If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. — John F Kennedy
When the walls of apartheid came crashing down in 1994 many racists predicted the end of South African sporting dominance or competitiveness in rugby and cricket, while football, which they perceived to be a black sport, never mattered enough to feature in their thinking.
Yet the three greatest sporting triumphs in South Africa’s rich sporting history are the two Rugby World Cups and the incredible series win in Australia which Mickey Arthur’s black and white Protea Army achieved at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
All three now chalked up to the multiracial democracy of the republic of South Africa and all three a testimony to what the 47-million people of this wonderful country can achieve when many become one.
Just as I choked back the tears when the Springboks held president Thabo Mbeki aloft in Paris during 2007, so too was I overcome with emotion watching the Proteas celebrate a sporting triumph I had given up hope of ever seeing in my lifetime.
Everywhere you looked in this team there were heroes. Man of the match Dale Steyn with his 10 wickets and maiden Test 50, JP Duminy with his match winning knock of 166, captain Graeme Smith with his two half centuries and Makhaya Ntini as the senior bowler guiding the youngsters through. Hashim Amla, who scored the winning runs, and Neil Mckenzie who had struggled in the first innings seeing the Proteas home to a nine-wicket win.
Most pleasing of all?
Besides socking it to the Aussies once and for all — on their home soil for the first time in history — and dumping the tag of chokers the Proteas showed the guts and character that all great sides must possess if they are going to achieve extraordinary success. This side has bags of it.
In Perth they chased down the second highest total (414) in history with six wickets to spare and here, at close of play on the second day, the Aussie commentators had it all but done and dusted with South Africa 198 for seven, about 196 runs behind on the first innings with three days to play. Yet out came JP Duminy and the Protea tail to not only close down the lead but surpass it by 65 at the end of the third day.
The Aussies were stunned the cricket world was gobsmacked; the chokers refused to choke.
Unlike Protea sides of days gone by this one doesn’t let you regroup. Overnight the baggy greens were four without loss but they were blown away on day four by a relentless Protea attack with Dale Steyn picking up his second haul of five wickets. An Aussie batting fightback had failed to materialise, leaving South Africa 183 to clinch the series.
Out they came to face six overs to finish day four which, in the past, would have yielded a desperate rearguard defence and two wickets before close of play. Not these Proteas — Graeme Smith with 27 looked like he wanted to win it on the day as those overs yielded 30 runs leaving 153 to win it on the final day.
Of course we had the doom and gloom merchants going on about the rain — Tony Greig telling us it’s never over until it’s over and Ricky Ponting promising that the Aussies would be in the Proteas faces from ball one on the final day.
The Proteas blasted straight passed all of it without flinching. Graeme Smith — captain fantastic — putting on 75 before falling to Hauritz lbw with 62 still required for victory leaving it to Amla and Mckenzie to close it down.
They did it in fine style and how we danced with joy.
Sport the great unifier of the people of South Africa had once again triumphed.
Roll on the SCG and pass the tissues.
Author
A prince with dignity and determination
Prince Ngarambe’s goals are to become Rwanda’s first transgender model and to uplift the country’s youth
The EFF’s principles are unshakeable
Unlike the ANC, the core values of the freedom fighters do not change with each leader it elects
