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Statistical Highlights 5th match: South Africa v England at Centurion, 15-19 January, 2000

• This match was the 1483rd in Test history.

• This match was South Africa's 240th and England's 766th in Tests.

• This match was the 120th meeting between the two sides.

• This match was the 5th to be played at this venue. England was playing its 2nd match at this venue.

• Pieter Strydom became the 275th player to appear in Tests for South Africa.

• Hershelle Gibbs (3, on 2) reached his 1000th run of his career. He was appearing in his 19th match and 32nd innings. He became the 31st South African and the 352nd batsman in Test history to do so.

• Later in the innings, but four days later, Lance Klusener (61*, on 43) reached his 1000th run of his career. He was appearing in his 27th match and 35th innings. He became the 32nd South African and the 353rd batsman in Test history to do so.

• Klusener also became the seventh South African all-rounder to score 1000 runs and take 50 wickets. He now has 1018 runs and 57 wickets in 27 matches.

• The partnership of 34 runs between Daryll Cullinan and Klusener was the best for the sixth wicket by any team at this venue. The pair surpasses the previous best of 31 runs put on by the West Indian pair of Floyd Reifer and Ridley Jacobs in 1998-99.

• England became the first team in the history of Test cricket to forfeit an innings. Interestingly, the Laws of cricket do not provide for such closure in the first innings. As per Law 14 only declarations are allowed in the first innings.

• Just for the record, the first such forfeiture almost occurred in 1900 when Derbyshire against Essex at Leyton wanted to declare its second innings closed without even commencing it. However when the umpires objected to this, Derbyshire were made to bat. Derbyshire declared the innings after the second ball when its opening batsman was dismissed.

• The first example of a complete forfeiting of an innings in first-class cricket occurred when Yorkshire forfeited its second innings against Lancashire at Manchester in 1966. The scores were: Yorkshire 146-7 dec and 0-0 dec and Lancashire 1-0 dec and 133 - as Yorkshire won by 12 runs.

• The match in 1983 at Bristol provided the first instance of a team forfeiting the first innings, as done by England in this Test. Gloucestershire batting first made 281-9 dec. Leicestershire closed its innings without even coming out to bat. Then Gloucestershire also forfeited its innings leaving Leicestershire needing 282 to win in the fourth innings. They replied with 177 for 7 wickets. Since then there has been many such cases that has occurred in English County Championship.

• In Indian domestic cricket, this has occurred on one occasion when Andhra's captain V Chamundeswarnath forfeited the second innings to gain some extra bowling points against Kerala at Visakhapatnam in November, 1990. He set Kerala to make 75 runs in 13 overs. Kerala made 76-1 in 11.2 overs to win by nine wickets. Later in the season, Chamundeswarnath lost his captaincy and a place in the side when the selectors took a strong view of his decision and dropped him on disciplinary grounds.

• The most 'notorious' (sporting, to some) declaration in Test cricket was made by West Indian Gary Sobers against England at Port of Spain in 1967-68. Sobers declared the innings at 92-2 leaving the visitors to score 215 runs to win in 165 minutes - or be bowled out. England won by 7 wickets with three minutes to spare. Sobers was harshly criticised by those who felt he had handed the game away.

• With three declarations in the match, it provided the only second such instance in Test history, where a match has gone into the fourth innings. The only other instance occurred at Faisalabad in October, 1978 in the Test between Pakistan and India, which also saw the resumption of Tests between the two sides after 26 years. This match was drawn.

• The partnership of 126 runs between Alec Stewart and Michael Vaughan in the second innings was the second highest for any wicket at this venue. The best still remains as the 142 runs between Englishmen Mike Atherton and Graeme Hick for the fourth wicket during the 1995-96 series. However the Stewart-Vaughan partnership was the best for the 5th wicket at this venue. The pair surpasses the previous best of 115 between South Africans Gary Kirsten and Jonty Rhodes against the West Indies in 1998-99.

• The four catches held by Mark Boucher equals the best by a keeper at this venue. The other to do so are: South African Dave Richardson (v Australia, 1996-97) and West Indian Ridley Jacobs in 1998-99.

• England's total of 251-8 was its sixth highest in the fourth innings to win a Test. It was also its highest in the fourth innings against South Africa bettering the 247-2 at Nottingham in 1998.

• England's total was the third highest by any team in the fourth innings to win a Test against South Africa. Australia was the only team with larger scores - 336-5 and 271-8 - at Durban and Port Elizabeth in 1949-50 and 1996-97 respectively.

• It was Cronje 15th loss as a captain. Now the maximum by a South African captain. He goes past the tally of 10 defeats of Herbie Taylor who captained South Africa from 1913-14 to 1924 in 18 matches, with just one victory. However Cronje has a superior record as captain. In 51 matches he has won 25 matches for South Africa.

• This was South Africa's first defeat after being unbeaten in the last 14 matches. Their last defeats in successive Tests came in July-August 1998 also against England at Nottingham and Leeds respectively.

• It was South Africa's first defeat after 13 matches at home. Their last defeat at home came against Pakistan at Durban in March, 1998.