One of the greatest feats in SA history
THE Proteas Castle Test squad pulled off their greatest ever victory when they beat Australia by six wickets at the WACA on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Their target of 414 was the second highest successful run chase in the history of Test match cricket, being only surpassed by the 418 that the West Indies scored against Australia.
It was South Africa's sixth Test match victory in Australia ever and only the second under the banner of Cricket South Africa.
It was built on the back of centuries by captain Graeme Smith and man-of-the-match AB de Villiers, supported by half-centuries from Jacques Kallis who returned to his best form and debutant JP Duminy who will surely never again have to bat under the pressure he endured in this match.
Duminy joined de Villiers with South Africa still needing 111 for victory but he batted with the aplomb of a veteran. “JP and I have played together for a long time,” commented de Villiers, “and we enjoy batting together. Our styles complement one another as does the fact that he is left-handed and I am right-handed.”
It was de Villiers seventh Test century and five of them have been scored on foreign soil. Significantly both Smith and de Villiers reached career landmarks as they scored their 6000th and 3000th Test run respectively.
The victory was hailed by South Africa's leading cricket administrators as well as by Springbok rugby coach Peter de Villiers.
“This Test victory by the Proteas over Australia must rank as one of the greatest feats yet achieved in South African cricket and sports history,” commented CSA CEO Gerald Majola.
“The Proteas have been on the back foot against Australia for more than a decade and this was still the case for most of this Test.
“However, the skill and commitment that Graeme Smith and Mickey Arthur have moulded together through sheer hard work over the past two years enabled the contenders to knock out the world champion in the last round of this bout.
“It was a team performance through and through, backed by an excellent management effort and has set a new bench mark for South African cricket.
“A recent survey showed that the Proteas have established cricket as one of the top two most popular sports in South Africa, and we thank our nation for supporting the Proteas all the way down the years and this is just a reward for that support.
“CSA’s vision is to make cricket a truly national sport of winners, and this victory, by scoring over 400 runs to beat the world’s top team, shows that we are on the right road.”
His comments were echoed by Dr Logan Naidoo, acting president of Cricket South Africa.
“As the tears of joy dry, let me on behalf of the whole of the cricketing public in South Africa and I am sure the rest of South Africa, take this opportunity to congratulate Graeme Smith, Mickey Arthur, the rest of the team and management on this historic win. As South Africa moves into a new era in the manner in which it administers the game, all of us can take pride in this moment in our cricketing history. A win I am sure would rank with the best of any South African side.
To all the guys, enjoy the moment and lets now look forward to a series win.”
De Villiers added the congratulations of his Springbok team.
“Congratulations on your fantastic win over Australia!
“It is never easy to win in Australia, and such victories are rare. Hopefully the success in the first Test will give you a tactical and psychological edge, which will prove crucial in setting up a historic Test series win for the Proteas.
“The contribution of individuals can never be played down and there were some significant performances in the match. But it is the team effort that is all important and this is what stood out for me in the way you went about getting this result. The guys never stopped fighting. They persevered when it was tough and they were confident and composed when they had the upper hand. These are signs of a great team and bode well for the remainder of the tour.
“There is still a lot of cricket ahead and on behalf of the Springboks I would like to wish the team well for next two tests as well as for the ODI and Pro20 series.”
National captain Graeme Smith said the team had put down their peg for the rest of the series. “The defining moment was the way the guys fought back after Mitchell Johnson's brilliant spell in our first innings. They showed the character and heart to get back into the match and we can take a lot of confidence into the rest of the series.
“We will enjoy the moment and then get our feet back on the ground as we head for Melbourne for what promises to be a momentous second match.”
