In celebration of Dale Steyn’s birthday, we take a look at the five times he took 10-wickets in a Test match.
1) Steyn’s maiden 10-wicket haul
Despite his three matches in 2004-2005, Steyn’s true run began in April 2006, when he took his maiden five-for by finishing with 7-142 in his first Test back in over a year. It was a meteoric rise which followed, as the speedster took just 10 games to get his maiden 10-wicket haul, and it came in South Africa’s first Test against New Zealand in 2006. After South Africa posted a measly 226 in their first innings, Steyn ripped through the opposition to pick up figures of 5-34 and bowl out the Black Caps for 118. SA’s second innings was significantly better, a 330-run partnership between Jacques Kallis (186) and Hashim Amla (176) saw the hosts declare on 433, and what transpired was immaculate fast-bowling from the then 22-year-old who took 5-59 to help bundle out the visitors for 172 and claim a 358-run victory.
Scorecard
2) Six-for seals series against Black Caps
In the follow-up Test in Centurion, Steyn impressed again. NZ were bundled out for 188 in the first innings with Steyn leading the innings tally with 4-42. Identical to the first Test in Johannesburg, Amla and Kallis put together an innings-saving partnership of 220, to help SA to 383. Steyn’s second innings performance was a step up from his previous match as he wiped out NZ’s top three and ended with figures of 6-49 to help SA clinch a 2-0 series whitewash through an innings and 59-run victory.
3) SA claim first ever series win in Australia
After going 1-0 up with a victory in Perth, it was Steyn’s performance in the second Test which stole the headlines. The speedster took a double five-for with figures of 5-87 in Australia’s first innings and 5-69 in their second to leave South Africa with an 183-run target for victory. The Proteas cruised past the target with only their captain Graeme Smith returning to the pavilion for 75, as the visitors claimed a nine-wicket victory and their first Test series win Down Under.
See Steyn destroy the Baggy Greens:
4) Steyn takes his best figures of 7-51:
In the first Test against India in 2010, South Africa got off to a flyer, setting a total of 558 (declared) in Nagpur. Amla (253 not out) and Kallis (173) dominated the India bowlers. India could not put in the performance they needed, as Steyn ripped through their batting lineup to take seven wickets and help bundle India out for 233, with Virender Sehwag’s 109 and Subramaniam Badrinath’s 56 not enough to save the hosts’ innings. South Africa enforced the follow-on and although India’s second innings was much better, they still fell six runs short of the target, thanks to 3-57 from Steyn and 3-76 from Paul Harris.
Watch Steyn’s seven-for:
5) Best match figures for Steyn:
After an average batting display from South Africa saw them post 253, Steyn demolished Pakistan taking 6-8 to skittle the visitors for 49 runs. SA refused the follow-on and decided to inflict more misery on Pakistan, adding 275 runs to the target. The Proteas bowled out the visitors again, this time for a more respectable 268, with Steyn picking up 5-52 to help them claim a 211-run victory. Steyn’s 11-60 against Pakistan still remains his best match figures to date.
