Steyn, South Africa's No. 1

Dale Steyn, South African record-breaker

Dec 26, 2018

Dale Steyn has become South Africa's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, going past Shaun Pollock's tally of 421. To mark the occasion, here are some key numbers (and fine pictures) from his Test career. •Getty Images

<b>Five-fors:</b> 26, in 88 Tests. Currently Steyn is tied at No. 8 on the list for most five-wicket hauls - he's in a race with India's R Ashwin to go past Ian Botham and Glenn McGrath, who have one and three more respectively than the pair. In this photo, Steyn exults on completing five against England in Jo'burg in January 2010.

Five-fors: 26, in 88 Tests. Currently Steyn is tied at No. 8 on the list for most five-wicket hauls - he's in a race with India's R Ashwin to go past Ian Botham and Glenn McGrath, who have one and three more respectively than the pair. In this photo, Steyn exults on completing five against England in Jo'burg in January 2010.•Getty Images

<b>400 Test wickets:</b> Steyn quickly climbed that list (only four have got to 200 quicker, only three to 300 quicker). By the time he had 400 - so far only 15 have got to the mark - only one man had got there quicker in terms of matches: Muttiah Muralitharan (also well known for his eye-popping, vein-busting appeals and celebrations).

400 Test wickets: Steyn quickly climbed that list (only four have got to 200 quicker, only three to 300 quicker). By the time he had 400 - so far only 15 have got to the mark - only one man had got there quicker in terms of matches: Muttiah Muralitharan (also well known for his eye-popping, vein-busting appeals and celebrations).•Getty Images/AFP

<b>Average:</b> 22.64. Ahead of South Africa's tour of Sri Lanka in 2018, Steyn had given just over 22 runs per wicket claimed - that put him at No. 5 on the career-averages chart for bowlers with 80+ plus Tests, behind only Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath and Richard Hadlee.

Average: 22.64. Ahead of South Africa's tour of Sri Lanka in 2018, Steyn had given just over 22 runs per wicket claimed - that put him at No. 5 on the career-averages chart for bowlers with 80+ plus Tests, behind only Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath and Richard Hadlee.•AFP

Best year: 2008, with 74 wickets in 13 games at 20.01 (the year he also got his top score in Tests: 76). In 141 years of Tests, only eight times has a bowler taken more wickets in a calendar year. Again, it was his strike rate that stood out. He took a wicket every 35.8 balls - only Waqar Younis in 1993 had a better strike rate in a calendar year (minimum 50 wickets).•PA Photos

<b>Batting record:</b> Amid all this, hand Steyn a bat and he is reasonably capable of holding up an end, and can hit the big ones too. And here's another race he is about to overtake Pollock in: the most Test sixes by a South African. The list reads: Kallis (96), de Villiers (64), Gibbs (47), Pollock (35), Steyn (35).

Batting record: Amid all this, hand Steyn a bat and he is reasonably capable of holding up an end, and can hit the big ones too. And here's another race he is about to overtake Pollock in: the most Test sixes by a South African. The list reads: Kallis (96), de Villiers (64), Gibbs (47), Pollock (35), Steyn (35).•AFP

Phew, those are some serious numbers! To wind down, let's have a look at some of his favourite ways to unwind: fishing, surfing, and some quality time with the dogs. •CPL/Sportsfile, Dale Steyn/Instagram, AP

<b>Debut:</b> Steyn entered the Test arena on December 17, 2004, in Port Elizabeth. And what a day it was for South Africa: a kid called AB de Villiers also won his first Test cap on this day. Steyn's first wicket (which he celebrates in this photo) came a day later, England opener Marcus Trescothick bowled for 47.

Debut: Steyn entered the Test arena on December 17, 2004, in Port Elizabeth. And what a day it was for South Africa: a kid called AB de Villiers also won his first Test cap on this day. Steyn's first wicket (which he celebrates in this photo) came a day later, England opener Marcus Trescothick bowled for 47.•Paul Gilham/Getty Images

<b>Ten-fors:</b> 5. The year 2007 was a particularly good one for Steyn when it came to 10-wicket hauls; he took two of his five ten-fors in consecutive games against New Zealand at home in November. Of course, he had to grab a souvenir stump after that.

Ten-fors: 5. The year 2007 was a particularly good one for Steyn when it came to 10-wicket hauls; he took two of his five ten-fors in consecutive games against New Zealand at home in November. Of course, he had to grab a souvenir stump after that.•AFP

<b>Strike rate:</b> 42 (as of December 25, 2018). How often Steyn breaks through is the most stunning aspect of his numbers. Besides, he has been consistently effective almost three times longer than anyone in his vicinity on the strike-rate charts - George Lohmann, JJ Ferris, Shane Bond, Kagiso Rabada and Sydney Barnes.

Strike rate: 42 (as of December 25, 2018). How often Steyn breaks through is the most stunning aspect of his numbers. Besides, he has been consistently effective almost three times longer than anyone in his vicinity on the strike-rate charts - George Lohmann, JJ Ferris, Shane Bond, Kagiso Rabada and Sydney Barnes.•AFP

<b>Bowleds and lbws:</b> Coming into the Sri Lanka series, 90 of Steyn's first 419 wickets had been bowled - that's 21% of his wickets. Another 15% were lbw (63 wickets). In total, that's over a third of his current aggregate.

Bowleds and lbws: Coming into the Sri Lanka series, 90 of Steyn's first 419 wickets had been bowled - that's 21% of his wickets. Another 15% were lbw (63 wickets). In total, that's over a third of his current aggregate.•AFP

<b>Best figures in an innings:</b> 7 for 51, v India, Nagpur, February 2010. South Africa kicked off the tour with an innings win, in which Hashim Amla and Steyn proved to be Graeme Smith's main men. Amla set the scene with 253*, before Steyn's seven ripped India apart. For good measure, he took his tally to ten in the match with three second-innings scalps.

Best figures in an innings: 7 for 51, v India, Nagpur, February 2010. South Africa kicked off the tour with an innings win, in which Hashim Amla and Steyn proved to be Graeme Smith's main men. Amla set the scene with 253*, before Steyn's seven ripped India apart. For good measure, he took his tally to ten in the match with three second-innings scalps.•Associated Press

<b>A broken body:</b> Five wickets shy of the record, Steyn broke a bone in his shoulder during the Perth Test in November 2016, and, post surgery, missed over a year of cricket. He returned in the New Year's Test against India in 2018, only to pick up a heel injury that kept him waiting again. Was his career over within one good spell of the record?

A broken body: Five wickets shy of the record, Steyn broke a bone in his shoulder during the Perth Test in November 2016, and, post surgery, missed over a year of cricket. He returned in the New Year's Test against India in 2018, only to pick up a heel injury that kept him waiting again. Was his career over within one good spell of the record?•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

<b>100 Test wickets:</b> Steyn got to the landmark in his 20th Test, in Chittagong in March 2008. Only 19 others have got there in as many or fewer matches. (L to R, from top: Lohmann, Turner, Barnes, Grimmett, Yasir, Ashwin, Blythe, Valentine, Roberts, Botham, Ajmal, Philander, Peel, Tate, O'Reilly, Hall, Prasanna, Waqar, Steyn, Asif)

100 Test wickets: Steyn got to the landmark in his 20th Test, in Chittagong in March 2008. Only 19 others have got there in as many or fewer matches. (L to R, from top: Lohmann, Turner, Barnes, Grimmett, Yasir, Ashwin, Blythe, Valentine, Roberts, Botham, Ajmal, Philander, Peel, Tate, O'Reilly, Hall, Prasanna, Waqar, Steyn, Asif)

<b>Quickest to 400 by balls:</b> 16,634. Steyn is the best ever when it comes to number of deliveries taken to get to 400 wickets. Richard Hadlee was the quickest until Steyn came along; Steyn smashed his record by at least 3600 deliveries (ball-by-ball data is not available for all Hadlee's games).

Quickest to 400 by balls: 16,634. Steyn is the best ever when it comes to number of deliveries taken to get to 400 wickets. Richard Hadlee was the quickest until Steyn came along; Steyn smashed his record by at least 3600 deliveries (ball-by-ball data is not available for all Hadlee's games).•Central Press/Getty Images/AFP

<b>Most productive ground:</b> Newlands, Cape Town. Steyn has played 14 Test matches at Newlands picking up 67 wickets at 22.04. No South African has more wickets at a single venue.

Most productive ground: Newlands, Cape Town. Steyn has played 14 Test matches at Newlands picking up 67 wickets at 22.04. No South African has more wickets at a single venue. •Getty Images

<b>Most wickets in a series:</b> 21, v India 2010-11. Is India Steyn's favourite opposition? At least in 2010, they must have been. He picked up where he left off in Nagpur when India visited South Africa later in the year, with 21 wickets at 17.47, striking every 35.4 balls.

Most wickets in a series: 21, v India 2010-11. Is India Steyn's favourite opposition? At least in 2010, they must have been. He picked up where he left off in Nagpur when India visited South Africa later in the year, with 21 wickets at 17.47, striking every 35.4 balls.•AFP

<b>For the record:</b> December 26, 2018, SuperSport Park, Centurion. Pakistan, the opposition. Fakhar Zaman, the batsman. Finally, here it is. In his 89th Test match, Dale Steyn becomes South Africa's leading Test wicket-taker with a 422nd strike, and it's time to celebrate

For the record: December 26, 2018, SuperSport Park, Centurion. Pakistan, the opposition. Fakhar Zaman, the batsman. Finally, here it is. In his 89th Test match, Dale Steyn becomes South Africa's leading Test wicket-taker with a 422nd strike, and it's time to celebrate•Getty Images