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Friday, December 31, 2010
Dale Steyn Is A South African Cricket Player Currently Ranked No.1 Test Bowler In The World-
South African paceman Dale Steyn is to be investigated by match referee Jeff Crowe for allegedly spitting in the direction of West Indies spinner Sulieman Benn during the third and final test.
The alleged incident took place as Steyn walked off after he had been dismissed in the morning session on Monday.
South Africa completed a seven-wicket victory on day four on Tuesday and clinched the series 2-0.
"We've had a discussion with the on-field umpires and the match referee and they will take this matter up to the next level if they have to," West Indies captain Chris Gayle told reporters.
Tempers also flared on Tuesday when umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis had to intervene to keep the peace after West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach struck Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis on the helmet.
Gayle said the series had been played in good spirit before the final test.
"It was brilliant leading up to this test match but things got out of hand. The series has been a wonderful one, it's just unfortunate that at the end we had a bit of a boil up, Gayle said.
South African bowlers rip through India
source-www.smh.com.au
Dale Steyn of South Africa celebrates after dismissing Sachin Tendulkar. Photo: ReutersCENTURION: South Africa's fast bowlers made up for lost time as they ripped through the Indian batting line-up on a rain-shortened first day of the first Test at SuperSport Park overnight.
Morne Morkel took four wickets and Dale Steyn three as India crashed to 9-136 after being sent in on a green, damp pitch.
Morkel, who took four for 20 and bowled with consistent hostility, said it was a disciplined performance by the bowlers.
"We were under pressure after winning the toss and sending them in to bat. We needed to execute well. A lot of times when the ball is nipping around you can get carried away but today we kept calm, kept cool and did the basics right," he said.
Steyn, whose three wickets cost 34 runs, backed up his new ball partner's comments.
"All the wickets today were with good bowling and keeping the ball up to the bat," he said. "It was good planning."
Only Sachin Tendulkar, who made an elegant 36 off 34 balls, looked at ease as Steyn and Morkel confirmed their credentials as the world's most lethal new ball pair as they scythed through the side ranked number one in Test cricket.
Steyn started the slide early when he had Virender Sehwag caught at third man for nought. He followed up with two superb, full, late-swinging deliveries to get rid of VVS Laxman and Tendulkar after the pair had mounted a mini-recovery after India had slumped to 3-27.
Laxman and Tendulkar put on 39 before Laxman and Tendulkar fell in successive overs from Steyn, sandwiched by the wicket of Suresh Raini, who lasted only three balls before edging Jacques Kallis to third slip.
The tall Morkel claimed the wickets of Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid in successive overs. He also dismissed tailenders Ishant Sharma and Sree Sreesanth before bad light ended play. Dravid was his 100th victim in his 29th Test.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, hitting out as he batted with the tail, finished the day on 33 not out.
The only other batsman to reach 20 was Harbhajan Singh, who followed his two centuries against New Zealand recently with another hard-hitting innings of unusual strokes, making 27 off 25 balls before he was out in a manner as unorthodox as his batting.
After Dhoni hit the ball to deep cover, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher collected a throw from Alviro Petersen and flicked it between his own legs to run out Harbhajan by a few centimetres.
Harbhajan said the toss was the most crucial factor of the day.
"It's always tough to lose the toss on this sort of wicket," he said.
"Some balls were stopping and some were going through."
Harbhajan said India remained confident.
"As a team we like to be challenged," he said. "Now we will look to bowl well and stop them getting too far away from us."
Morkel, though, backed South Africa to gain a worthwhile lead when they get to bat.
"I can't see us not getting the runs on the board," he said.
Heavy rain overnight and during the morning delayed the start by four and a half hours and South African captain Graeme Smith had no hesitation about sending India in. Dhoni said he too would have chosen to bowl first.
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| Personal information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dale Willem Steyn | |||
| Born | 27 June 1983 Phalaborwa, Transvaal Province, South Africa | |||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||
| Batting style | Right-handed | |||
| Bowling style | Right-arm fast | |||
| Role | Bowler | |||
| International information | ||||
| National side | South Africa | |||
| Test debut (cap 297) | 17 December 2004 v England | |||
| Last Test | 29 June 2010 v West Indies | |||
| ODI debut (cap 82) | 17 August 2005 v Asia XI | |||
| Last ODI | 28 May 2010 v West Indies | |||
| ODI shirt no. | 8 | |||
| Domestic team information | ||||
| Years | Team | |||
| 2003-2004 | Northerns | |||
| 2004-present | Titans (squad no. 8) | |||
| 2005 | Essex | |||
| 2007 | Warwickshire | |||
| 2007-present | Royal Challengers Bangalore (squad no. 2) | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Competition | Test | ODI | FC | LA |
| Matches | 45 | 43 | 86 | 87 |
| Runs scored | 588 | 86 | 1,092 | 132 |
| Batting average | 13.67 | 9.55 | 14.18 | 7.76 |
| 100s/50s | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0/3 | 0/0 |
| Top score | 76 | 35 | 82 | 35 |
| Balls bowled | 9,221 | 2,120 | 16,671 | 4,180 |
| Wickets | 232 | 61 | 386 | 130 |
| Bowling average | 23.31 | 31.21 | 24.35 | 25.93 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 15 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| 10 wickets in match | 4 | n/a | 6 | n/a |
| Best bowling | 7/51 | 4/16 | 8/41 | 5/20 |
| Catches/stumpings | 13/– | 7/– | 19/– | 13/– |
| Source: cricinfo, 30 December 2010 | ||||
Dale Willem Steyn (pronounced /ˈsteɪn/) (born 27 June 1983 in Phalaborwa, Transvaal Province, South Africa) is a South African cricketer who plays in Test and One Day International cricket for South Africa. He is currently the number one ranked Test bowler in the world . Steyn plays domestic cricket in South Africa for Cape Cobras.
He is a right-arm fast bowler, and bowls at speeds of around 145–150 km/h (his fastest being recorded at 156.2 km/h during the 2010 IPL, Bangalore Royal Challengers against Kolkata Knight Riders).
Steyn holds the record for the fastest South African to reach 100 wickets in Test Match cricket, a feat he achieved on 2 March 2008. Steyn currently has the third best bowling strike rate of all time in Test match cricket (amongst bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 2500 deliveries), behind George Lohmann and Shane Bond.
He achieved a tally of 78 wickets at the world class average of 16.24 in Season 2007/08 and was subsequently rewarded with the prestigious ICC 2008 Test Cricketer of the Year Award. He is also the victim of Rahul Dravid's 200th catch.
Domestic career-
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.
Playing style-
Steyn is an aggressive out-and-out fast bowler capable of bowling at speeds in excess of 150 km/h. He is capable of generating considerable swing and is usually chosen to bowl with the new ball to maximise these attributes. He has also demonstrated the ability to reverse swing the older ball in a Test match against India in Nagpur in 2010, which South Africa won by an innings and six runs. Steyn is an extremely competitive cricketer and often celebrates vigorously after taking a wicket. He has stated that "(he) love(s) the buzz from bowling fast" and that "(he) want(s) to be the quickest in the world".
Steyn is usually considered a tail-ender when batting and often bats at number ten or eleven. However, he is a capable hitter of the ball and can also occupy the crease if required.
International career-
Dale Steyn in the field at the SCG in January 2009
Home Tests against England 2004/05-
Steyn made his debut for South Africa on 17 December 2004 in the first Test of England's tour. His first victim in Test cricket was Marcus Trescothick whom he bowled with a fast in-swinging delivery. However, his overall performance was underwhelming, he took eight wickets at an average of 52.00 and he was dropped after bowling poorly in England's second innings of the fourth Test in January 2005, bowling eight no balls in nine overs which went for 47 runs. England won the match by 77 runs.
Achievements and Records-
Test Five-wicket innings-
| Test Five-wicket innings | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Figures | Match | Against | City/Country | Venue | Season |
| 1 | 5/47 | 4 | New Zealand | Centurion, South Africa | SuperSport Park | 2005/06 |
| 2 | 5/82 | 8 | Sri Lanka | Colombo, Sri Lanka | P Saravanamuttu Stadium | 2006 |
| 3 | 5/56 | 12 | Pakistan | Karachi, Pakistan | National Stadium | 2006/07 |
| 4 | 5/34 | 14 | New Zealand | Johannesburg, South Africa | New Wanderers Stadium | 2007/08 |
| 5 | 5/59 | 14 | New Zealand | Johannesburg, South Africa | New Wanderers Stadium | 2007/08 |
| 6 | 6/49 | 15 | New Zealand | Centurion, South Africa | SuperSport Park | 2007/08 |
| 7 | 6/72 | 18 | West Indies | Durban, South Africa | Kingsmead | 2007/08 |
| 8 | 5/23 | 22 | India | Ahmedabad, India | Ahmedabad | 2007/08 |
| 9 | 5/63 | 25 | Bangladesh | Bloemfontein, South Africa | OUTsurance Oval | 2008/09 |
| 10 | 5/87 | 28 | Australia | Melbourne, Australia | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 2008/09 |
| 11 | 5/67 | 28 | Australia | Melbourne, Australia | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 2008/09 |
| 12 | 5/51 | 35 | England | Johannesburg, South Africa | New Wanderers Stadium | 2009/10 |
| 13 | 7/51 | 37 | India | Nagpur, India | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium | 2009/10 |
| 14 | 5/29 | 38 | West Indies | Port of Spain, West Indies | Queen's Park Oval | 2010 |
| 15 | 6/50 | 45 | India | Durban, South Africa | Kingsmead | 2010/11 |
Test Ten-wicket Matches-
| Test Ten-wicket Matches | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Match Figures | Match | Against | City/Country | Venue | Season |
| 1 | 10/93 | 14 | New Zealand | Johannesburg, South Africa | New Wanderers Stadium | 2007/08 |
| 2 | 10/91 | 15 | New Zealand | Centurion, South Africa | SuperSport Park | 2007/08 |
| 3 | 10/154 | 28 | Australia | Melbourne, Australia | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 2008/09 |
| 4 | 10/108 | 37 | India | Nagpur, India | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium | 2009/10 |
Steyn took his 200th Test wicket against the West Indies in the first Test of the three match series, that 200th wicket came from just 39 Test matches. Dale Steyn is the fourth fastest bowler to get to 200 Test wickets, only CV Grimmett (Aus) 36, DK Lillee (Aus) 38 and Waqar Younis (Pak) 38 have reached the 200 Test wicket mile stone quicker than Dale Steyn.
It’s the above statistic that got me reading and looking up Steyn’s statistics, here’s what I found:
Steyn’s strike rate has been consistent since the start of his Test career in December 2004, his 100th wicket came in his 21st test match.
He’s taken 10 wickets in a match on four occasions, he took 10 wickets back to back against New Zealand in 2007. Steyn has taken 5 wickets on fourteen occasions. To put these statistics in perspective, Shaun Pollock who holds the record for the number of Test wickets by a South African (421) has taken 5 wickets on sixteen occasions and 10 wickets just once .
Bowling partners-
The recent success that Morne Morkel has enjoyed should have a positive impact on Dale Steyn, all of the great fast bowlers in the world have had a successful bowling partner. Donald had Pollock, Pollock had Ntini and now Steyn has Morkel.
As South Africans we should enjoy watching the number 1 Test bowler in the world hitting his finest form and celebrate his success.
One Day Internationals 2005/06-
Later that year, Steyn was picked in the squad for the African XI in the Afro-Asia Cup of 2005/06, and he made his One Day International debut on 17 August 2005. The African XI won the match, with Steyn bowling last batsman Ashish Nehra to seal victory by two runs.
Steyn made his One Day International debut for South Africa on 20 January 2006 in a match against Australia at Melbourne, a match which was part of the 2005-06 VB Series. Steyn did not bowl particularly well and after another below par performance against Sri Lanka he dropped out of consideration for the South African ODI team.
Home Tests against New Zealand 2005/2006-
Following a strong season playing domestic cricket for the Titans, Steyn was recalled to the Test side to play New Zealand in April 2006. He responded to his opportunity with his first five-wicket haul in the first Test at Centurion, ripping through the New Zealand batting lineup along with Makhaya Ntini as New Zealand crumbled to 120 all out, chasing 248 to win. He finished the three Test series with 16 wickets at 26.00 and made a fine impression throughout.
Away Tests against Sri Lanka 2006-
Steyn was included in the Test team to play Sri Lanka away in a two match series in July and August 2006. In his first overseas Test, at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, he took 3 for 129 as Sri Lanka piled up 756-5, with Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene putting together the highest Test match partnership ever (624 runs). South Africa slumped to defeat by an innings and 153 runs. In the second Test, at the Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo, Steyn took his second five-wicket haul in Tests during Sri Lanka's first innings, but went wicketless in their seconds innings as Sri Lanka sealed a 2-0 series victory by a single wicket. Steyn finished the series with eight wickets at an average of 36.50.
Home Tests against India 2006/07-
Steyn retained his Test place for the three match home series against India. He picked up an injury whilst bowling early in India's first innings in the first Test at Johannesburg which prevented him from taking much further part in the game and also ruled him out of the second Test. He returned to play in the deciding third Test at Cape Town and bowled well, taking six wickets for 88 runs in the match as South Africa clinched the match and the series. He finished the series with six wickets at an average of 19.00.
Home Tests against Pakistan 2006/07-
Despite his strong performance on his return to the team in the third Test against India, Steyn missed out on a place in the first two Tests against Pakistan, with the selectors opting to play a four man attack featuring full-time spinner Paul Harris. He returned in the third Test, at Cape Town, when the selectors decided to rest Andre Nel and Shaun Pollock in preparation for the imminent 2007 Cricket World Cup. He took four wickets in the match for 87 runs as South Africa won the match by 5 wickets and took the series 2-1. As this was his only match, his average for the series was 21.75.
Away Tests against Australia 2008/2009-
Steyn fields a ball at practice, Adelaide Oval, January 2009.
In the 2nd Test match in a 3 match series, Steyn was involved in a record 9th wicket partnership of 180 with J.P. Duminy. Steyn recorded a score of 76 (191 deliveries) in an innings that helped South Africa recover from 6-141 to post a score of 459. Steyn also starred in the first innings with figures of 5-87 (29.0 overs). In the second innings Steyn returned figures of 5-67 (20.2 overs) and helped South Africa to restrict the Australians to 247 giving the hosts a lead of 183. Steyn now has match figures of 10-154. This is the third time that he has taken 10 wickets in a match in his test career. South Africa duly completed the chase with nine wickets in hand, giving them a 2–0 series lead and their first ever Test series win in Australia.
It was also Australia's first home series defeat in 16 years. Steyn was named man of the match for this performance. Steyn made a rearguard effort in attempting to prevent an Australian victory in the 3rd Test in Sydney frustrating the hosts with 28 runs in 65 balls in a 50 run partnership from 105 balls with Makhaya Ntini in order to try to secure the draw. However, when he was out with 50 balls to go, injured captain Graeme Smith came in with a broken hand in an attempt to hold out. Smith was eventually bowled out by Mitchell Johnson with ten balls to go.
Away Tests Against West Indies 2010-
In the first test against the Windies in the 2010 series, South Africa convincingly beat them, with Steyn take his 200th wicket, Sulimenn Benn, clean bowled (off stump). This was also the wicket that brought Steyn his 14th five - for, a superb achievement considering Steyn's modest record of only 38 tests.
Test Man-of-the-Match Awards:
| Test Man-of-the-Match Awards | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Match Bowling Figures | Match Batting Figures | Match | Against | City/Country | Venue | Season |
| 1 | 5/34 and 5/59 | 13 and did not bat | 14 | New Zealand | Johannesburg, South Africa | New Wanderers Stadium | 2007/08 |
| 2 | 4/42 and 6/49 | 25 and did not bat | 15 | New Zealand | Centurion, South Africa | SuperSport Park | 2007/08 |
| 3 | 5/87 and 5/67 | 76 and did not bat | 28 | Australia | Melbourne, Aus | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 2008/0 |
Test Man-of-the-Series Awards-
| Test Man-of-the-Series Awards | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Matches | Series Wickets and Bowling Average | Series Runs and Batting Average | Against | Country | Season |
| 1 | 2 | 20 wickets at 9.20 | 38 runs at 19.00 | New Zealand | South Africa | 2007/08 |
| 2 | 3 | 20 wickets at 19.10 | 59 runs at 29.50 | West Indies | South Africa | 2007/08 |
| 3 | 2 | 14 wickets at 12.57 | 7 runs at 7.00 | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2007/08 |
Career Best Performances-
| Batting | Bowling | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | |
| Tests | 76 | South Africa v Australia | MCG | 2008 | 7-51 | South Africa v India | Nagpur | 2010 |
| ODI | 35 | South Africa v India | Jaipur | 2010 | 4-16 | South Africa v Bangladesh | Potchefstroom | 2008 |
| T20I | 5 | South Africa v England | Bridgetown | 2010 | 4-9 | South Africa v West Indies | Port Elizabeth | 2007 |
| FC | 82 | Essex v Durham | Riverside | 2005 | 8-41 | Titans v Eagles | Bloemfontein | 2007 |
| LA | 35 | South Africa v India | Jaipur | 2010 | 5-20 | South Africa A v Sri Lanka A | Colombo (RPS) | 2005 |
| T20 | 22 | Titans v Lions | Centurion | 2010 | 4-9 | South Africa v West Indies | Port Elizabeth | 2007 |
- Dale Steyn-
- Dale Steyn is currently the number one ranked Test bowler in the world cricket Player. He is Protea's (fast bowler), South African Cricket Club. Test Debut: v England at Port Elizabeth - 17-21 December 2004. ODI Debut: Africa XI v Asia XI at Centurion - 17 August 2005. Won four awards at the Mutual and Federal SA Cricket Awards in June 2008. He has been nominated for the CSA Test Cricketer of the Year; SA Cricketer of the Year "2010 SA Cricket Awards Gala".
Steyn showed what makes him such a big threat. He had the opportunity of bowling in very helpful conditions at both venues but he never tried to overachieve, never got overexcited. He assessed the conditions coolly and bowled just the right line and length to snare his victims.
The first day of the Durban Test was the perfect example – the wicket was green and the sky was overcast, an ideal setting for a fast man. Morne Morkel, now No. 3 in the bowler rankings, kept bowling short and wide and hardly troubled the batsmen. Steyn, on the other hand, bowled full and on and around the off-stump. He did not waste his energy on bowling bouncers. The result was some unplayable deliveries which accounted for batsmen like Sehwag and Dravid. Steyn finished with 6/50 off 19 incisive overs to grab the initiative for South Africa, yet again.
Indian batsmen will be the first to vouch for Steyn's class as they have often been on the receiving end of his prowess. During the Ahmedabad Test in 2008, Steyn claimed 5/23 as India were bowled out for 76 in just two hours in the first innings. South Africa won the Test easily. In Nagpur, earlier this year, Steyn (7/51) made the old ball talk as India slumped to 233 all out from 192/3. South Africa ran out winners here too. At Centurion too, Steyn got the crucial breaks on the third and fourth evenings to hasten India's slide.
The Durban Test is Steyn's ninth against India and he already has 45 wickets at a measly 18.42 per wicket after the end of the first innings. Overall, his tally is 230 scalps in his 45th Test, the average being a very impressive 23.25. Simply put, Steyn picks up a wicket every 40th ball!
It is instructive to hear Steyn talk about his bowling. He comes across as a serious student of the game who is humble about his skills and achievements. Asked if he was frustrated when it took him some time to take a wicket on Day One at Durban, Steyn said, "Patience is the key. If you bowl in the right areas, something is going to give." His bowling bears him out.
Steyn's stock delivery, the outswinger, is one of the most feared in world cricket. It fetches him a majority of his wickets. How can he get the ball to shoot away so much from the middle or the leg stump? "I suppose I'm lucky that I can get the ball to do that. But I don't try it all the time, you can do it on certain days. Today (Sunday) was such a day. But if it doesn't work than you get hit through mid-wicket for a boundary every single time," was Steyn's self-effacing, honest take. He brought in some perspective too. "You don't want to be a hero every ball. You do what your captain wants you to do." Steyn, though, admits that the temptation to bowl a ripper gets the better of him once in a while. "Every now and then, I get a bit cheeky and I bowl one of those deliveries. If they don't come off and I'm hit for a four then my captain pulls me up."
Steyn places great emphasis on cricket being a team game. "I've played with some great guys like Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya (Ntini). I listened to them and it helped me improve my game. Cricket is a team sport and if you can listen to the guys who have been around for 100 Tests or more, it's going to make a difference in your career."
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