Aussies Open Home Cricket Summer In Worst Way Since 1988

Photo credit: Youtube.

Tis the season for history-breaking achievements in sport.

On Sunday morning, the Ireland rugby team broke the dam on 111 years of turmoil when they beat the All Blacks for the first time, in Chicago.

The week before, Major League Baseball darlings the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since 1908 with a thrilling extra innings Game 7 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

So proud of the guys! What a massive effort, walked in and boom got the last wkt. Thanx for all the well wishes too, massively appreciated pic.twitter.com/azPttbKGby
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) November 7, 2016

The Cronulla Sharks, Western Bulldogs, Leicester City and Cleveland Cavaliers have all broken similar title droughts as the year of the underdog has continued in international sport.

The South African cricket team beating Australia in the first test in Perth yesterday sits nowhere near those history-breakers, but it is worth noting all the same.

The 177-run loss to South Africa at the WACA is Australia's first to open a home summer of cricket since 1988, when the West Indies smashed Allan Border's Aussies by 169 runs.

South Africa has won 3 games & drawn one at the WACA, Perth. — CricTracker (@Cricketracker)November 7, 2016

Renown for its hard fast deck, the WACA has been historically difficult for touring teams to win on outside the South Africans.

The men from the Republic have won their last three tests at the WACA, though all matches have come later in summer test series.

The hero for South Africa, in this test, was seamer Kagiso Rabada. The right-arm quick took 5 for 92 in Australia's second innings to secure victory, backing up his 2 for 78 in the first.

With the bat, JP Duminy and Dean Elgar will get the credit. Duminy joined Elgar at the crease with South Africa 45 for 2 in their second innings, with only a 43-run lead.

South Africa's last 3 Tests in Perth: 2008: Successfully chased 414
2012: Won by 309 runs
2016: Won by 177 runs#AusvsSA
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) November 7, 2016

The duo then put on 250 for the third wicket, with Duminy making 141 and Elgar ending at 127. They provided the foundation to set Australia a massive 539 to win, which, thanks to Rabada, was never going to happen.

Australia's WACA record isn't up there with the Cubbies, Sharkies or Ireland – but a history-breaking loss to start the summer clearly isn't a great sign for Aussie cricket.