Jonhenry Wilson digs out another cracker from the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead vault as we count down the weeks to the three-match T20 International series between the Proteas and Australia!
International cricket in Durban is synonymous with big performances from hometown heroes and, in April 1997, KwaZulu-Natal kingpin Shaun Pollock duly delivered at Kingsmead.
Schedules far less busy than nowadays allowed for a seven-ODI series between South Africa and Australia at the time. The contest was still alive after three matches, as the Aussies and Proteas had taken it in turns to beat each other in East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.
Two-one up, the hosts were eager to lock in a third win and put themselves one away from a series triumph.
Australian captain Ian Healy won the toss and opted to bat first. Half-centurions Greg Blewett and Adam Gilchrist were the only opposition players genuinely able to successfully combat Pollock, whose figures of four for 33 in 10 overs limited the Australians to a final total of 211 for nine in 50 overs. Pollock’s haul included the key dismissals of Gilchrist and Healy – and middle-order batsman Stuart Law for a 14-ball duck.
Some gold here from birthday boy Shaun Pollock, who clubbed six sixes - including four in a row - against New Zealand back in 2002 pic.twitter.com/aaEi17VZgl
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 16, 2019
South Africa’s response slipped to 125 for six prior to Pollock’s arrival at the crease. He kept the Proteas in contention en route to 41 not out from 37 deliveries, but with little to no support from tail-enders David Richardson, Rudi Bryson and Allan Donald, the home side were bowled out for 196 in 48.1 overs. Had Pollock been afforded the opportunity to bat through the final 11 scheduled deliveries, South Africa might have avoided a 15-run defeat and welcomed a one- or two-wicket win.
The result saw Australia draw level two-all. They won the next two matches as well to seal the series victory before South Africa pulled a consolation win back to end the scoreline four-three.
When Pollock retired in 2008, he had taken 24 of his 393 ODI wickets (6.1%) and scored 329 of his 3519 ODI runs (9.3%) at Kingsmead. A significant percentage of both came against Australia in Durban.
Australia will arrive in South Africa for their white-ball tour in August, playing three T20 Internationals at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead before heading inland to Bloem, Potch and Gauteng for five One Day Internationals.
Tickets are available now for the three T20 Internationals from TicketPro. Check out all of the key dates and times for the series:
- First T20: Wednesday 30 August – 18:00
- Second T20: Friday 1 September – 18:00
- Third T20: Sunday 3 September – 14:00
