle. Dilruwan Perera took 10 wickets for 78 runs in the match, including 6/32 in SA’s woeful second innings, in which Vernon Philander top-scored with an unbeaten 22.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.