Australia vs South Africa Crossing the Line

Australia crossed the line last time these great cricketing nations met. Photos: Backpagepix

Australia vs South Africa: Crossing the line relived

Relive the last Test meetings between South Africa and Australia with the incredible SuperSport documentary, Crossing the Line.

Australia vs South Africa Crossing the Line

Australia crossed the line last time these great cricketing nations met. Photos: Backpagepix

The last time Australia and South Africa met in the Test arena, sparks flew every which way and the fallout was immense.

Few Test series could command their own documentary, much less have one produced almost immediately afterwards.

Relive ‘Crossing the Line’

SuperSport

The documentary takes its name from a now infamous phrase trotted out by the Australians before the series was played.

Australia had insisted, they play hard, sledge and win at all costs but they would never cross the line.

Quite where that line was, or is, is still a subject for debate but at Newlands in 2018 it was definitively crossed.

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What went down

ball tampering
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – MARCH 24: Cameron Bancroft and Steven Smith (capt) of Australia having a chat with the umpires during day 3 of the 3rd Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and Australia at PPC Newlands on March 24, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)

To be fair, the host broadcaster SuperSport even played their part in the melodrama.

It was their cameras that would catch Cameron Bancroft in the act of replacing the piece of sandpaper he had smuggled onto the field.

Replays shown on the big screen prompted the umpires to confront Bancroft.

Nothing would happen just yet but the umpires ordered the ball changed and a few in the Australia camp realised the jig was up.

In the end the ball tamperer himself and captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner would be sent home and play no part in what was still a decisive Test match at the Wanderers.

Since then it has been alleged, by Warner’s representatives, that the sandpaper plot was hatched in Hobart earlier in the season, when the Proteas inflicted a chastening defeat on Australia.

What’s more Warner’s representative claimed that senior Cricket Australia executives encouraged the team to cheat to gain an edge.

In the aftermath of the incident, Australia conducted a review of team culture and changed the coach and leadership teams.

The divisions within the Australian team appear to have widened, not helped by the controversial departure of coach Justin Langer.

With Australia out for revenge, will they cross the line again?