LONDON - South Africa’s record at Trent Bridge is not something that can be looked at with fondness, even though the ground has seen some of the most famous feats by South African cricketers.
Only twice in eight Tests against England have South Africa won at Trent Bridge and both of those wins came in another era. Dudley Nourse, with a double century, and Athol Rowan, with a second innings "five-for", were the heroes when South Africa won for just the second time in England in 1951.
The 1965 triumph at Trent Bridge is among South Africa’s most famous Test victories, with many in these parts still vividly recalling Graeme Pollock, who was a guest of the MCC at Lord’s last week, scoring 125 off 149 balls with 21 fours. His elder brother Peter took a "ten-for" as South Africa claimed victory by 71 runs.
They would go onto win that series, remaining the only South African team to win a Test series in England until Graeme Smith’s side won in 2008.
Since readmission, South Africa have only played at Trent Bridge twice but lost both times. In 1998, Allan Donald and Michael Atherton engaged in their famous battle, with the latter’s unbeaten 98 seeing England to an eight-wicket win.
South Africa were 1-0 up when the third Test of a five-match series was played at Trent Bridge in 2003, but despite Shaun Pollock continuing to keep the family name up in lights at the ground, South Africa lost in the face of debutant pace bowler James Kirtley’s second innings 6/36 which helped England win by 70 runs.
England’s overall record at Trent Bridge includes 16 defeats in 60 Tests, but in recent years they’ve won six of their last seven Tests and last tasted defeat to India there in 2007.
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