Johannesburg — South Africa have won just one out of 15 Tests at The Oval, the venue of the third and deciding match against England which starts on Thursday.
IOL Sport’s Stuart Hess looks back at some good and bad memories for the Proteas at the storied south London venue.
FOUR OVAL MEMORIES
Devon the Destroyer
“Ah, I know you," Nelson Mandela said to Devon Malcolm. "You are the destroyer." That exchange took place during England’s trip to South Africa in 1995 and was a reference to Malcolm's stunning 9/57 against Kepler Wessel’s team the year before. Malcolm had been hit on the head by a bouncer from Fanie de Villiers, and turned to the chirpy slip cordon and uttered the immortal words: “You guys are history.” Those remain the ninth best innings figures of all time.
Not so fast Hersch
Out of the score of 183 that Herschelle Gibbs made in the 2003 Test, 146 runs came in boundaries. When he was out in the 79th over, South Africa’s scoring rate was 4.42. Apparently word had been sent from the dressing-room for Gibbs to slow down, but that didn’t happen. Gibbs might argue, one of his teammates could have pulled their weight too. At the moment of his dismissal, the total was 345/3. South Africa got bowled out for 484, which remains the 15th highest Test total in a defeat.
The Mighty Hash
South Africa’s individual Test record was achieved over three days in which the weather went from sunny to gloomy on the Friday evening, and then remained sunny through the weekend. Hashim Amla was at his serene best, dismantling Graeme Swann, and lighting up the historic venue with some exquisite backfoot drives and wristy clips through the midwicket region. The 311 not out is the sixth longest innings of all time, with Amla spending 13 hours and 17 minutes at the crease. He loves the ground so much, he’s still playing for Surrey now.
Painful Elgar
Dean Elgar, copped blow to both hands, both thighs, his chest, his hip, he was also hit in the back by an errant throw from the boundary. Bloody, bruised but unbowed, Elgar’s second innings 136 couldn’t prevent a defeat in the third Test in 2017, but it's where the legend of Elgar getting hit and seemingly thriving on the pain was launched. “You’ve got to take the positive out of it. I guess only an opening batsman could see it that way,” he said at the time.
IOL Sport