26 December, 2008

Makahya Ntini South African paceman Makahya Ntini has a habit of breaking records.

The 31-year-old, who was discovered herding cattle as a youngster in his home village of Mdingi in the Eastern Cape, is poised to leapfrog his hero Malcolm Marshall's record for most Test wickets when play resumes on day two of the second 3 Mobile Test at the MCG on Saturday.

After snaring the wicket of Matthew Hayden for the ninth time in his career, Ntini captured Brad Haddin's scalp late on the first day to draw level with the West Indian great on 376 wickets in 12th place on the all-time list.

"As a bowler if you equal your hero it makes a huge difference, and then at least it shows … that you are someone," Ntini said after the opening day's play.

"And then you become one of those heroes as well. Whoever comes behind you he has to pass your name. Those are the kinds of things you have to enjoy."

With the remainder of this Test and the third match in Sydney still to come, Ntini could move past England all-rounder Ian Botham (383) by the end of this series and set his sights on chasing Shaun Pollock (421), who is the leading South African wicket-taker of all time.

Ntini is no stranger to the headlines.

In 1998 he became the first black man to play Test cricket for his country and he was the first South African to take 10 wickets at Lord's in 2003.

Two years later, he smashed the West Indies in Trinidad in 2005 with 13-132 - the best-ever match figures by a Proteas bowler.

But controversy has never been far away. In 1999, just as his career seemed to be hitting its stride after being named in South Africa's 15-man squad for that year's World Cup, the then 22-year-old was charged and convicted of rape.

He strongly maintained his innocence and after the conviction was later overturned on appeal, Ntini returned to the national side with a renewed focus.

Now, as one of the world's leading strike bowlers, Ntini has his eyes on winning this Test and the series for South Africa, having helped reduce the hosts to 6-280 at stumps.

"We've done very well not to let them pass 300 in the first day," he said. "If you say to every team you can be in the same position as we are, you'd be very delighted."