Dale Steyn could be just the latest nuclear-tipped arrow that South Africa have drawn from their seemingly bottomless quiver of classy fast bowlers. The trouble, for opposing batsmen, is that he is rather more than that. Pure pace is one thing, pinpoint pure pace distinctly another. Pinpoint pure pace poison-tipped with aggression still another. Add the regularity with which Steyn moves the ball away from right-handers, and the way his deliveries skid at batsmen - a lack of height isn't all bad - and the danger he poses is obvious.

Steyn has grown into a bowler who has a firm grip on all of the tenets of the faith of the fast and the furious. But his is no paint-by-numbers tale of ability plus skill plus experience seamlessly stitching itself into a story of success.

He began his career armed with more pace than he knew what to do with, and little else: when he played his first Test against England in 2004, he was far from the bowler just described. Then, as he made peace with his bowling action and figured out how best to hone a body seemingly not suited to the rigours of life as fast bowler for just that fate, came the accuracy. Steyn took 16 wickets in his second series, but there remained a suspicion that he wasn't as dominant and aggressive as a fast bowler of his class should be. He was simply too nice.

All of which changed in South Africa's home series against the New Zealanders in 2007-08. A visibly fired up Steyn took ten wickets in the first Test in Johannesburg. Then, shortly after lunch on the first day of the second Test in Centurion, he earned all that nastiness he needed in the sickening instant in which Craig Cumming flapped at a short delivery. Cumming missed, and the ball crashed into his face and sent him to intensive care. Suddenly, Steyn was no longer a nice kid with a bit of zip.

The flow of wickets became a gush, and in 2008, he became the fastest South African, and the 15th fastest overall, to reach 100 Test wickets. That September, Steyn was named ICC Test Player of the Year after taking 86 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 18.10. And so on and so forth ... expect many more stupendous statistics in the years to come.
Telford Vice

• December 17-21, 2004
  A moderate beginning
  • With only seven first-class matches under his belt, he is handed a Test debut after impressing South African coach Ray Jennings with his pace. It's a torrid Test baptism - he finishes with 3 for 146 in a seven-wicket defeat.
    
• April-May, 2006
  A spirited second coming
  • Starts drawing comparisons with Allan Donald after a breakthrough home series against New Zealand. He collects 16 wickets at 26.00 in three Tests forming a potent new-ball combination with Makhaya Ntini.
    
• October 3, 2006
  The accolades start
  • His promising return to Test cricket after the stumbling start in 2004 makes him one of South Africa's Five Cricketers of the Year, the first time he's chosen for the honour.
    
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• October 1-5, 2007
  Swinging in the subcontinent
  • Helps South Africa take a 1-0 lead over Pakistan with a second-innings five-for in Karachi. It's his first major performance away from home.
    
• November 2007
  Among the world's best
  • Breaks into the top ten of the ICC rankings for Test bowlers for the first time after dismantling New Zealand with his first ten-wicket match haul in Johannesburg. A week later, he's in the top five after collecting ten more in Centurion in a three-day demolition job.
    
• December 2007-January 2008
  No stopping Steyn
  • Batsmen continue to be clueless against him, and South Africa fight back to take the home Test series against West Indies 2-1 on the back of his 20 wickets at 19.10, including a 6 for 72 in the first innings of the deciding Test in Durban.
    
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• February-March 2008
  Brushing aside Bangladesh
  • The wickets keep coming for Steyn. In Bangladesh, he picks up 14 in two Tests as South Africa sweep to victory in both.
    
• 3-5 April, 2008
  India buckle to pace
  • A vaunted Indian batting order crumbles to 76 all out to Steyn & Co. in less than two hours on the first day in Ahmedabad. His figures are 8-2-23-5, including the ball of the day to dismiss Rahul Dravid. The performance lifts him to No. 1 in the Test bowling rankings.
    
• June 18, 2008
  Sweeping the South Africa awards
  • He caps off a great season in Test cricket by winning three major honours in the annual South African Awards - SA Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year, SA Players' Player of the Year.
    
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• September 10, 2008
  Yet another accolade
  • Wins the Test Player of the Year at the annual ICC Awards, after taking 86 wickets at 18.10 in 14 Tests in the 12-month period under consideration. It is his first major ICC Award.
    
• December 26-30, 2008
  Historic high for South Africa
  • South Africa complete their 'greatest year' in cricket, winning a Test series in Australia. Steyn stars in the win at the MCG: besides bagging five wickets in each innings, he's involved in a game-shaping 180-run tenth-wicket stand with JP Duminy.
    
• January 14-17, 2010
  Demolishing England
  • South Africa need to win the fourth Test against England in Johannesburg to square the series. Steyn delivers, picking 5 for 51 to knock England over for 180 in the first innings.
    
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• February 6-9, 2010
  Masterclass in Nagpur
  • A lethal display of swing bowling sends India tumbling from 192 for 3 to 233 all out in the first innings in Nagpur. His 7 for 51 rips out two batsmen with conventional swing before a spell of 3.4-2-3-5 with the old ball completes the job.
    
• June 10-13, 2010
  Steyn crushes West Indies
  • Another Test, another five-for. His sensational run in Tests continues as he scoops eight wickets to be pivotal to South Africa's 163-run win over West Indies in Trinidad.
    
• June 26-29, 2010
  Spat with Benn
  • Is penalised his entire match fee following a disciplinary run-in with Sulieman Benn in the third Test in Barbados. After being repeatedly provoked by Benn, Steyn appears to spit in Benn's direction after he is dismissed.
    
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