1971 — South African boxer Anthony “Qash” Sithole kills an opponent for the second time in his career. The hard-punching bantamweight from Soweto, fighting in Australia at the time, lifted Filipino Alberto Jangalay clean off his feet after landing a left hook-right cross combination to the jaw. Four-and-a-half years earlier Sithole, behind on points, knocked out Lumkile “Young Clay” Dunjana in the final sixth round of their bout in Cententary Hall in Port Elizabeth’s New Brighton township. Both tragedies affected Sithole’s performance. Sithole needed more than 18 months before he strung two consecutive wins together after the first death, but in 1969 he lifted the South African black flyweight and bantamweight crowns. After the death of Jangalay he notched up a record of seven wins, 12 losses and a draw before retiring in 1975.
1977 — Club rugby is broadcast on South African TV for the first time, but the season-ending Grand Challenge contest between Maties and Villagers is marred by foul play with three players, including Springbok skipper Morne du Plessis, being ordered off the field. Maties forwards Schalk Burger and Flip van der Merwe were also given their marching orders by referee Mike Kessel. The Stellenbosch students were reduced to 13 players and Villagers 14, but Maties still won the match. All three players were suspended for two weeks, the bans kicking in at the start of the 1978 season. School headmaster Kessel, who had blown Currie Cup matches as well, retired after the match, though it was a decision he’d made months before.
1996 — Daryll Cullinan top-scores with 51 as the Proteas, bowled out for 169, falter against world champions Sri Lanka in a four-nations ODI tournament in Nairobi. Sanath Jayasuriya scored 45 off 30 balls to steer his team to victory by two wickets.
2007 — Jacques Kallis scores an unbeaten 118 on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan in Karachi. He was out for 155 the next day.
2016 — Flyhalf Morne Steyn kicks four penalties and two drops to give the Springboks an 18-10 victory over Australia in a Rugby Championship match at Loftus Versfeld. The visitors scored the only try of the match through prop Scott Sio.
2019 — Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits are the only batters to make double figures as the South African women are restricted to 89/7 to lose the fourth T20 against India in Surat by 51 runs.
2023 — The Springboks score seven tries as they beat Tonga 49-18 in their final World Cup group match in Marseille. Flyhalf Handré Pollard, making his return after a lengthy injury, converted the first four tries by Cobus Reinach, Canan Moodie, Deon Fourie and Jessie Kriel. Manie Libbok converted the last three tries by Willie le Roux, Marco van Staden and Kwagga Smith.
2023 — Marizanne Kapp scores 72 as the South African women, bowled out for 209, lose the final third ODI against New Zealand at Kingsmead by six wickets.
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