When you talk about some of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Dale Steyn's name is in that category.
South Africa has produced a plethora of outstanding bowlers in Allan Donald, Makahya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Jacques Kallis and Hugh Tyfield in representing the rainbow nation.
But none were more frightening and fierce than Steyn.
Coming onto the Test scene in 2004 against England, Steyn went from strength to strength in becoming the country's best bowler, taking 439 wickets in 93 Tests at an outstanding bowling average of 22.95 and a strike rate of 42.39. He possessed a terrific outswinger and inswinger and sheer brutal yorkers leaving the batsmen's stumps sprawling.
Whilst his bowling put fear into opposition batsmen, his wicket celebrations and "crazy eyes" would have made the youngest cricket fans quickly retreat from their living rooms. Despite battling a shoulder injury in the twilight of his career, it doesn't take away from the fact that the man from Phalaborwa, in South Africa's Transvaal Province, would imprint himself among cricket's greats.
In this piece, we'll take a dive into the top five moments of Dale Steyn's illustrious cricketing career.
2. Steyn tears through Australia, Port Elizabeth 2014
During the course of his illustrious 15-year test career, Dale Steyn had excellent success against all nations, none more so than against Australia. Three years earlier, the South African had reverse swung the lights of the ball in Cape Town during Australia's second innings of 47, with Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Steyn the three-headed wrecking ball.
Fast forward three years, same country, different venue and the full Steyn show would be front and centre in Australia's pursuit of 477. After a blazing start behind the effervescent David Warner and the calmness of veteran Chris Rogers, Australia gave themselves every possibility of creating history.
That belief wouldn't last as Duminy trapped Warner LBW for 66, and then Morkel and Philander sent Alex Doolan and Shaun Marsh packing respectively. As Australia began to get the wobbles, Steyn's entrance back into the attack would start the rout.
With the ball reverse swinging, it would tether perfectly in Steyn's wheelhouse as he had done countless times before. Starting with the dismissal of Michael Clarke, Steyn got into a groove. A delivery later he had Steve Smith plumb LBW with an absolutely majestic inswinger - the celebrations yet again revaling those "crazy eyes."
With fuel in the fire ready to explode, his third wicket of the innings would be the best.
With his dismissal of Smith, Steyn had placed the ball on a good length allowing the ball to move. This time, he slightly got the ball fuller and with devastating effect. A sheer reverse inswinger completely shattered Brad Haddin's middle stump out of the ground. A true summation of what was occurring now to earlier in Australia's innings.
To finish, Steyn had Ryan Harris completely caught on the crease trapping him LBW. Although Umpire Kumar Dharamasena hesitantly gave him out and Harris reviewed the decision, it had little effect on the game's outcome, with South Africa on the brink of victory. Steyn would finish with figures of 4/55 in a devastating display of reverse swing bowling.
