History of cricket in South Africa

Cricket was introduced to South Africa during the Napoleonic Wars when British forces occupied the country. The earliest recorded match occurred in 1808 in Cape Town, featuring two service teams competing for a prize of one thousand rix-dollars.

The inception of the first club

The oldest cricket club in South Africa, the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, was established in 1843. It holds the distinction of being one of the few clubs worldwide with such a long-standing history. The inaugural championship was held in Port Elizabeth in 1876, featuring teams from Cape Town, Grahamstown, King Williams Town, and Port Elizabeth. King Williams Town emerged victorious in that competition and retained the title the following year. 

In 1888, Sir Donald Currie sponsored the first visiting cricket team from England. Two test matches were played, both won by England, but this marked South Africa's recognition as an international cricket contender alongside England and Australia. Sir Donald Currie also initiated the Currie Cup in 1888, a competition among different South African states. The first tournament was won by Transvaal.

The debut tour of England took place in 1894, and South Africa achieved its first test victory on January 4, 1906, against England at the old Wanderers in Johannesburg. Their first overseas test series win occurred in 1935 against England.

A notable cricket match known as the "timeless" test took place in Durban from March 3 to 14, 1938, against England. The game had to be abandoned with England at a score of 654 for five wickets in the final innings to allow the touring team to catch their return mail-boat to England.

During the 1963/64 tour in Australia, South Africa witnessed the emergence of its most talented cricketers, including the Pollock brothers, Peter and Graeme, Eddie Barlow, and Colin Bland.

Political interference

Due to the apartheid policies of the former government, South African cricket was isolated from the rest of the world for 21 years. This period of isolation occurred when South Africa was arguably the top test-playing nation, having convincingly defeated Australia 4-0.

However, South Africa's international matches were limited to Australia, England, and New Zealand due to the government's policies. The country was readmitted to international cricket in 1991, allowing it to compete against all opponents. India was the first country to welcome the "new" South Africa into the international cricket arena.

Formerly known as the Springboks, the Proteas swiftly adapted to international cricket in 1991, establishing themselves as an exceptional fielding team. Their bowling attack and batting line-up also matured over time, solidifying their reputation as one of the top teams in the world. In 1992, South Africa made their debut in the World Cup, reaching the semi-finals but facing controversy due to rain-delayed matches. In the unforgettable 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia, the match ended in a tie, with the Proteas falling just short of victory as Allan Donald was run out in the final over. Australia advanced to the final, having previously defeated South Africa by five wickets with only two balls remaining.

Tragedy struck on October 11, 2000, when Proteas captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life from playing or coaching cricket after being found guilty of match-fixing. Cronje met a fatal end in a plane crash on June 1, 2002, but he continues to be revered as a national sporting hero among South African cricket fans.

South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2003 with high hopes of winning the tournament on home soil but the Proteas disappointed their supporters by failing to advance to the Super Sixes stage after yet another astonishing defeat. However, they hold the record for the largest successful run chase and the second-highest team total in One-Day Internationals, achieved in an iconic match against Australia on March 12, 2006. This match is widely regarded as the greatest One-Day International ever played.

In early 2007, South Africa reached the top spot in the world rankings but once again faltered in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. They are often considered the best team to have never won the Cricket World Cup.

South Africa's domestic competitions include the Supersport Series, a four-day inter-provincial cricket tournament, the MTN Limited Overs Cup, a limited-overs competition played mostly under lights, and the Standard Bank Pro20 Series. Like in many parts of the world, Twenty20 cricket has attracted a significant number of fans to the game. The Pro20 series features Zimbabwe and six South African provincial teams as competitors.