South Africa
Test status granted	1889
First Test match	v England at Port Elizabeth, March 1889
Captain	Graeme Smith
Coach	Mickey Arthur
Official ranking	6th (Test), 2nd (ODI) [1],[2]
Test matches - this year	308 3
Last Test match	v Australia at Kingsmead, 2nd Test, 24-28 March 2006.
Wins/losses - this year	99/110 0/3
As of 28 March 2006

The South African cricket team, also known as The Proteas, is a national cricket team representing South Africa. It is administrated by Cricket South Africa. Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The English cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales, operating under the auspices of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). ... Port Elizabeth is a city in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, at 33°58′ S 25°36′ E. The city is located on Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. ... Biography Graeme Smith Graeme Craig Smith (born 1 February 1981 in Johannesburg) became the youngest ever cricketer to captain the South African cricket team at the age of 22 years when he was selected to take over from Shaun Pollock after the 2003 cricket World Cup. ... Cricket ground in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the insect, see Cricket (insect). ...

South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and one-day international status. ICC logo The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the governing body for international Test match and One-day International cricket. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... A One-day International (ODI) cricket match is a one-day cricket match played between two international teams each representing a particular country. ...

History

South Africa played its first Test match in 1889 (against England at Port Elizabeth), becoming the third Test nation. 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The English cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales, operating under the auspices of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). ... Port Elizabeth is a city in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, at 33°58′ S 25°36′ E. The city is located on Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. ...

In 1970, the ICC voted to suspend South Africa from international cricket indefinitely because of its government's policy of apartheid, a policy which led them to play only against the white nations (England, Australia, New Zealand). The ICC reinstated South Africa as a Test nation in 1991 after the deconstruction of apartheid, and the team played its first sanctioned match since 1970 (and its first ever one-day international) against India in Calcutta on 10 November 1991. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is on Calcutta/Kolkata, the city. ... November 10 is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 51 days remaining. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Since its return to international cricket, South Africa has remained one of the strongest international sides.

Tournaments

South Africa has an unfortunate record of failing to win major championships. The 1992 cricket World Cup, for example, featured a rain-affected match played before the introduction of the Duckworth-Lewis method. As a result, South Africa was left in the ludicrous situation of requiring 22 runs from one ball in order to progress. At the 1999 cricket World Cup, South Africa played against Australia in the last Super Six match as well as the knock-out semifinal. Australia defeated the Proteas in the Super Six match and recorded a thrilling tie in the semifinal, which was enough to knock the Africans out of the tournament since Australia had previously beaten them (in the match immediately beforehand). It is in the Super Six match that Steve Waugh is reputed to have told Herschelle Gibbs "Mate, you just dropped the World Cup" when the latter dropped him en route to a match-winning century^{[citation needed]}. The image of the South Africans following the run-out of their last batsman has become an iconic sporting image, referenced by The Twelfth Man, among others. The Cricket World Cup in 1992 (aka Benson & Hedges Cup) was the fifth edition of the tournament. ... In the sport of cricket, the Duckworth-Lewis method (D/L method) is a way to calculate the target score for the team batting second in a one-day cricket match interrupted by weather or other circumstances. ... The 1999 Cricket World Cup was held in England, Scotland and Netherlands and won by Australia. ... Stephen Rodger Waugh (born June 2, 1965 in Canterbury, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer and was the captain of the Australian Test cricket team from 1999 to 2004. ... Herschelle Herman Gibbs (born 23 February 1974 in Cape Town) is a South African cricketer, more specifically a batsman. ... For the 12th Man Tradition at Texas A&M University, see 12th Man (Texas A&M). ...

South Africa hosted the 2003 cricket World Cup, but failed to progress beyond the group stage due to a misunderstanding of how many runs they needed to score in a rain-affected run chase. As a result of this, Shaun Pollock resigned as captain and was replaced by young batsman Graeme Smith, although Pollock continues to play for the team. Under Smith's leadership, South Africa has achieved some success, although they have been hampered by the retirements of many star players, including fast bowler Allan Donald and one-day specialist Jonty Rhodes. As a result, they had a poor 2004, only winning against the West Indies. For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Shaun Maclean Pollock (born July 16, 1973 in Port Elizabeth) is a South African cricketer who attended Northwood High School in Durban, more specifically a fast-medium bowler. ... Biography Graeme Smith Graeme Craig Smith (born 1 February 1981 in Johannesburg) became the youngest ever cricketer to captain the South African cricket team at the age of 22 years when he was selected to take over from Shaun Pollock after the 2003 cricket World Cup. ... Allan Anthony Donald, (born October 20, 1966, Bloemfontein) was one of South Africas best ever cricketers, specifically one of their finest bowlers. ... Jonathan Neil Rhodes (born 27 July 1969 in Pietermaritzberg, Natal, South Africa), better known as Jonty Rhodes, was a South African cricketer, who was especially noted for his feats whilst fielding. ...

However, they won the inaugural ICC Champions Trophy in 1998, beating West Indies in the finals, and also won the first and most likely the only Commonwealth Games gold in cricket in the same year. They are currently ranked second in the world in the One Day International Cricket rankings and are rated in the top five for Test cricket rankings. This is due to a long streak from January to November 2005, in which they were not defeated. The ICC Champions Trophy is crickets one-day international tournament second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. ... Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event held every four years involving the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. ...

They also hold the record of the Largest Successful Run Chase and the Highest Team Total in one-day internationals (438-9 in 49.5 overs), in an iconic match against Australia on 12 March 2006. This game is considered by many to be the greatest one-day international ever played. Wikipedia is Communism! ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tournament history

World Cup

For World Cups from 1975 to 1987 inclusive, South Africa were not an ICC member, and therefore ineligible to compete in the tournament. Cricket World Cup 2007 logo The ICC Cricket World Cup is the world championship of one-day cricket, a tournament held quadrenially between all Test-playing nations (currently 10 nations), plus qualifiers. ...

• 1992: Semi Finals
• 1996: Quarter Finals
• 1999: Semi Finals
• 2003: First round

The Cricket World Cup in 1992 (aka Benson & Hedges Cup) was the fifth edition of the tournament. ... The 1996 Cricket World Cup was won by Sri Lanka, who beat Australia by 7 wickets at the final in Lahore. ... The 1999 Cricket World Cup was held in England, Scotland and Netherlands and won by Australia. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ...

ICC Champions Trophy

• 2002: Semi Finals
• 2004: First round

The ICC Champions Trophy is crickets one-day international tournament second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. ... The 2002 ICC Champions Trophy is a cricket tournament that was held in Sri Lanka in 2002. ... The ICC Champions Trophy 2004 was held in September in England. ...

ICC Knockout

• 1998: Won
• 2000: Semi Finals

The ICC Champions Trophy is crickets one-day international tournament second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. ...

Commonwealth Games

• 1998: Gold medal

Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event held every four years involving the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. ... Cricket was included in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia; this was the first (and, to date, only) time that cricket has been played at a Commonwealth Games. ...

Famous players

Makhaya Ntini (second right) bowls at the WACA Ground, Perth, Australia on 16 December 2005, the first day of the First Test, Australia v South Africa. Ntini took five wickets for 64 runs on the day. He made his international debut at the WACA, in 1998.

In 1998, Makhaya Ntini became the first black player in the South African team. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1224x801, 158 KB) Summary Makhaya Ntini bowls at the WACA Ground, Perth on 16/12/05, the first day of the First Test, Australia v South Africa. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1224x801, 158 KB) Summary Makhaya Ntini bowls at the WACA Ground, Perth on 16/12/05, the first day of the First Test, Australia v South Africa. ... Makhaya Ntini (born 6 July 1977 in Eastern Cape Province) is a South African cricketer, the first black player in the South African team. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Perth is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Western Australia, and is the fourth largest city in Australia, with a population of approximately 1. ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Makhaya Ntini (born 6 July 1977 in Eastern Cape Province) is a South African cricketer, the first black player in the South African team. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ...

South Africa was led for many years by the mercurial Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje. A talented captain, Cronje is perhaps most famous on the field for his actions in the fifth Test against England in early 2000. In this match, both Cronje and then-English captain Nasser Hussain declared one innings closed at 0/0 (England's first innings and South Africa's second), leaving England 76 overs to chase 249 runs in a rain-affected match. England eventually won the match and the series, but the decision was applauded for increasing the chance of a result, instead of a draw. Wessel Johannes Hansie Cronje (September 25, 1969 - June 1, 2002) was a South African cricketer (all-rounder) and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s. ... Nasser Hussain (born March 28, 1968, Madras), Essex and England cricketer. ...

Cronje, however, was later banned from cricket for accepting bribes to lose matches, a scandal which is still being investigated by police and cricket authorities. His replacement was allrounder Shaun Pollock, a member of a long-established South African cricketing family. Cronje attempted to rehabilitate himself, but was tragically killed in an aeroplane crash shortly before the 2003 cricket World Cup. Match fixing or game fixing in organized sports occurs when a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ...

External links

• United Cricket Board of South Africa

See also

‹The template Portal has been proposed for deletion here.› 

Cricket Portal

• History of Test cricket (1884 to 1889)
• History of Test cricket (1890 to 1900)
• International cricket in South Africa (1971 to 1981)

Image File history File links Portal. ... For more coverage of cricket, see the cricket portal. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Barry Richards International cricket in South Africa between 1971 and 1981 consisted of 4 private tours arranged by English sports promoter Derrick Robins, 2 tours by a private team called the International Wanderers, and one womens Test match. ...