Where it all began in Oz
Who will ever forget South Africa’s first ball of the 1992 World Cup against Australia in Sydney?
An athletic 25-year-old Allan Donald, playing in just his fourth one-day international a few months after South Africa returned from isolation, came speeding into Geoff Marsh and got the first ball to leave the Australian opener. He edged the moving delivery to wicketkeeper Dave Richardson, who took a comfortable catch to his right.
What a start for South Africa on their World Cup debut. Or was it? Everyone saw the edge, except for New Zealand umpire Brian Aldridge, who failed to send the Australian packing. Even the parochial Bill Lawry, commentating at the time, admitted Marsh had edged it. If Lawry goes against anything Australian, then you know it must be true.
The small setback, however, was never going to halt South Africa’s passion as they went on to record a memorable World Cup debut win by nine wickets.
South Africa, written off by all and sundry ahead of the competition, went on to reach the semifinals before rain cruelly sent Kepler Wessels’ men home after an impossible revised target.
There’s been many more hardfought affairs between the nations over the years. Now, more than 26 years later, the Proteas find themselves back in Australia as they renew their biggest cricketing rivalry, with the first of three ODIs in Perth tomorrow.
With the scheduling of short cricket tours the norm these days, this quick-stop tour certainly doesn’t hold the stature of a World Cup, like it did in 1992, but the series is significant because both teams are scampering to find their best combinations as next year’s World Cup in the UK looms.
South Africa’s form is patchy, while Australia are still trying to find a way back from the ball-tampering scandal earlier this year.
The two nations have a long history in the 50-over format, dating back to that victory 26 years ago. The teams have met 96 times in one-day internationals. The Proteas have won 45 and lost 47, with three ties and one no-result.
Let’s hope the Proteas can find their mojo Down Under, and it’s the start of something special culminating in glory in the UK next year. After many failed World Cup attempts, that would be almost as unfathomable as the day Aldridge ignored Marsh’s nick off Donald.