All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

271 the three-day first-class competition for Boland, Border, Northerns and Western Province. Before making his first-class debut he had played for Western Province Under-19s (in teams including future South African bowlers Rory Kleinveldt and Vernon Philander), Stellenbosch University and Stoneywood-Dyke, a team in the Scotland North Cricket League based in north-west Aberdeen, for whom he had played in 2004. He made his first-class debut the following season, playing two matches for Boland, and later in the year played the first of 26 matches for Warriors. Before he became the third South African to take an all-ten there had been no indication that a superlative statistical feat was in the offing, for in 27 matches his fast-medium bowling had brought him just 73 wickets, and five in an innings only once. Olivier never played county cricket. However eight of the Warriors side did, in one or more forms, most notably Hylton (H.D.) Ackerman, who in five seasons with Leicestershire would average 47.50 in first-class cricket and make a county record 309 not out against Glamorgan at Cardiff in 2006, and Zander de Bruyn who would play for Somerset, Surrey and Worcestershire, averaging over 30 with the bat for each. Eagles would eventually win the SuperSport Series in 2007/08. Before their meeting with Warriors they had won two and drawn two of their four matches, whilst Warriors had one win, two draws and a loss to show for their efforts. The match was played at the Eagles’ home in Bloemfontein. Springbok Park takes its sponsor’s name, hence in 2007 it was snappily called the OUTsurance Oval. It is a well-designed 20,000-seater stadium incorporating two large stands. Cricket is often played in a carnival atmosphere, in particular for day/night matches, when the ground’s grassed banks attract large groups cooking barbecues, an innovation not yet embraced by Lord’s. When Warriors’ opener Craig Thyssen left after nearly an hour’s struggle with the score 18 for three Eagles’ captain Boeta Dippenaar was no doubt feeling pleased that he had asked the opposition to bat first. Warriors continued to struggle, only Ackerman (21) and Robin Peterson (30 not out) getting past ten. Olivier wasn’t expected to have much impact with the bat (although he has reached three figures at club level) but going in at 83 for eight his five runs at least contributed to a ninth wicket partnership of 20 with Peterson that enabled Warriors to limp into three figures. Olivier opened Warriors’ bowling together with left-armer Lonwabo Tsotsobe (later to play in five Tests for South Africa and briefly, and unsuccessfully, for Essex). Eagles nearly passed Warriors’ meagre first innings score without losing a wicket but in the penultimate over of the first day Olivier dismissed Loots Bosman with the score 102. This was only the second three-figure opening partnership in an innings in which a bowler eventually achieved an all-ten, the 101 by Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi when Kumble took all-ten being the first. Only 20 overs were possible next day, during which time Olivier dismissed Dean Elgar, bringing Dippenaar to the wicket to join Jacques Rudolph. Four years before, in Rudolph’s first Test, the pair had put on an undefeated Mario Olivier