1957 — Estate agent Arthur Walker beats fish merchant Gordon Whitehead 4&3 in the 36-hole final to become the first foreigner to win the English amateur golf championship at Hoylake. The 27-year-old Walker was immediately invited by the English Golf Union president to play for England. When the Royal Johannesburg player declined there were murmurings from local officials that the tournament would be closed to Englishmen only. Walker, who had qualified to play because his father, also Arthur, had been a Londoner, had competed in previous editions without objection. Walker played at the British amateur championship later that month, being eliminated in the semifinal by an American master-sergeant, who finished as the runner-up. Arthur Walker senior gave his name to the farming village of Walkerville, south of Johannesburg.
1974 — Kaizer Motaung scores three goals as Kaizer Chiefs wallop Durban All Blacks 10-0 in a National Professional Soccer League match at the Alexandra stadium.
2001 — Captain Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy score in the first half as Bafana Bafana beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier at FNB Stadium. The visitors’ captain, Peter Ndlovu, converted a spot kick after being tripped in the second half.
2001 — The Proteas smash the West Indies by 132 runs at St George’s to win the third ODI and take a 2-1 lead in the seven-match series. Jacques Kallis scored 107 from 108 balls as South Africa posted 287/4. Shaun Pollock took three wickets and Makhaya Ntini and Justin Ontong two each as they skittled the home side for 155. Gary Kirsten scored 50 to become South Africa’s leading ODI run-scorer, surpassing Hansie Cronje’s career tally of 5,565.
2006 — Makhaya Ntini takes 5/35 as the Proteas bowl out New Zealand for 119 in the third Test at the Wanderers.
2010 — The Proteas beat Afghanistan by 59 runs in a World T20 match in Bridgetown. Jacques Kallis’ 34 was South Africa’s top score in their innings of 139/7. Morne Morkel took 4/20, Charl Langeveldt 3/12 and Dale Steyn 2/6 as the Proteas dismissed their opponents for 80.
2010 — Shandre Fritz scores 58 as the South African women are limited to 158/4 to lose their T20 World Cup group match against West Indies at Basseterre by 17 runs.
2017 — Akani Simbine becomes the first South African sprinter to win the 100m at a Diamond League event. He clocked 9.99sec for victory in Doha ahead of an impressive field including Jamaica’s former world record-holder Asafa Powell, Olympic silver medallist Justin Gatlin and Olympic bronze medallist Andre De Grasse.
2024 — Lythe Pillay runs a sensational final leg as he takes South Africa from fifth spot to second to win silver in the 4x400m at World Relays in Bahamas. Gardeo Isaacs was second in the opening leg and Zakithi Nene third at the halfway mark. Antonie Nortje, running in place of Wayde van Niekerk, stayed in touch with the podium contenders before Pillay launched his attack. Neighbours Botswana won in 2min 59.11sec with the South Africans next home in 3:00.75.
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