00:00In the heart of Cape Town, on March 19, 1998, Daryl Cunanan crafted a masterclass of elegance
00:07and authority, scoring affluent 113 runs of 159 deliveries in the first innings of the
00:14first test against Sri Lanka. Over the course of 222 minutes at the Curies, he stitched
00:20together a majestic knock, tapered with 13 crisply timed forwards and a towering stick.
00:25From commanding pull shots to sublime cover drives and cheeky sweep shots, Cunanan Blade
00:30sang in perfect rhythm. What made this inning even more special was his fearless approach
00:36against the Willy Muthaya Muralidharan, while others traded cautiously. Daryl Cunanan took
00:41the challenge head-on, reading the spin and flight with the best man intuitions and naturalizing
00:47Muralidharan threads with confident footwork and precise stroke play. His century laid the
00:52cornerstone for South Africa, imposing total of 418. That platform proved crucial as the
00:59practice eventually secured a 70-run victory in a hard-fought contest. Daryl Cunanan's
01:04inning was not just 100, it was a statement of dominance and a class. So, relive this
01:10sport and moments of South African Cricket, Cunanan at his vintage best.
01:14South Africa now 60 for 2. This is 34th test match. Just a few short of, well more than a few,
01:24169 short of 2000 runs. It's dropped. And 4. Well, how much might that cost?
01:40It is perfect delivery across the right-hander. Induces the drive slightly on the up.
01:47Who's going to catch it? Neither.
01:51First left's catch. Pretty ordinary piece of cricket at this level.
01:54Second left. Mendevaas. Isn't that a happy morning?
01:58And this one he plays well. And that's going to be four runs racing away to the boundary.
02:11Yes, one of the very few times that I've ever seen an off-spinner bowling without a deep square leg.
02:17And Daryl Cunanan knowing that takes full advantage and I'll be very surprised if they
02:22persist without having the cover out there, deep on the leg side.
02:37And Cunanan seems to have decided that he's going to take on Mira Lilloran
02:41and he smashes this one away over the boundary rope for six.
02:45Although the fielder isn't there, it's still a sign of a confident batsman to hit across the line
02:54early in your innings to play it as fine as that.
02:57But just Daryl Cunanan has got off to a batsman's dream. A flyover start.
03:01Now he sweeps and he's got it past the short fine leg. And that might just win the race to the boundary.
03:11It does. A man from the boundary position just in front of square couldn't get round. So that's four more.
03:21And I know the danger.
03:22That's a brilliant stop there by Tilakaratne in the gully. Very good save indeed. That had four
03:35written all over it. 106 for two.
03:40Brilliant stop in the gully from Tilakaratne. And what is good about it is because Daryl Cunanan
03:46is looking to break free and to score freely and continue his flying start. And that just adds a
03:50little bit of pressure and frustration to the batsman. Oh dear me. Umpire Dave Orchard couldn't
03:59get out the way in time and has denied Daryl Cunanan four runs. Well it's a long time since I saw
04:06an umpire saving a boundary. An indication of just how hard he did hit it. Why didn't you catch this Orchie?
04:14He's an old cricketer. It's like a a boxer isn't it? If you suddenly ring it.
04:22It's eight four takes him to 51.
04:29Pulled away. I don't think this young man's quite quick enough to bowl that to Cullinan.
04:34Four more.
04:41Certainly not. Very good batting wicket. Pushback Amara digging it in. Cullinan lots of time.
04:49It's absolutely beautifully behind. It's still before.
04:55It was quite a bold shot.
04:56There is no third man. I don't think he exactly wanted it to go down to third man. He was looking
05:05more to hit it square on the offside. But it was a fairly wide delivery going across him and he had
05:11to go looking for it. He put it away safely enough. This is through the covers. That's a glorious shot.
05:21Well there's nothing more beautiful in cricket than when Darryl Cullinan plays a cover drive like that
05:27and it takes him to his 50. And he's all smiles.
05:39It's nice to be back.
05:43What a beautiful shot.
05:50It's 12th Test 50. Coming in style.
05:58Three Test 100s to go with those 1250s. And he's hit seven fours and a six.
06:05He's been a leader for a lot of his time in first class and Test match cricket.
06:22He can watch as Darryl Cullinan puts it away through the covers for four.
06:29He's gone over the top this time. One bounce, two bounces and a little roll over the line.
06:39It was a good shot. He always meant to hit that there.
06:41Yeah, I'm not quite so sure about that. I think he was aiming more straight down the field but he
06:51wasn't to the pitch and eventually he had to drag across it a little bit and ended up hitting it over
06:55but on. But a good shot. Class. Now his aggression down the pitch looking to hit him back over the top
07:08has now forced Jaciria to bowl. Two balls just a little bit too short. One was well stopped by Atapattu. This
07:15one in the gap perfectly timed and four more.
07:19And that's beautifully played. Too short. He pushes it through quite quickly but he just
07:29backed away, gave himself the room, played a lovely little late cut and it runs away down to the third
07:36man boundary for four. There's the hundred. Just whipperspin turned it away on the onside square of
07:54the wicket and Darryl Cullinan goes to a splendid century.
08:06It has been a century that has had some quite glorious shots in it.
08:14Back at Newlands wants his home ground.
08:18It's a happy hunting ground for him but this is his first test hundred on the Newlands ground.
08:27As you can see here, it's been infused in fairly short bursts although his first spell was seven overs.
08:36This is past the gully and it's running away down towards third man. There is no third man and even the
08:41speed of Miro Liderin couldn't haul that one in.
08:46Ball, ball wide outside of Ostern.
08:51This one he does get a hold of and that's away for four.
08:56Between the backward point and the cover point.
08:59Daryl Cullinan was one of South Afrikaans who was one of the best players in South Afrikaans.
09:06He's bowled. He's bowled him.
09:09Won right up to him. He went for...
09:14But what a fine innings. 113 with 13 fours and a six from just 160 balls
09:21and occupying the crease for just over four hours. 272 for six.
09:27Daryl Cullinan was one of South Africa's most technically gifted and stylish best men.
09:33He was known for his fluent stroke play and mental toughness at the crease.
09:38Born on March 4, 1967. Daryl Cullinan made his test debut in 1993 after South
09:45Africa returns to international cricket and quickly cemented his place as a mainstay in the middle order.
09:52With a calm presence and a classical batting technique, he was particularly strong through
09:57the covers and on the back foot, excelling in both test and ODI formats. Daryl Cullinan was often
10:04hailed for his ability to play long, patient innings, yet he was equally capable of accelerating the
10:10scoring when needed. Despite his immense talent, his career was sometimes overshadowed by his struggle
10:17against Shane Vaughan, which became a widely-discussed rivalry in cricketing circles. However, Daryl Cullinan's
10:23contribution to South African cricket remained significant, finishing with over 4,500 test runs
10:30at an average of close to 45, including 14 centuries. Off the field, he was known for his thoughtful
10:37cricketing mind, which later saw him contribute as a commentator and analyst. Daryl Cullinan's legacy
10:43lives on as one of the finest specimens of South Africa post-isolation era, combining grace with
10:50grit during a crucial phase in the nation's cricketing journey.
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