Africa-Press – South-Africa. Magical and unforgettable fast-bowling spells are required to win Test matches and series in Australia and the Proteas haven’t been short of those.
Here are five unforgettable bowling displays in Australia by South African pacers:
Fanie de Villiers, 4/80 and 6/43 in Sydney – 1994
It often goes under the radar that De Villiers took 10 wickets in the timeless SCG epic, but on a parched surface, De Villiers, Allan Donald (4/83), and Pat Symcox (2/82) ensured Australia were kept to 292 after bowling SA out for 169, but forced them to drag their innings out across 141.2 overs.
It had the effect of allowing an already incendiary pitch, which saw Shane Warne take 7/52 in SA’s first innings, to deteriorate further. However SA’s 239 – which was backed up by Jonty Rhodes’s 76* – spanned 109 overs, which meant Australia needed the fourth evening and fifth morning to make 117.
They slept on 63/4, with Michael Slater (1), David Boon (24), Tim May (0) and Mark Taylor (27) all falling to De Villiers.
Donald (3/34) made the major fifth morning plays with the scalps of Allan Border (7), Mark Waugh (11) and Ian Healy (1), while Hansie Cronje ran out Shane Warne (1) to leave Australia tottering at 75/8.
Craig McDermott (29*), clearly hurting from the Adelaide thriller against the West Indies where they lost by one run, chanced his arm to bring Australia close.
Strokeless wonder Damien Martyn (six off 59) and Glenn McGrath were prised out by Donald and De Villiers respectively, with the latter snaring a famous return catch to give SA a fine and yet to be repeated SCG win.
Shaun Pollock, 7/87 in Adelaide – 1998
The Proteas were fresh from an innings and 21-run loss in the New Year’s Day Test where Shane Warne’s 11 wickets proved the difference.
The tourists were without the injured Donald, but where the batting failed at the SCG, it succeeded at the Adelaide Oval as South Africa made 517.
Poor catching may have blighted SA in this Test, but in intense heat, Pollock went through 41 overs to collect what remained his best innings bowling figures.
A monumental 169* from captain Taylor saw Australia total 350 as Pollock collected Matthew Elliot (8), Greg Blewett (31), Mark Waugh (63), Steve Waugh (8), Healy (1), Andy Bichel (0) and Shane Warne (0).
Gary Kirsten’s 108* allowed SA to declare on 193/6, and when Pollock and Lance Klusener (4/67) conspired to remove Elliot (4), Taylor (6) and Blewett (16), the Proteas were odds on for a deserved win.
However, Butter-fingered catching allowed Mark Waugh (116*) to make a second fourth-innings century against South Africa in the space of a year.
Waugh also hit the stumps after being hit by a ball, but wasn’t given out, but SA’s fielding had let Pollock’s hard first innings work go to waste.
Makhaya Ntini, 5/64 in Perth – 2005
In what was SA’s first Test in Perth with what was their least fearsome attack since the 1993/94 sojourn, the visitors needed an inspiration.
Ntini manfully toiled during this fallow Test period for the Proteas and when Ricky Ponting won the toss and batted first, Ntini made him regret that decision when he removed Matthew Hayden with his second ball.
Australia weren’t the best side for nothing and when they recovered to 117/3 after Ntini and Pollock removed Justin Langer (37) and Ponting (71), they moved to 180 without further loss.
Ntini again went to work, getting rid of Mike Hussey (23), Brad Hodge (41) and Adam Gilchrist (6) to collect a priceless five-fer.
Australia folded for 258, but roared back in the second dig with 528/8 on the back of Hodge’s 208* after the Proteas made 296 in their first innings.
Jacques Rudolph’s 102* ensured SA saved the game.
Dale Steyn, 5/87 and 5/67 in Melbourne, 2008
Steyn wasn’t included in the Test leg of the 2005/06 tour and when he featured in an ODI (he went for 1/58 in five overs in Melbourne before being substituted) in the subsequent Tri-Series that also featured Sri Lanka, Australia didn’t have much reason to lose sleep over him.
Steyn was a faster and better beast three years later, and when he bowled fitfully in the first Test in Perth, it was a prelude to what he was capable of.
He brought out his best in the Boxing Day Test where a well-prepared wicket that offered pace, bounce, and movement allowed him to work his way through an indeterminate batting order.
While Ponting remained an obstacle (101 and 99), Steyn worked through Simon Katich (54 and 15) in both innings, Michael Hussey (0), Brett Lee (21), Mitchell Johnson (0) and Nathan Hauritz (12), while his second innings victims were Matthew Hayden (23), Michael Clarke (29), Andrew Symonds (0) and Peter Siddle (0) to ensure Australia were bowled out for totals of 394 and 247.
Steyn also made a major contribution with the bat (76) as SA coasted to a nine-wicket win which helped them secure a landmark series success.
Kagiso Rabada, 5/92 in Perth, 2016
Rabada’s first engagement with Australia was his ninth in Test cricket, and while he’d already taken three five-wicket hauls (all against England and without Steyn), he hardly looked like a bowling leader.
When Steyn broke down in his 13th with a broken shoulder, Australia were cruising in response to SA’s 244.
Vernon Philander (4/56) took up the cudgels to help SA bowl Australia out for 242 before Dean Elgar (127) and JP Duminy (141) took the game away from Australia.
In Steyn’s absence, Rabada was given the new ball and through his 31 overs, he removed Shaun Marsh (15), Steven Smith (34), Adam Voges (1), Mitchell Marsh (26), and Mitchell Starc (13) to help SA win by 177 runs.
Philander (5/21) and Kyle Abbott (6/77) then disemboweled Australia in Hobart to seal the series.
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