“Cricket is one of the most dangerous professions.; It gets called a team game, but no one is so lonely as a batsman facing a bowler supported by ten fieldsmen and observed by two umpires to ensure that his error does not go unpunished.” — John Arlott. South African teams have been playing cricket for more than 130 years, and they now have a position in the field of cricket that can prove a more formidable opponent for other teams. The South African team is also called the Protease, its nickname derived from the national flower of South Africa, Protease cynaroides. Their national flag also has Protease cyanorides. South Africa’s team has produced many great players like AB de Villiers, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, Mark Boucher, and Gary Kirsten. South Africa‘s team has had many prodigious moments, which show how much this team has accomplished over the past years and how much they still have to achieve.
1. First Test Match
South Africa played their first test match against England on 12 March 1889. Playing this match, their doors to good luck opened as they became the first team in the African continent to play cricket. They have played 445 test matches and have won 169 of them. They are ranked 5th in test match ranking presently.
2. First Odi Match
South Africa had played their first ODI match against India on 10 November 1991. The first ODI played was in the year 1971 between Australia and England. So it took the South African team 20 years to enter in the 50 over formatODI’s. South African teams have played 631 ODI’s and have secured 387 win matches.
3. First T20 Match
They started playing T20 matches in 2005, and their first T20 match was against New Zealand. South Africa team had played a total of 139 T20I’s and have won 78 games. Showed their best result in the T20 World Cup in the Semi-finals of 2009 and 2014.
4. Returning From The Ban
After debuting in cricket, South Africa continued playing for many years against big teams like England and Australia. South Africa started budding in cricket, but due to the apartheid policy in South Africa, ICC banned the team for many years. After Completing the ban, the South African team returned and started playing cricket again in 1991.
5. Champion Trophy Moment
The most significant moment for the South African team came in 1998 when they had won the inaugural Championship trophy in 1998. South Africa won the championship trophy by beating West Indies in the finals by four wickets. In that match, a total of 40,000 spectators were there.
6. Gold In Commonwealth Games
Cricket is not a part of the Olympics or commonwealth games, but in 1998, including cricket in the commonwealth games. Big teams like Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. South Africa won the gold medal in the games by beating Australia
7. South Africa Largest Win (test Match)
The South Africa team’s biggest win in test matches came in 2017 against Bangladesh. Played the test match in South Africa, where South Africa won the game by an innings and 254 runs. It was the 17th most significant win in test cricket.
8. South Africa Largest Win (odi Match)
South Africa’s biggest triumph in ODI came in 2010 against Zimbabwe. Hosted the ODI in South Africa, where South Africa won by 272 runs. In this match, South Africa scored 400 runs which was also a moment to remember. It was the 3rd most significant win in ODI matches.
9. South Africa Winning Percentage (odi Match)
The South Africa team has played 631 ODI matches and has won 387 games. The winning percentage of the South African team is more than 60 percent. With 61.905 percent, the South African squad secures the third position after Australia and India.
10. Highest Run Chase In Odi
South Africa is one of the most productive teams in ODI, and they hold the record of the highest run chase. It happened in 2006 against a big team like Australia when South Africa chased 430+ runs. It is the only 400+ run chased in ODI matches by any group.
