Today in sports history – 30 March

As sport grinds to a halt all over the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve decided to have a daily look back at those “simpler” times, when there was triumph, drama and disappointment on various fields and arenas.

This is today in sport history…

1946

1938: Bill ‘Tiger’ O’Reilly (1905 – 1992), Australia’s successful spin bowler, in action. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

Talk about beating up your neighbour. The first cricket Test match ever between New Zealand and Australia commences in Wellington. Both teams are eager to make an impression after World War II ground the game to a shuddering halt for over seven years. But the Kiwis probably freak out once they see what the field looks like.

So damp had it been in the country’s capital that the groundsman couldn’t even mow the outfield. More concerningly, the prepared pitch was way too wet, so it was decided to cut out one right next to it. Such was the state of the ground that the two skippers, Walter Hadlee and Bill Brown discussed delaying proceedings. However, the crowd was so significant that they just couldn’t stand disappointing hungry fans.

After all, this was a historic fixture.

It turned into a nightmare for the New Zealanders. They were blown out of the water for 42 in their first innings. John Cowie did well to take 6/40 as the Aussies wasted a fine start to declare their batting effort on 199/8. The positivity didn’t last long though as the Black Caps collapsed to 54 – losing by an innings and 103 runs at 3.30pm on the second day!

Bill O’Reilly, considered one of the greatest spinners ever, ended his last Test with match figures of 8/34. It would take 44 years for the two neighbours to play a Test again.

1954

Gary Sobers of the West Indies in action. Mandatory Credit: /Allsport UK

World cricket’s greatest all-rounder – if you don’t consider the Proteas’ Jacques Kallis to wear that crown – makes his Test debut for the West Indies against England in Jamaica. Sir Garfield Sobers is the 17-year-old whizz kid in the team, an over-achiever already. He was born with six fingers on both hands, which were removed at birth, but that hardly seemed to challenge his athletic talents.

Sobers was brilliant at track and field and played representative golf, basketball and soccer for Barbados. Yet it was cricket that was his first love. The teenager’s debut is a fine one. Sobers makes 14 and 26 with the bat in the lower order as his bowling takes centre stage, claiming figures of 4/75 in 28.4 overs in England’s first innings.

It was a fitting prologue to a career that would produce 8032 Test runs and 235 wickets.

1985

Piet Crous boxing in South Africa.
(Photo by Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images)

Piet Crous celebrates his relative newfound fame as one of local boxing’s more accomplished performers by defending his WBA cruiserweight title against Randy Stephens of the US. The Brixton-born pugilist decided to take a high-risk approach of going for a KO victory early, but suffered from some waywardness initially. Ironically, Crous found himself on the canvas in the third round after Stephens struck a meaty blow before, just almost two minutes later, he found his mojo … and the knockout.

The performance was in contrast to Crous’ overall character as a boxer. He was energetic and hard-working, prepared to rather wear opponents down than be flamboyant. His WBA title came after he outlasted Ossie Ocasio for 15 rounds. Crous had potential as a schoolboy, but decided to focus on rugby after he completed his military service. Marriage changed that.

Requiring a bit more money, Crous started training again, but suffered a huge setback when his trainer and mentor – Pierre Fourie – died in an accident. High on emotion and low on money, he wanted to ditch the sport until the legendary Willie Toweel convinced him to give it a go again. From there on, Crous’ career soared.

2001

Down in Austin, Texas, a 15-year-old swimmer introduces himself to the world with a sensational performance at the American World Championship trials. Michael Phelps had the previous year become the youngest male to make the US Olympic swimming team for 68 years and promisingly ended fifth in the 200m butterfly final in Sydney.

Brimming with confidence, Phelps clocks 1:54.92 in the 200 butterfly during the American World Championship trials, becoming the youngest individual ever to claim a swimming world record. More glory would await later that year at the showpiece event, commencing a 15-year reign as the greatest Olympian ever.

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