Top 6 South African bowlers fastest to 300 wickets in test cricket

Only six South African bowlers have taken over 300 wickets in test cricket so far.

South Africa have produced world-class fast bowlers in vast numbers. From Allan Donald to Dale Steyn to Kagiso Rabada, their cricketing journey has been full of pace maestros. South African pitches and environment have been huge contributors to this immense pool of talented seamers over the last three decades.

The Proteas fast bowlers have used the home conditions to full effect, thriving on the bounce and lateral movement on offer.

Test cricket is known for its toiling and grinding nature. In the era of extensive T20 cricket, a player’s ability and character are still judged on how they perform in test cricket. Planning and setup go a long way in the longest format of the game, as bowlers are made to work hard to earn every wicket.

In South Africa’s test history, only two bowlers have taken over 400 wickets, and five have taken over 300 wickets.

On that note let’s look at the top five fastest South African bowlers to pick up 300 wickets in test cricket in terms of matches.

Top five South African bowlers fastest (matches) to 300 wickets in test cricket:

6. Morne Morkel – 85 matches

Morne Morkel finished his career with 309 wickets at an excellent average of 27.66 and eight five-wicket hauls. The 6’5″ fast bowler was famous for creating havoc among the opposition’s batting lineup with extra bounce.

Morkel picked up his 300th test wicket in the 85th test of his career, which came against Australia in the famous ‘Sandpaper Gate’ test match at Cape Town in 2018.

Morkel was part of one of the most memorable fast-bowling trios of the last two decades with Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.

5. Makhaya Ntini – 74 matches

Makhaya Ntini was the first black African to play test cricket for South Africa. Ntini made his debut in 1998 against Sri Lanka at Cape Town. Ntini’s greatest strength was his ability to bowl long spells with serious pace, challenging the opposition batters on even lifeless tracks.

Ntini reached 300 test wickets in the 74th test match of his career, which was against Pakistan in Gqeberha. He finished his test career with 390 wickets at an average of 28.82.

4. Shaun Pollock – 74 matches

Unlike most of the fast bowlers on the list, pace was not the key weapon of Pollock’s arsenal. His consistency and control of line and length made him one of the most successful bowlers of his time.

Pollock picked up his 300th wicket in his 74th test match. This milestone came against England at the Oval in 2003.

Pollock claimed 421 wickets in his test career, which made him the most successful South African bowler at that time.

3. Kagiso Rabada – 65 matches

In October 2024, Kagiso Rabada became sixth South African bowler to complete the milestone of 300 wickets in test cricket. He achieved the feat against Bangladesh in Dhaka.

He completed 300 test scalps in 65 matches, third fastest among all South African bowlers. He achieved the feat in just 11817 balls, which is the fastest by any bowler in the world to complete 300 wickets in terms of balls taken in test cricket.

2. Allan Donald – 63 matches

Nicknamed as “White Lightning,” Allan Donald is the second-fastest Proteas bowler to take 300 test wickets. Having made his debut in 1992 against the West Indies, Donald was the leader of the South African pace attack during the 1990s.

Donald reached the landmark of 300 test scalps in his 63rd test match, which was against New Zealand in 2000 at Bloemfontein.

Donald’s aggression and the ability to bowl at a high pace made him a tough prospect to handle for even the best batsmen in the world. Allan finished his test career with 330 wickets in 72 games at an bowling average of only 22.25.

1. Dale Steyn – 61 matches

Famously known as the “Steyn Gun,” Dale Steyn is the fastest South African bowler to take 300 wickets in test cricket. Steyn touched this milestone in the 61st test of his career, which was against New Zealand at Cape Town in 2013.

Steyn was one of the most complete fast bowlers of all time. He was known for his pace and the ability to swing the ball both ways and he was one of the best artists of reverse swing as well.

Steyn snared 439 wickets across 93 tests in his career and he ended up as South Africa’s highest test wicket-taker. If not for his shoulder injury issues, Steyn would have achieved many more milestones in his illustrious career.

(All stats updated till 21st October, 2024)

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