Watch: In 2003, Makhaya Ntini became the first South African to take a ten-wicket haul in a Test match at Lord’s.
Often an unsung hero of Graeme Smith’s formidable South African Test team, Makhaya Ntini formed a lethal fast-bowling pair with Shaun Pollock for a major part of his career. He chose Lord’s to leave a mark of his own, registering his first 10-wicket haul in Tests and thereby, helping his side to a comprehensive innings win.
Many impressive team and individual accomplishments took place in this match.
Ntini’s two five-wicket hauls made him the first South African to take 10 wickets in a match at the venue. South Africa scored 682-6 – at that point their highest total – and inflicted on England their largest-ever first-innings deficit of 509.
Graeme Smith made 259, surpassing Don Bradman’s 73-year-old record for an overseas player in a Lord’s Test; equalling Bradman’s feat of double hundreds in consecutive Tests in England; and becoming the second South African to hit two doubles against England.
Batting at No.3 to let Smith pair with Herschelle Gibbs at the top, Gary Kirsten scored his first hundred at Lord’s, and shed a tear upon reaching the landmark.
And even in defeat, Andrew Flintoff made an explosive coming-of-age 142-ball 146 in England’s second innings, at that point the highest in at Lord’s by a No.7.
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Winning the toss, Smith informed his opposite number Michael Vaughan, in his first match as England captain, that the home team would have the “privilege” of opening up in seamer-friendly conditions. Then Ntini got to work.
Marcus Trescothick was the first to go, hounded by Ntini. The left-hander was never fearful of one ducking back into him, such was Ntini’s angled torso at the crease, but his tight lines suffocated Trescothick.
After surviving an outside edge thanks to a drop at second slip, he duly chopped onto his stumps after over-correcting enough for Ntini to find the inside edge.
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South African players celebrate their win in the Lord’s balcony[/caption]
Vaughan and Alec Stewart were then rushed into erratic pulls, before the wickets of Andrew Flintoff and Steven Harmison took Ntini to five.
But perhaps the second haul was the more valuable. In easier batting conditions, and with South Africa a bowler light after Dewald Pretorius pulled up after four overs in the first innings, Ntini displayed incredible fitness to reel off 31 overs. With the help of Pollock and Andrew Hall, the trio battled through England’s dogged top six, before Flintoff ’s futile fightback.
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Perhaps the most compelling period of cricket took place when Ntini was handed the new ball to get Flintoff, who had pulled him for a four and two sixes in the same over. Then he tried to smite Ntini through cover with such force that the bat broke.
Ntini raised his arms in pseudo-triumph, before hitting Flintoff on the head with a bumper. When he finally removed the last man, he fell to his knees to kiss the turf.
