Dale Steyn going strong at 30
The tearaway fast bowler of South Africa, Dale Steyn, celebrates his 30th birthday today. He, along with Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, has played a big role in placing the Porteas on top of Test rankings. The trio forms an attack that is envy of most international teams and even scores a point or two above the English attack, which has somehow failed to prove its mettle in sub-continental conditions.
South Africa has a history of producing express pace bowlers. Steyn has been the most suitable replacement for legendary fast bowlers such as Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald. With 332 wickets in 65 Test matches, Steyn has hold the history of South Africa producing tearaways aloft.
For the record, Steyn is the fastest South African to reach 100 wickets in Test matches and has the fifth best bowling strike rate (41.1) of all time in Tests, behind George Lohmann, Vernon Philander, John Ferris and Shane Bond.
He is said to incite terror in batsman's mind when in full swing. Besides, Styen has been widely known for his comeback strikes. Who can forget the five-wicket burst for 50 runs against India in Nagpur during the ICC World Cup in 2011. The fiver helped South Africa restrict India to a total within 300 after the flying start provided by Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. India lost 9 wickets for just 29 runs and the match in a close finish.
Steyn is no mug with the bat as well. In the second Test against Australia down under in 2009, Styen combined with JP Duminy to stitch a match-winning ninth-wicket partnership of 180 runs. Steyn scored 76 runs in that partnership and ended with a match figures of 10 wickets for 154 runs to win the Test and series for South Africa, slumping the Aussies to their first home series defeat in 16 years.
He's also a popular cricketer in IPL, playing a key role for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the latest edition of the cash-rich event. Sunrisers Hyderabad made it to the play-offs in its very first season. Steyn led the attack admirably with Amit Mishra and Ishant Sharma for company.
At 30, Styen gives the impression of having just begun and will continue to be a force to reckon with in the seasons ahead.
Post new comment