We crunch the stats at he Wanderers ahead of the Proteas’ clash against Sri Lanka in the third ODI on Saturday.
The Proteas have played 33 ODIs at the Wanderers since 1992, winning 23, losing eight and two ending in a no result, giving them a win percentage of 69.69. If the no results never counted, that percentage jumps up to 74.19%.
The team batting first went on to win 16 times and the team batting second went on to win 15 times. This shows that the team batting first has won only one game more than the team batting second. But the team who batted first won quite convincingly in four of the last five matches.
The highest total for a team batting first at the Wanderers was a record-breaking day, when the Proteas achieved their highest-ever ODI total, 439-2 in 50 overs against West Indies. That was also the third time the they reached a score in excess of 430. In the very same match they became the first team who had their top three batsmen score centuries in the same match.
A further two notable records tumbled that day when AB de Villiers scored the fastest ODI 50 (16 balls) and the fastest ODI 100 (31 balls).
The highest total for a team batting second at the Wanderers was also a record-breaking day when Australia reached 434-4, only for it to be chased down by the Proteas who reached 438-9 to win this remarkable match by one wicket.
The lowest total for a team batting first is the 128 by Sri Lanka in 2002 in a six–wicket defeat to the Proteas.
The lowest total for a team batting second was when the Proteas bowled out Pakistan for only 109 in a 157-run victory in 1995.
The highest individual score by a batsman at the Wanderers was scored by Herschelle Gibbs, who scored 175 runs against Australia in that 438 game in 2006.
Gibbs and De Villiers are the only players to have scored three centuries at the ground. Gibbs has also scored the most runs, 719 in 16 innings at an average of 44.93.
Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw share the highest partnership, they scored 247 runs against West Indies in 2015.
The best bowling figures at the ground was achieved by Shaun Pollock, who took five wickets for only 20 runs in his nine overs against England in 2000.
Shaun Pollock is the leading wicket taker at the ground, as he took 27 wickets in the 16 innings that he bowled.
Only two bowlers have taken five or more wickets in an ODI innings at the Wanderers. Pollock did it twice and Nathan Bracken is the other one, telling us that bowling is very difficult at the Johannesburg ground.
The Proteas have won the last five ODIs they have played at the ground and they will surely look to extend that record.
If the Proteas win on Saturday, it will be their ninth ODI victory in a row.
