Cricket in South Africa
is the third most popular sport in South Africa. Traditionally played by English-speaking Whites, Indians, Coloureds and more recently, the Black community, the sport is now listed in the top two most popular among all race groups. Since the end of apartheid, a higher proportion of white players have come from Afrikaans-speaking backgrounds as well.
Like other Commonwealth cricket playing nations, the sport was first introduced in South Africa by the British in the early 19th Century, with the game becoming firmly established by the 1880s. Governed by Cricket South Africa, both the professional and amateur game possess a high standard of domestic cricket, with the season running from October to March each year.
South Africa is one of the world's leading cricket-playing nations and is one of the 12 countries sanctioned by the International Cricket Council to play Test Cricket. In 2012, South Africa became the first team to top the ICC rankings in all three formats of the game.
In 2003, the country hosted the Cricket World Cup, and in 2007, the inaugural World Twenty20. Along with Namibia and Zimbabwe, South Africa will jointly host the upcoming 2027 Cricket World Cup.
History
Emergence
In 1814, the Cape Colony was formally ceded to Britain by the Dutch after two previous occupations by British forces during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It is believed that cricket was first introduced to South Africa during the first occupation, an expedition led by General Sir James Craig. An accompanying officer, Charles Anguish, had been an early member of the Marylebone Cricket Club, playing 32 first-class matches before he departed for the Cape in 1795. It is supposed that Anguish organised inter-military matches upon his arrival. The earliest definite reference to cricket is dated to 1808, during the second occupation. The Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser carried a notice that:"A grand match at cricket will be played for 1,000 dollars aside on Tuesday, January 5, 1808, between the officers of the artillery mess, having Colonel Austen of the 60th Regiment, and the officers of the Colony, with General Clavering. The wickets are to be pitched at 10 o'clock."The first club known to have been formally established was at Port Elizabeth in 1843, with the land allocated still in use today as St George's Park. In 1876, Port Elizabeth presented the 'Champions Bat', a competition between towns in the Cape; initially Cape Town, Grahamstown, King William's Town and Port Elizabeth itself, the rudimental beginnings of domestic cricket in South Africa.
The years 1888 and 1889 are pivotal ones for the emergence of modern cricket in South Africa. Two major venues were presented, Newlands in Cape Town and the Old Wanderers in Johannesburg, and an English team arrived for the first overseas tour of South Africa. In March 1889, two matches were played between England and South African XI, in what retrospectively would be determined to be both the inaugural Test played by South Africa, and the inaugural first-class match played in South Africa. South Africa lost both matches but became the world's third Test nation.
In December 1889, first-class domestic cricket began, albeit on a challenge only footing, when Port Elizabeth Cricket Club hosted Natal at St George's Park. Sir Donald Currie, the founder of the Castle Shipping Line who had sponsored the English tour, donated a trophy for the domestic champions. The 'Currie Cup' was first awarded to Kimberley at the end of the 1889-90 season. From the 1892-93 season, first-class cricket gradually emerged into the more familiar province-based competition in a championship format.
In 1907, Abe Bailey, the President of the South African Cricket Association, wrote a letter to the Marylebone Cricket Club's secretary, Sir Francis Lacey, and suggested the formation of an 'Imperial Cricket Board'. Responsible for the formulation of rules, regulation and overall governance of international matches played between Australia, England and South Africa. Although Australia initially rejected the arrangement Bailey continued his lobbying, and during Australia's tour of England in 1909, he eventually received agreement. On 15 June 1909, representatives from Australia, England and South Africa met at Lord's and founded the Imperial Cricket Conference. Subsequent meetings were held that agreed on rules amongst the nations and the first Tri-Test series was to be held in England in 1912.
1910–1960
The South African War, as well as the First World War, disrupted cricket and led to its suspension. After the Armistice in 1918, South African cricket resumed and continuously toured and received visits from England and Australia. Although having a somewhat disappointing period during the 1920s, in the final pre-war decade South Africa became a consistently high-quality and competitive team. During this time, cricket in South Africa began to spread outside the British settler diaspora, particularly in the Afrikaner and Indian communities. However, cricket remained strictly, although not legally, segregated with various national bodies governing cricket for the different racial groups. First-class domestic and international cricket was white only, and would only play other white Test nations.File:Jimmy Sinclair c1905.jpg|thumb|Jimmy Sinclair, who holds the record for the highest strike rate in the history of Test cricket
Suspended once again during the Second World War, cricket in South Africa resumed after 1945. The introduction of apartheid following the 1948 General Election did not immediately affect the sport, and it continued to prosper and welcome visiting teams.
International isolation 1961–1991
South Africa left the Commonwealth after a successful 1960 South African republican referendum on 31 May 1961, and by extension, they also left the ICC as membership was entwined. Despite the rules being changed to allow "associate members" in 1964, South Africa did not reapply but continued to play against Australia, England and New Zealand without much difficulty.As decolonisation accelerated, and international moral public opinion began to change away ideas of racial, particularly white, superiority, South Africa became increasingly isolated. The anti-apartheid movement demanded that South Africa face boycotts, including in sport. Within the ICC, non-white members, particularly India, protested loudly about the discrimination their own diaspora received in South Africa, including the policies of apartheid which now legally barred non-whites from playing Test cricket for South Africa and the refusal of accepting touring teams that fielded non-whites. In 1970, the ICC banned South Africa from participating in internationally recognised cricket. This decision, arguably when South Africa was the strongest team in the world, cut short the Test careers of hugely talented players, such as Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards and Mike Procter. Many promising players later emigrated in order to play, whilst others never played Test cricket despite strong domestic first-class records.
The effect of the international boycott had significant impacts on the domestic game and cricket development. Standards, attendances and participation fell, along with South Africa missing out on the revolutionary changes to the game. The beginnings of limited-overs matches, including the new World Cup, cost South Africa financially, as well as evolutionary. Although South Africa tried to desegregate cricket in 1976 with the formation of a non-racial governing body, the South African Cricket Union, the ICC maintained their ban.
Throughout the 1980s, ‘Rebel Tours' were sponsored in which international, although not official, teams would tour South Africa playing Test and limited-overs. Between 1982 and 1990, seven tours were staged by four teams; Australia, England, the West Indies and Sri Lanka. Players joining ‘rebel tours' ran considerable risks to their own careers and reputations, with many facing a limited or lifetime ban from cricket upon their return. As an incentive, at a time when cricketers were not paid a great deal, the SACU offered substantial amounts of money to rebel teams.
International return
In July 1991, as South Africa negotiated a political way toward majority rule, the ICC reinstated South Africa as a Test nation and authorised the playing of international matches. By November, South Africa had played its first ODI, and first sanctioned match since 1970, against India in Calcutta, before playing their first Test match against the West Indies in April 1992. During the rest of the decade and early 21st Century, the national side gained a reputation as "chokers" and underachievers due to reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup four times but failing to progress, despite having hugely talented players, such as Hansie Cronje, as well as favourable win percentages. In 1998, South Africa won the inaugural ICC Knockout Trophy in Bangladesh - the tournament was later rebranded as the Champions Trophy. Also in 1998, South Africa defeated Australia in the final of the Commonwealth Games played in Malaysia. Although South Africa had spent 22 years away from ICC regulated cricket, the national side quickly re-confirmed their place as a highly competitive side, with particular notoriety in fast bowling.Domestically, cricket in South Africa responded to the political changes that had happened with the election of the ANC in 1994, and the return of South Africa to the Commonwealth of Nations on 1 June 1994 as a Commonwealth republic, particularly the changing of team names in the Castle Cup. Orange Free State become Free State, Eastern Transvaal became Easterns, Western Transvaal became North West, Transvaal became Gauteng, Northern Transvaal became Northerns and Natal became KwaZulu-Natal. The competition itself changed name for sponsorship reasons, first becoming the Castle Cup in 1990-91, before being the SuperSport Series in 1996-97.