On This Day in Cricket - March 12

For cricket lovers, 12 March brings back several memorable moments from the game’s rich history. The standout remains the epic 2006 ODI at the Wanderers, where Herschelle Gibbs smashed 175 as the South Africa national cricket team chased 434 set by Ricky Ponting’s Australia in one of cricket’s greatest matches. In 1993, Danny Morrison claimed 6 for 37 in Auckland to help the New Zealand national cricket team share a Test series against the Australian national cricket team. The day also marks Courtney Walsh’s first class debut in 1982 and the birth of West Indies all-rounder Eldine Baptiste. In 2015, Karnataka lifted another Ranji Trophy title after huge centuries from Karun Nair and KL Rahul.

On This Day - March 12, 1995 - Tom Curran Was Born Today

The player who grew into a dependable seam bowling allrounder for England is Tom Curran, who played international cricket between 2017 and 2021. Born in Cape Town on March 12, 1995, he made his mark mainly with the white ball while also contributing useful lower-order runs. In 2 Tests, he scored 66 runs and took 2 wickets. Curran featured in 28 ODIs where he collected 34 wickets and scored 303 runs at an average of 37.87.

(Tom Curran was born on March 12, 1995)

In 30 T20Is, he added 64 runs and claimed 29 wickets. Across wider T20 leagues, he has been even more active with 258 matches, bringing 2456 runs and 271 wickets. At the domestic level, he has also played 64 first-class games for Surrey and picked up 199 wickets while scoring 1524 runs, including 1 century.

On This Day - March 12, 2006 - South Africa defeats Australia by 1 Wicket

The match where one of the greatest run chases in ODI history took place was played on March 12, 2006 at Johannesburg between Australia and South Africa. Australia batted first and produced a massive total of 434 for 4 in 50 overs. Captain Ricky Ponting led the charge with a brilliant 164 from 105 balls with 13 fours and 9 sixes. Simon Katich scored 79 while Michael Hussey added a quick 81.

(South Africa defeated Australia by 1 wicket)

South Africa began the chase aggressively. Captain Graeme Smith struck 90 from 55 balls, and Herschelle Gibbs played a stunning innings of 175 from 111 balls with 21 fours and 7 sixes. Despite losing wickets late, Mark Boucher remained unbeaten on 50 and guided the team to 438 for 9 in 49.5 overs. South Africa won the match by 1 wicket with 1 ball remaining in a record-breaking thriller.

On This Day - March 12, 2018 - South Africa defeats Australia by 6 Wickets

Winning against the Australians by 6 wickets, South Africa secured a strong victory in the 2nd Test at Gqeberha in March 2018. Australia batted first and scored 243, with David Warner making 63 and Tim Paine adding 36. Kagiso Rabada led the bowling with 5 for 96. South Africa replied with 382, powered by a superb 126 not out from AB de Villiers, while Dean Elgar scored 57 and Hashim Amla added 56.

(South Africa defeated Australia by 6 wickets)

Australia managed 239 in their second innings, where Usman Khawaja made 75 and Mitchell Marsh scored 45. Rabada again dominated with 6 for 54. Chasing 101 to win, South Africa reached 102 for 4 in 22.5 overs. Rabada finished with 11 wickets in the match and was named Player of the Match.

On This Day - March 12, 2021 - England defeats India by 8 Wickets

When the 1st T20I between India and England was played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 12 March 2021, England secured an easy 8-wicket win with 27 balls remaining. India had a poor start as KL Rahul fell for 1 and Virat Kohli was out for 0. Shikhar Dhawan scored 4, while Rishabh Pant made 21.

(England defeated India by 8 wickets)

Shreyas Iyer played the key knock with 67 off 48 balls, including 8 fours and 1 six. India ended on 124 for 7 in 20 overs. Jofra Archer starred with 3 for 23. Chasing 125, Jason Roy smashed 49 off 32 balls, Jos Buttler scored 28, and Dawid Malan made 24 not out. Jonny Bairstow added 26 not out as England reached 130 for 2 in 15.3 overs and took a 1 0 lead in the 5-match series of the tour.