Dale Steyn makes quiet return to cricket after year-long absence

More than a year after suffering a stress fracture in his right shoulder in a Test in Australia, Dale Steyn took 1/25 to help his Titans franchise defeat the Knights by 38 runs in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge.

Dale Steyn, South African fast bowler, wasn’t looking for anything spectacular in his comeback to professional cricket, and he duly delivered three largely uneventful overs in a domestic Twenty20 match on Wednesday.

Dale Steyn, returning from a lengthy injury lay-off, made a successful comeback to competitive cricket by collecting 1/25 in Titans’ 38-run win over the Knights in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge. (Twitter)

More than a year after suffering a stress fracture in his right shoulder in a Test in Australia, Steyn, 34, took one for 25 to help his Titans franchise defeat the Knights by 38 runs at the Diamond Oval.

(Read | Why Virat Kohli is different from MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar)

Bowling the second over of the innings, with his team defending 199, Steyn started with a no-ball, then conceded three fours off successive balls in a first over which cost 17 runs.

But a two-over spell in mid-innings brought him the wicket of Test squad batsman Theunis de Bruyn while conceding only eight runs, including a wide.

(Read | BCCI allowed to hold SGM, only office-bearers allowed)

He also contributed a catch in the covers and left the field with a smile on his face.

Steyn needs to prove his fitness before South Africa’s next Test engagement, a day-night encounter against Zimbabwe in Port Elizabeth from December 26 to 29.