• This was the 1651st Test match in cricket history.
• This was the 807th Test for England. The record now reads : won 273, lost 236 and drawn 298.
• This was the 275th Test for South Africa. The record now reads : won 88, lost 98 and drawn 89.
• This was the 121st Test between these two sides. The record now reads : England 50, South Africa 23, drawn 48.
• South Africa’s total of 594-5 dec. was their highest against England – home or away. This obliterated the previous highest of 572-7 at Durban in 1999-00. South Africa’s previous highest on English soil was 554 for 8 at Lord’s way back in 1947.
• The first wicket partnership of 338 runs between Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs was the highest for this wicket by any side against England in all Tests. The pair obliterated the previous record stand of 329 between Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor for Australia at Nottingham in 1989. Incidentally the previous record opening stand for South Africa against England was of 260 runs between Bruce Mitchell and Jack Siedle at Cape Town in 1930-31. The pair also obliterated the 319 run-partnership for the third wicket between Alan Melville and Dudley Nourse at Nottingham in 1947 – the previous highest partnership for South Africa against England for any wicket.
• Smith and Gibbs became first opening pair to be involved in two triple-century partnerships. They had added 368 runs for the first wicket against Pakistan at Cape Town in 2002-03.
• Graeme Smith (277) recorded the highest individual innings for South Africa. He bettered the previous record of 275 jointly held by Daryll Cullinan (unbeaten) against New Zealand at Auckland in 1998-99 and Gary Kirsten against England at Durban in 1999-00.
• At 22 years 173 days Smith became the youngest captain to score a hundred. The previous record was held by Pakistan’s Javed Miandad who was 22 years 273 days when he scored 106* against Australia at Faisalabad in 1979-80. Incidentally the previous youngest captain to score a double hundred was India’s Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi who was 23 years 39 days old when he scored 203* against England at Delhi in 1963-64.
• Smith’s match aggregate of 362 (277+85) is the highest for South Africa in Test cricket. He bettered the previous record of 309 (120+89*) by Bruce Mitchell also against England at The Oval in 1947.

(Article: Copyright © 2003 Rajneesh Gupta)