BLAST FROM THE PAST | Boks leap to series lead against All Blacks in Newlands

1937 — Flanker Ebbo Bastard and winger Freddy Turner score tries as the Springboks bounce back to beat New Zealand 13-6 in the second Test and level the series at 1-1 with one Test to go. Kiwi centre Jack Sullivan scored two unconverted tries in the first half to give his team a 6-0 halftime lead at Lancaster Park in Christchurch. But South Africa were inspired after a halftime pep talk by captain Phil Nel, who told them they might as well pack their bags and go home if they lost. Fullback Gerry Brand converted both South African tries and added a penalty.

1937 — The first boxing world title bout is staged in South Africa, but it doesn’t feature a South African. Syrian-American Petey Sarron, the world featherweight champion, outpointed former champion Freddie Miller over 12 rounds at the Old Wanderers ground, which gave way to become part of the Johannesburg railway station. Sarron and Miller had both fought previously in South Africa and boasted knockout wins over local legends Laurie Stevens and Willie Smith, respectively.

1965 — The Springboks end a seven-match losing streak as they down the All Blacks 19-16 in the third Test at Lancaster Park. Trailing 5-16 at the break, the South Africans hit back to finish with four tries in all, two by legendary centre John Gainsford and another two by wing Gertjie Brynard. That streak, featuring losses to France, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand, remains South Africa’s longest.

1976 — The Springboks win the third Test against New Zealand 15-10 to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series. Western Province centre Johan Oosthuizen scored an intercept try for the Boks. Flyhalf Gerald Bosch landed the conversion and two penalties, but he missed six other kickable penalties. Fullback Dawie Snyman nailed a late drop from 40 metres out to seal the match.

1977 — After trying for nine years, Bobby Cole bags his first and only PGA Tour victory as he wins the Buick Open by one stroke by carding a 17-under-par 271 at Flint, Michigan.

1993 — South Africa slump to 154 all out as they lose the third and final ODI to Sri Lanka in Colombo by 44 runs, drawing the series 1-1. Chasing 199 for victory, only four South African batters reached double figures, with Richard Snell scoring 51. Jonty Rhodes made 27, skipper Kepler Wessels 16 and tail-ender Fanie de Villiers 12 not out.

1994 — Phil Masinga scores to give South Africa a 1-0 win over Madagascar in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Antananarivo.

1994 — Greg Albertyn retains his World Motocross 250cc title, wrapping up the season at the German GP, where he finished third in the first race and outside the points in the second.

1994 — The Proteas are stunned by Holland in a limited-overs match, losing by nine wickets in a rain-shortened contest on a matting wicket at the Royal Hague cricket club. It wasn’t an official ODI. Asked to bat first so the game wouldn’t end too quickly, South Africa were restricted to 134/8 in 40 overs, with wicketkeeper Dave Richardson top-scoring with 35 not out. Nolan Clarke and Peter Cantrell put on 122 in an opening partnership as the Dutch raced home with more than nine overs to spare.

2003 — Herschelle Gibbs scores 183 on the first day of the fourth Test against England at the Oval.

2005 — Mbulaeni Mulaudzi wins the 800m at the Golden League meet in Berlin in 1min 44.26sec.

2010 — Burry Stander wins bronze in the men’s cross-country race at the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, behind Jose Antonio Hermida of Spain and Czech rider Jaroslav Kulhavy.

2010 — Bafana Bafana beat Niger 2-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Mbombela Stadium. Katlego Mphela and Bernard Parker scored for the home team.

2010 — The Wallabies outscore the Springboks five tries to three in a Tri-Nations match in Bloemfontein, but their 41-39 victory comes off the boot of fullback Kurtley Beale with a late penalty. Centres Jaque Fourie and Jean de Villiers and prop Gurthro Steenkamp scored South Africa’s tries, with flyhalf Morne Steyn nailing all three conversions and six penalties.

2011 — Caster Semenya wins the 800m silver at the world championships in Daegu, but her medal is upgraded to gold years later after Russian winner Mariya Savinova is disqualified for doping.

2011 — Bafana Bafana go down 1-2 to Niger in the return match in Niamey. Andile Jali scored in the 76th minute to reduce the deficit to one goal.

2014 — Faf du Plessis scores 121 to lift the Proteas to 271/6 in a triangular ODI match in Harare. JP Duminy took 3/35 to help bowl out Zimbabwe for 208 to win by 63 runs and secure a spot in the final against Australia.

2016 — Brad Binder wins his fourth Moto3 race of the season, finishing first at the British motorcycle grand prix at Silverstone.

2021 — Janneman Malan scores 121 as the Proteas post 283/6 in the second ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Tabraiz Shamsi took 5/49 as South Africa won by 67 runs on Duckworth-Lewis and drew level at 1-1 in the three-match series.

2021 — Sune Luus’s 23 is the highest contribution, as the South African women are held to 80/9 on their way to losing the third T20 against the West Indies at North Sound by five wickets, resulting in the series being shared 1-1.

2022 — Bafana Bafana are hammered 4-1 by Angola at Dobsonville Stadium to be dumped out of the African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifiers on a 6-1 aggregate. Prince Nxumalo scored the opening goal of the match for South Africa.

2023 — Captain Laura Wolvaardt scores 72 off 54 balls, but the South African women are restricted to 144/5 to lose the third and final T20 against Pakistan in Karachi by six runs.

2025 — Matthew Breetzke scores 85 off 77 balls and Tristan Stubbs 58 to lift the Proteas to 330/8 on their way to beating England by five runs in the second ODI at Lord’s for an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Lower down the order, Dewald Brewis contributed a rapid-fire 42 off 20 deliveries and Corbin Bosch an unbeaten 32. Nandre Burger took 3/63, as South Africa restricted the hosts to 325/9.