Tour of Sri Lanka 1993                  Captain: Kepler Wessels

17th official Test tour

First Test-playing tour of Sri Lanka by South Africa

(August - September 1993)

Wessels had previously toured Sri Lanka with an Australian side ten years before.  Jimmy Cook was recalled in place of fellow veteran Peter Kirsten. Cook scored prolifically in the second half of the season and led Transvaal to victory in the Benson & Hedges final.

The Sri Lankan Board protested to the ICC about John Reid’s appointment as match refeee because he had coached provincial sides in South Africa.  The South African manager Cassim Docrat said “we are ready to play under any referee”.

Other South African tours

Previous Tour

West Indies 1991-92

Next tour

Australia 1993-94

Next tour of  Sri Lanka

2000

Members of the Test tour party (15)

Opening batsmen:  Andrew Hudson, Kepler Wessels.

Middle-order batsmen  Jimmy Cook, Hansie Cronje, Daryll Cullinan, Jonty Rhodes

Wicket-keepers  Dave Richardson, Steve Palframan

Spin bowlers  Pat Symcox, Clive Eksteen

Fast bowlers  Allan Donald, Brian McMillan, Brett Schultz, Richard Snell, Fanie de Villiers

Representation of teams:   

Br - Border (1)

EP Eastern Province (3)

N - Natal (3)

NT Northern Transvaal (1)

OFS - Orange Free State (2)

T - Transvaal (4)

WP - Western Province (1)

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

(25 August 1993) :  27 yrs  10 months.

Test Appearances made before the tour

Wessels 29 (24 + 5),  Donald 5,  Hudson 5,  Richardson 5,  Cronje 4,  Rhodes 4,  McMillan 4,  Cook 2,  Schultz 2, Cullinan 1,  Snell 1,  Eksteen 0,  Symcox 0,  de Villiers 0,  Palframan 0.

Team Officials

Cassim Docrat became the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union chief executive.

Selectors

Peter Pollock (convenor),  Tony Pithey,  Rushdie Magiet,  S K Reddy,  Garth le Roux.

Selection

Unavailable:  .

Tour Party Announced :  7 April 1993.

Bruce McMillan was picked subject to a fitness test.   D.Callaghan (EP) ,the reserve, Dave Callaghan (E) attended all team practice and camps on standby for McMillan

Not selected :

Time between selection and departure from South Africa

  x days

(7 April to 7 August)

Travel

After two warm-up camps in Durban, where the hot, humid conditions are similar to Sri Lanka, the team flew to Colombo.  The squad departed Jan Smuts airport, Johannesburg, at 14:30 on 7 August

The  15-member  South African  squad accompanied by cricket manager Mike Procter and tour manager Cassim Docrat arrived here late Tuesday,10 (?) August from Singapore where they had long practice sessions.

Time spent in Sri Lanka

   x days

(10 August - depart Host)

On-tour selection panel

Reinforcements

Fixtures/Results

 RPS : R Premadasa Stadium, Khettarama    SSSC : Sinhalese Sports Club     PSS : P Saravanamuttu Stadium

† not first-class

§  one-day international

Time spent in Sri Lanka before First Test: 

15 days

(10 August - 25 August)

Test appearances on tour

3 -   Cronje,  Cullinan,  Donald,  Hudson,  Rhodes,  Richardson,  Schultz,  Symcox,  Wessels.

2 -   McMillan,  Snell,

1 -   Cook,  Eksteen

0 -   de Villiers,  Palfreman.

Highlights

•   South Africa’s victory in the second Test was by its biggest margin yet (an innings and 208 runs)

•   Schultz overwhelmed the Sri Lankans with pace and aggression in the Test series, capturing 20 wickets.

•   Cronje and Cullinan were the leading batsmen, each scoring 237 Test runs and making a century.

•   Rhodes also hit his maiden Test century (101*), thwarting the Sri Lankans’ victory hopes in the first Test.

Tour Summary

Return to South Africa

Time away from South Africa    x days  

(7 August to arrive home in S AfI)

Finances

Published accounts of the tour