During the Mount Maunganui Test match against New Zealand, South Africa debutant Tshepo Moreki joined the list of bowlers to take a wicket with their first ball in Test cricket.

South Africa gave out Test caps to six cricketers at Mount Maunganui – captain Neil Brand, wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin, Tshepo Moreki, Edward Moore, Ruan de Swardt, and Raynard van Tonder.

After Duanne Olivier, the most capped cricketer of the squad, sent down the first over, Brand summoned Moreki to open bowling from the other end.

Moreki hit Devon Conway’s pads with his first ball and got the decision in his favour. Conway consulted with non-striker Tom Latham before deciding against a review.

In the process, Moreki became the 24th cricketer and the fourth South African (after Bert Vogler, Dane Piedt, and Hardus Viljoen) to take a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket.

Bowlers to take a wicket with their first ball in Test cricket

Tom Horan (Australia) dismissed WW Read (England), Sydney 1882/83
Arthur Coningham (Australia) dismissed Archie MacLaren (England), Melbourne 1894/95
Bill Bradley (England) dismissed Frank Laver (Australia), Manchester 1899
Ted Arnold (England) dismissed Victor Trumper (Australia), Sydney 1903/04
Bert Vogler (South Africa) dismissed Ernie Hayes (England), Johannesburg 1905/06
Jack Crawford (England) dismissed Bert Vogler (South Africa), Johannesburg 1905/06
George Macaulay (England) dismissed George Hearne (South Africa), Cape Town 1922/23
Maurice Tate (England) dismissed Fred Susskind (South Africa), Birmingham 1924
Matt Henderson (New Zealand) dismissed Eddie Dawson (England), Christchurch 1929/30
Dennis Smith (New Zealand) dismissed Eddie Paynter (England), Christchurch 1932/33
Tyrell Johnson (West Indies) dismissed Walter Keeton (England), The Oval 1939
Keith Miller (Australia) dismissed Walter Hadlee (New Zealand), Wellington 1945/46
Dick Howorth (England) dismissed Dennis Dyer (South Africa), The Oval 1947
Intikhab Alam (Pakistan) dismissed Colin McDonald (Australia), Karachi 1959/60
Richard Illingworth (England) dismissed Phil Simmons (West Indies), Nottingham 1991
Nilesh Kulkarni (India) dismissed Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka), Premadasa 1997
Chamila Gamage (Sri Lanka) dismissed Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh), SSC 2002
Nathan Lyon (Australia) dismissed Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka), Galle 2011/12
Shaminda Eranga (Sri Lanka) dismissed Shane Watson (Australia), SSC 2011/12
Dane Piedt (South Africa) dismissed Mark Vermeulen (Zimbabwe), Harare 2014
Hardus Viljoen (South Africa) dismissed Alastair Cook (England), Johannesburg 2015/16
Nijat Masood (Afghanistan) dismissed Zakir Hasan (Bangladesh), Mirpur 2023
Shamar Joseph (West Indies) dismissed Steve Smith (Australia), Adelaide 2023/24
Tshepo Moreki (South Africa) dismissed Devon Conway (New Zealand), Mount Maunganui, 2023/24

On January 2, 1904, Vogler got Hayes with his first ball, then fell to Crawford’s first ball in the same Test match.
No one achieved the feat in the 1960s, the 1970s, or the 1980s.

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