South African Cricket Team in England in 1994

South African Cricket Team In England In 1994

The South African cricket team toured England during the 1994 season. This was their first tour to England after the apartheid-inspired international sporting ban was rescinded. The team was led by Eastern Province's Kepler Wessels, who had returned to his native country after playing 24 Tests for Australia during the International ban years.

South Africa had made a promising start to their International return, drawing their two most recent series, home and away against Australia, and some talents had begun to emerge already. Allan Donald was already well-known to English spectators from his extended and successful spell as Warwickshire's overseas player from 1987 onwards, and had spearheaded the South African attack with 63 Test wickets prior to this series, and Fanie de Villiers made a useful foil, having taken 22 wickets against the Australians, including 6-43 in the victory at Sydney. Andrew Hudson had emerged as a superb opener, racking up centuries against the West Indies and Australia and nine fifties in his short career. Jonty Rhodes had established himself as one of the top fielders in the world already, and had won over doubters of his batting with a never-say-die attitude, which characterised the whole team, even where outright ability was lacking.

England had just completed a victorious series against New Zealand, but seemed flattered by the tourists reliance on a couple of key players. The South Africans would provide a much more useful yardstick of Ray Illingworth's management of the team, and there were still doubts over middle order batsmen Robin Smith and Graeme Hick and the strength of the bowling, despite Phillip DeFreitas's re-emergence. New caps Darren Gough and Craig White had looked promising against New Zealand, but had yet to be seriously tested.

The Test series was drawn 1-1, with South Africa atarting very well and dominating the First Test before England recovered to level the series on the back of somewhat improved batting and the raw pace of Devon Malcolm, whose 9/57 in the second innings at The Oval earned him the nickname of "The Destroyer" in South Africa. The One-Day series was won more comfortably by the hosts, 2-0. The tourists' victory in the First Test was somewhat overshadowed by the controversy over ball tampering by England captain Michael Atherton, who was seen taking dirt from his pocket while fielding and using it to dry the ball.