The Australian Men’s Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team timeline represents arguably one of the fiercest rivalries seen in the history of international cricket. Since their first Test match in 1902-03, the rivalry has included unforgettable moments, memorable series, and fierce competition in every format. Throughout the decades, both teams have produced thrilling performances, supported by some legendary players in the likes of Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Shane Warne and AB de Villiers. Whether it be World Cup battles or thrilling clashes in Test matches, Australia vs South Africa has always provided exhilarating entertainment for cricket lovers around the world. Their timeline signifies the journeys of two cricketing giants, but it reflects the spirit, determination and passion that represent the best of cricket.
1902-1950: Initial Encounters
- 1902-1903 South Africa vs Australia: During a three-match Test series in South Africa, the Kangaroos played their maiden game against South Africa. Although the first match ended in a drawn, Australia won the second by 159 runs and the third by 10 wickets. Victor Trumper, Clement Hill, Warwick Armstrong, and Reginald Duff were among the Australian players. While South Africa was in its infancy as a Test nation, it had never been introduced to the level of cricket Australia represented, and could not compete with their skill level or experience. The series in which South Africa got their first 3 Tests was a great early platform for their future growth in international cricket.
- 1910- 1911 Australia vs South Africa: The third Test of this series is legendary, as it is the third Test in which South Africa got their first win over the Kangaroos. South Africa batted first, with scores of 482 & 360, limiting Australia to 465 & 339. South Africa won by 38 runs.
- 1931-1932 Australia vs South Africa: The 5 match Test series ended with Australia whitewashing the Proteas on their own turf. Pinpointing some of the key Australian players for this series included Donald Bradman, Keith Rigg, William Woodfull, Bert Ironmonger, Thomas Wall, and Clarence Grimmett.
- 1949-1950 South Africa vs Australia: Australia prevailed 4–0 in the series of five test matches. Australia thus won quite comfortably throughout the series, largely due to an unbroken batting depth of the likes of Lindsay Hassett, Neil Harvey, Arthur Morris, and John Moroney. Keith Miller, Ian Johnson, and William Johnston all supported with sufficient bowling depth. South Africa could not find a way to drill through the depth of Australia and have success for themselves.
1952- 1999: Close Chases
- 1952-1953 Australia vs South Africa: The competitive 1952–1953 Test series, which took place in Australia, ended in a draw. According to the records, the series was tied at 2-2 with one match ending in a draw. South Africa, with the help of John Cheetham at the helm, started the series well with victories in the second and fifth matches in Melbourne. In Brisbane and Sydney, the Kangaroos, under the leadership of , Lindsay Hassett, won the first and third games. This series certainly demonstrated a growing South Africa as an international competitor.
- 1969–70 South Africa vs Australia: It is this series in particular that stands out as a seminal series, with South Africa demolishing Australia 4-0, thanks to outstanding performances from Graeme Pollock, Eddie Barlow, Barry Richards, Brian Irvine, Peter Pollock, and Mike Procter. The Australians could not get assurance from the relentless pace and spin attacks of South Africa.
- 1991-1992 Benson & Hedges World Cup: The meeting between South Africa and the Australians at the pivotal group stage in Sydney is by far the most memorable ODI match. With South Africa being readmitted to international cricket, the match represented their first opportunity to take centre stage in a World Cup match. The Proteas acquitted themselves well, demonstrating superb discipline in their bowling and alertness in their fielding. Australia batted and scored 170, ereciably well controlled by South Africa, and Peter Kirsten and Kepler Wessels guided South Africa to a 9-wicket win.
- 1993-1994 Benson & Hedges World Series: South Africa and Australia participated in the 1993–1994 Benson & Hedges World Series finals. The Aussies won the championship, winning the best-of-three finals. The Proteas won the first final by 28 runs thanks to Gary Kirsten’s thrilling unbeaten 112 and Richard Snell’s 5-wicket haul. In the second final, Australia won comfortably by 69 runs with Mark Waugh making a fine 107 runs. In the third final, Australia won by 35 runs, with Mark Waugh again delivering a similar score of 60 off 53 balls.
- 1997-1998 Carlton & United Series: In the finals of this series, South Africa won the first match by 6 runs, Australia won the second match by 7 wickets, and the last very close final saw the Australians win by 14 runs.
- 1999 ICC World Cup: South Africa and Australia played in the second semi-final of the 1999 ICC World Cup, and it was an exciting contest at Edgbaston. Australia scored 213 runs with Michael Bevan top-scoring with a sturdy 65 not out, and South Africa fought back. Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes seemed to be playing well and having moderate success in their chase before it finished in a tie and South Africa out of the World Cup on a lower stage ranking than just hours before, and Australia back in the Final and South Africa crushed.
2000s-2010: The Evolving Dynamic of Aus-SA Rivalry
- 2001-2002 Australia vs South Africa: Australia dominated the Proteas in three Test matches. With a 246-run triumph in the first Test, a 9-wicket victory in the second, and a 10-wicket victory in the final, Australia cemented their dominant position in the match.
- 2005-2006 South Africa vs Australia: South Africa took a 5-game ODI series 3-2 over Australia. They started the series by winning the first game by 6 wickets using the D/L method. In the second game, the Proteas started with the bat and made 289 in an innings and then kept Australia’s score to 93 in an innings. By winning the match by 196 runs. Australia bounced back by winning the 3rd and 4th games by 24 runs and 1-wicket, respectively. The Proteas finished the series in style with a final 1-wicket win in the last game.
- 2005-2006 Australia vs South Africa: On January 9, 2006, Australia and South Africa played their first Twenty20 International at The Gabba in Brisbane, Australia. Australia won by a score of 95 runs with ease. Andrew Symonds and Damien Martyn’s batting set the tone, resulting in a score of 209/3. While the Proteas were bowled out for 114 runs, Nathan Bracken claimed two wickets for the Australians. As a result, Australia’s first Twenty20 match against South Africa was dominated.
- 2006-2007 ICC World Cup: The second semi-final of the 2007 ICC World Cup, Australia played South Africa in St. Lucia, and South Africa were bowled out for 149 all out. These early wickets were all due to Glenn McGrath and Shaun Tait. Because of an impressive score of 49 by Justin Kemp and a cameo of 39 from Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa did at least reach 149. Australia chased down the total easily, however, with Michael Clarke’s unbeaten 60 ensuring Australia’s win by 7 wickets and a place in the final, where they showed their superiority with the bat and ball in a relatively one-sided encounter.
- 2008-2009 Australia vs South Africa: The series in the 2008-2009 Test series was historic. South Africa defeated Australia 2-1 in the three-match series, and had the brilliance of players of AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, and Dale Steyn, who all had commanding performances in their Test matches against Australia. By the middle of the series, however, Australia were starting to struggle to impede the forceful South African performances. Australia was represented by their own characters in Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson, and Ricky Ponting, who fought hard for Australia through the matches.
2011-Present
- 2011-2012 South Africa vs Australia: The T20I series between South Africa and Australia in 2011, the teams each won 1 game apiece. The first of the two-match series was played in Cape Town on 13 October, where Australia won by 5 wickets off a stunning fifty from Shane Watson and an equally impressive debut performance from Pat Cummins. In the second match of the series, which took place in Johannesburg on October 16, South Africa recovered and won by three wickets, with Johan Botha leading his team with 34 runs off 28 balls. The series was tied, 1-1, and both teams shared the spoils. This exhibited a competitive spirit and highlighted some emerging talents for both teams.
- Triangular Series 2014-2015, Zimbabwe: Throughout the series, South Africa met Australia on three occasions, winning two of them. In the Final between Australia and South Africa where Australia batted first and were all out for 217 runs. With 4 wickets down, South Africa achieved the 221 runs in 40.5 overs, having been asked to bat second. With 96 from Faf du Plessis and an unbeaten 57 from AB de Villiers, South Africa completed the series, and by winning the Final, they won by 6 wickets.
- 2022 – 2023 Australia vs South Africa: The Test series consisted of 3 Tests, which Australia won the series 2-0. David Warner, Alex Carey, Travis Head, and Usman Khawaja were the recognised batsmen for Australia. Pat Cummins was the leading bowler for Australia. South Africa showed some grit: Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada all showed some maturity. But Australia, as shown through the series, took care of business.
- 2023 ICC World Cup: This year at the ICC World Cup, Australia and South Africa met twice, with each team winning a match. South Africa’s victory in the first match definitely came with some superb batting from Quinton de Kock, as well as with some great bowling. Australia’s response to South Africa looked good in the second match, with a terrific performance from Travis Head early on in the innings and solid bowling performances across the board from Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
- 2023 South Africa vs Australia: Australia completed a clean sweep against South Africa in a three-match T20I series 3-0. In the first match, Mitchell Marsh scored 92 not out for Australia (226/6), handing South Africa an impossible target. In match two, Sean Abbott was very sharp with 3/22 in four overs to restrict South Africa to 164/8. Australia chased this target easily, with Marsh again not out at 79. In match 3, Travis Head smashed a remarkable 91 runs, and Australia completed the clean sweep, winning the match with five wickets to spare.
Read Also
