ENGLAND V SOUTH AFRICA, 2ND TEST, LORD’S 31-03 AUGUST 2003
Corrie van Zyl came to me and said, “It’s all up to you, you can get ten wickets here”. He took me by the shoulder and showed me the board with the names of the people who had got ten wickets and one of the names there was my hero, Malcolm Marshall.
At that stage, in my head I took on the responsibility of the game. I asked myself, ‘What to do I want to achieve here?” The most important thing was not to draw.
I finished the innings with 31 overs. That was a lot of hard work for a fast bowler. I had a heavy load on myself and I also had my own target - to get ten wickets at Lord’s. Graeme (Smith) knew I never said no.
Even if he called me back and I had just finished a spell, I was always willing to work for him and win the game for him.”
[Andrew] Flintoff was the hero of England cricket. When he hit fours, the crowds would go berserk. The crowd was unbelievable. They were cheering like you can’t believe.
I went to my fielding position on the boundary and everyone was standing up and clapping. It was hero against hero. It was us against him. He was the only one. We knew that if we got him out, the game would be over.
I couldn’t do any more. I was overjoyed.
I was excited that the mission had been accomplished. I was over the moon. Even now, when I look at the pictures in my lounge, I feel proud, although I wonder, “What the hell was I thinking to kiss the pitch?”
But still, ten wickets at Lord’s. There’ve been so many South Africans who have been there and played there and no one else has done it.
Our families were with us, so there was no boys’ time afterwards. We had some time at the ground where we stood on the balcony and put our flags.
I don’t care who says what, Lord’s is one of the best dressing rooms.