Trivia-busting Rabada joins elite Lord's club of two

South Africa accelerated bowler Kagiso Rabada has joined an elite Lord's club, doubling its number of members to two.

Famously, immoderate subordinate who takes 5 wickets aliases scores a period successful a Test lucifer has their sanction etched connected to an honours committee successful golden lettering.

Before nan first time of nan World Test Championship (WTC) final, only 1 different Test subordinate successful nan storied 141-year history of nan longer format astatine Lord's has appeared connected nan honours committee successful some nan location and distant dressing rooms.

That quirky people of cricket trivia belonged to legendary West Indies opener Gordon Greenidge.

His knocks of 214 not retired and 103 against England successful 1984 and 1988 respectively adorn nan committee successful nan distant dressing room.

But little good known is nan truth he is besides connected nan location dressing room for nan 122 he made for nan Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against nan Rest of nan World successful 1987.

With South Africa allocated nan location dressing room for nan WTC last astatine nan location of cricket, Rabada's five-wicket haul was capable to spot him subordinate Greenidge successful nan exclusive club.

A portion of sticky batting portion pinch Rabada's sanction written connected it successful pen has been attached to nan committee for his figures of 5-51, arsenic is nan contented for players during matches. The golden lettering should soon follow.

And pinch nary spot for neutral Tests astatine Lord's connected nan honours committee since they were refurbished successful 2018 it whitethorn good beryllium stencilled connected location permanently.

"It was cool to person it successful nan location changing room now," said Rabada, whose sanction is connected nan committee successful nan distant dressing room for nan 5-52 he took for his state successful a Test against England successful 2022.

Perhaps he benefited from immoderate insider trading from nan accelerated bowlers' national to execute nan feat.

In a savvy move, South Africa engaged nan services of Stuart Broad - a man who is connected nan honours committee for batting and bowling - successful nan build-up to this match.

They did truthful connected nan premise nan erstwhile England bowler could impart immoderate pearls of contented connected a crushed wherever he took 113 wickets.

Rabada must person been eagerly taking notes - CricViz information showed that 84% of Rabada's deliveries connected time 1 were connected a bully length, which is nan astir of immoderate innings successful his career.

His dismissal of Australia opener Usman Khawaja, pinch a transportation from information nan wicket which squared nan left-hander up and took nan edge, was Broadian by nature.

"Stuart gave america a fewer pointers connected definite section placings and successful wide pinch nan conditions pinch unreality screen and wind," acknowledged Rabada, who has nan second-best strike-rate (39.1) successful nan history of nan crippled of bowlers pinch 100 wickets aliases much (beaten only by England's George Lohmann, who took his wickets each 34.1 balls betwixt 1886 and 1896).

"The shot was nipping a spot and astatine times moving disconnected nan slope rather a lot. I still felt batters could get in. We thought we should person bowled them retired for 160 but that's conscionable nan measurement nan crippled goes."

There was besides a redemption constituent of sorts to Rabada's efforts pinch nan ball.

The 30-year-old accelerated bowler had travel into nan lucifer pinch thing of a unreality hanging complete him having precocious served a short prohibition for recreational supplier use.

"It wasn't my champion moment, arsenic I person alluded to," Rabada said, successful a matter-of-fact manner.

"Life moves on. Every crippled that I play for South Africa, I effort to do my best."

On a time erstwhile 14 wickets fell astatine Lord's it would beryllium easy to presume nan South Africa speedy bowler's five-wicket haul could beryllium attributed to different factors.

"For time 1 of a Lord's Test match, it was beneath mean successful position of activity done nan air, and conscionable astir mean for deviation disconnected nan pitch," said TMS scorer Andy Zaltzman.

"So that comes down to value of bowling and consistency."

Rabada besides moved supra legendary accelerated bowler Allan Donald and up to 4th connected South Africa's all-time Test wicket-takers database arsenic he took his tally to 332 victims.

The 3 men supra him connected South Africa's all-time database are Makhaya Ntini (390), Shaun Pollock (421) and Dale Steyn (439).

"As a player, increasing up and representing South Africa, I person been inspired by those who person travel earlier and seen what they person done connected nan large stage," he added.

"As a kid, I was inspired to do nan aforesaid thing. To beryllium connected that database is thing typical and agelong whitethorn it continue."