England Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline: Complete History, Records & Key Matches

Quick Answer

The England cricket team vs South Africa national cricket team timeline began on March 12, 1889, when the two sides met at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth, for South Africa’s first-ever Test match. England won that two-match series 2–0 and dominated the early decades. South Africa’s first Test victory arrived in January 1906, and their first series win followed in 1909–10. The rivalry was suspended from 1970 to 1991 due to South Africa’s apartheid-era isolation. Across all formats, the two teams have now met 260 times — England leading the Test head-to-head 66–35, while South Africa hold narrow edges in ODIs (35–30) and T20Is (14–13).

Key Facts

Head-to-Head Overview (All Formats)

The head-to-head numbers below reflect the completed record as of September 2026.

Data sources: ESPNcricinfo Statsguru, Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS).

England’s Test advantage is substantial — 66 wins to 35 — but 60 draws reflect the uncovered pitches and timeless matches of the early 20th century. In white-ball cricket, South Africa have been the marginally stronger side, with a 35–30 lead in ODIs and a 14–13 lead in T20Is. That split is one of the defining features of this rivalry: England dominate the longest format, South Africa hold the edge in the shorter ones.

England Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline: Era-by-Era History

Early Encounters (1889–1909)

South Africa became the third Test-playing nation in March 1889 when they hosted England at Port Elizabeth. England won that first Test by eight wickets and completed a 2–0 series win in Cape Town later that month. The early years were overwhelmingly one-sided: England won every series until 1905–06.

That changed in January 1906. South Africa’s quartet of leg-break and googly bowlers — Reggie Schwarz, Aubrey Faulkner, Bert Vogler, and Gordon White — spun England to a one-wicket defeat at Johannesburg on January 4, South Africa’s first Test victory. The series ended 4–1 to South Africa, a result that signalled the emergence of a genuinely competitive rivalry.

South Africa’s Breakthrough (1909–1939)

South Africa’s first series win over England came in 1909–10, when they won 3–2 at home. Aubrey Faulkner was the driving force, scoring 545 runs and taking 29 wickets in the series. England regained control in the 1910s and 1920s, but the 1930–31 and 1938–39 series were both drawn — the latter featuring the infamous nine-day “Timeless Test” at Durban, which was abandoned as a draw because England had to catch their ship home.

Post-War Competition (1947–1965)

After the Second World War, the rivalry became more balanced. England won 3–0 in 1947, but the 1955 series was a tight 3–2 affair, remembered for Hugh Tayfield’s 9/113 at Johannesburg — still among the best bowling figures in the history of the fixture. England won again in 1956–57, 1960, and 1965, but the margins were narrower.

Apartheid Suspension (1970–1991)

South Africa’s policy of apartheid led to their suspension from international cricket in 1970. The D’Oliveira Affair of 1968–69 — when the South African government refused to accept Basil D’Oliveira, a Cape Coloured cricketer, in the England touring party — accelerated the isolation. No official England-South Africa matches were played for 21 years. The rivalry resumed in 1991 after South Africa’s readmission to international cricket.

Readmission and Modern Rivalry (1992–Present)

The post-apartheid era has produced some of the most competitive cricket between the two nations. South Africa won the 1994 Test series 1–0, but England’s 2–1 win in 2004–05 and their 2–1 triumph in 2012 — which made them the No. 1 Test team in the world — were defining moments. In limited-overs cricket, South Africa have been consistently strong, winning ODI series in England in 1998, 2025, and reaching the 2025 ODI series decider at Lord’s.

The 2019–20 series in South Africa was another high point: England came from 1–0 down to win 3–1. And in September 2025, England produced the most explosive performance in the history of the fixture — a 304/2 total in the second T20I at Old Trafford.

Complete England Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline

Most Memorable England vs South Africa Matches

Statistical Breakdown by Format

Test Cricket

England and South Africa have played 161 Test matches. England have won 66, South Africa 35, and 60 have been drawn. The ACS records confirm the head-to-head at 156 matches as of September 2022, with 66 England wins, 35 South Africa wins, and 55 draws; the five subsequent matches (including the 2025–26 series in South Africa) take the total to 161.

Key Test Records:

• Highest team total: South Africa 682/6d (Lord’s, July 31, 2003); England 654/5 (Kingsmead, Durban, 1938–39).
• Most runs in an innings: Ben Stokes (England) 258, Newlands, Cape Town, 2015–16.
• Best bowling in an innings: George Lohmann (England) 9/28, Old Wanderers, Johannesburg, 1895–96; Hugh Tayfield (South Africa) 9/113, Johannesburg, 1956–57.
• Most Test runs: Denis Compton (England) — 2,205 runs in 24 matches at 53.78.
• Most Test wickets: James Anderson (England) — 103 wickets in 29 matches at 30.07.

ODI Cricket

In 71 ODIs, South Africa lead England 35–30, with five no-results and one tie. South Africa’s 2025 ODI series win in England — their first since 1998 — was a significant shift in the white-ball rivalry.

Key ODI Records:

• Highest team total: England 414/5 (Headingley, 2025).
• Largest victory margin: England won by 342 runs at Headingley in September 2025.
• Most runs: Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers have been South Africa’s leading performers in the fixture.

T20I Cricket

In 28 T20Is, South Africa lead England 14–13, with one no-result. The 2025 series in England was split 1–1 before the third match was washed out.

Key T20I Records:

• Highest team total: England 304/2 (Old Trafford, September 12, 2025).
• Highest individual score: Phil Salt (England) 141* off 60 balls — the highest score by an England batter in T20Is.
• Largest victory margin: England won by 146 runs in the same match.

Upcoming: England Tour of South Africa 2026–27

England are scheduled to tour South Africa for a three-Test series and three ODIs in December 2026 and January 2027. The originally planned T20I series has been removed from the schedule due to scheduling conflicts, with both boards exploring options to reschedule it at a later date.

Sources: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket South Africa, ICC.

Important Milestones

• 1889: South Africa’s first-ever Test match, against England at Port Elizabeth.
• 1906: South Africa’s first Test victory over England (Johannesburg).
• 1909–10: South Africa’s first Test series victory over England (3–2).
• 1938–39: The “Timeless Test” at Durban — the last Test scheduled for unlimited time.
• 1970: South Africa suspended from international cricket due to apartheid.
• 1991: South Africa’s readmission to international cricket.
• 1992: First ODI between the two sides.
• 2007: First T20I between the two sides.
• 2012: England’s Test series win in South Africa that made them the No. 1 Test team.
• 2019–20: England’s 3–1 Test series victory in South Africa.
• 2025: England’s record-breaking 304/2 in a T20I against South Africa.
• 2025: South Africa’s first ODI series win in England since 1998.

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