Dale Steyn - Early Life and Domestic Career

Early Life and Domestic Career

Dale grew up in the small town of Phalaborwa on the border of the world-famous wildlife haven, the Kruger National Park. Active and energetic, Dale was naturally drawn to sports. His love of being outdoors led him also to more solitary activities such as bass fishing and skateboarding. Dale began playing cricket when he was around 11 years old and he received a Hansie Cronje cricket set as a Christmas gift. Family games on the lawn soon led to a place in the school cricket team. During his school years, Dale had exceptional pace and a raw talent, but a career in cricket didn’t seem possible. “When you live in a small town and there is just a handful of players, it doesn’t really count that you may be the cream of the crop,” Dale comments “People might say you’re destined for great things. But when you’re in a small town, what are the chances?”

Steyn made his first-class debut for Northerns (subsequently merged with Easterns to form the Titans) on 17 October 2003. He only played two first-class games and made little impact in his first season, but a series of strong performances in the initial part of the 2004/2005 season saw him called up to the Test squad to play England. He went back to playing for the Titans after failing to impress in his first three Tests.

Steyn went to England in 2005 to play for Essex, appearing in seven matches between May and June. He failed to make a big impact in his initial outing in County Championship cricket, taking 14 wickets at 59.85. On his return to domestic cricket in South Africa, Steyn bowled excellently for the Titans through the 2005/2006 season which earned him a recall to the Test squad to face New Zealand.

Steyn seized the opportunity to cement his place in the South Africa Test team, and as a result of becoming a regular selection for the national team, he has subsequently played little domestic cricket in South Africa during the last two seasons, appearing for the Titans in just three SuperSport Series matches.

He had a second stint in England, playing for Warwickshire in the first half of the 2007 English season. This time around he had more success, claiming 23 County Championship wickets in seven matches at an average of 25.86. He also played well in the Friends Provident Trophy, a 50-over tournament, finishing as the leading wicket-taker for Warwickshire. He has since become a regular in the South African One Day International team.

Steyn signed to play in the Indian Premier League in 2008, playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He earned US$325,000 for his appearance in the tournament. For IPL 2011 he was bought by Deccan Chargers for $1.2 million.