Cronje started 1997-98 by leading South Africa to their first series victory in Pakistan, his batting continued to struggle with his biggest contribution being taking the wickets of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Moin Khan in the Third Test.

Member of the crowd started to barrack after seeing a replay that showed that Thorpe was short of the mark, and South Africa captain Hansie Cronje persuaded Orchard to check with the third umpire, who ruled Thorpe out.

In the one-day series Cronje managed just one fifty but with the ball he was economical and took his career best figures of 5 / 32, becoming the second South African to take five wickets in an ODI.

Cronje produced better form against Australia, averaging over 50 in both test and ODI series although both were lost.

The following day, Gibbs revealed that Cronje had offered him $ 15, 000 to score less than 20 runs in the 5th ODI at Nagpur.

Cronje was offered $ 140, 000 for the fifth ODI if Gibbs scored under 20, Williams went for more than 50 and South Africa scored around 270.

In South Africa's next Test series against Sri Lanka Cronje scored his second Test century, 122 in the second Test in Colombo ; the victory margin of an innings and 208 runs is a South African record.

Between the second and third tests, the one-day tournament continued, now with Cronje as captain, South Africa made the final series but lost it 2-1 to Australia.

Cronje scored only one century on the whole tour and scored only 90 runs in the three-test series.

Cronje, who'd previously been vice-captain, was named as captain for the test series with New Zealand in 1994-95.

South Africa won the five Test series against England 1-0 despite Cronje struggling, scoring 113 runs at 18. 83.

Cronje missed the first Test of the series with Pakistan because of a knee injury.

During the 1998 Test series against England, Cronje scored five consecutive fifties, having failed to score one in the nine previous Tests against them.

However, England won the Test, and the one at Headingley, to win the series 2-1, Cronje finished the series as South Africa's top scorer with 401 runs at 66. 83.

In the West Indies series of 1998-99, Cronje captained South Africa to their only whitewash in a five Test series.

Cronje struggled against India in his final Test series, scoring 25 runs in two Tests and taking six wickets.

Before the one-day series, Cronje received repeated calls from " Sanjay " asking him to fix a match.

Most notoriously, Gibbs was involved in the match fixing affair with former captain Hansie Cronje, who offered him $ 15, 000 to score " less than 20 " in the 3rd One-day International of a series.

He retired after the series, handing over the reins to teammate Hansie Cronje.

During the group matches Cronje had threatened to lead his team off after Pat Symcox had missiles thrown at him, Symcox had the last laugh ending the match with 4 / 24.

The first was won with Cronje scoring 49 and 74 ; in the second Test, he took 3 / 14, his best bowling in Tests, and smashed 82 off 63 balls, his fifty being brought up with three consecutive sixes off Muttiah Muralitharan, and was reached off just 31 balls ; at the time, it was the second fastest in Tests after Kapil Dev's.

At the 1999 World Cup, Cronje finished with 98 runs at 12. 25 as South Africa was eliminated after the famous tied semi-final against Australia at Edgbaston.

In the first match of the tournament versus India, Cronje came onto the field with an earpiece wired to coach Bob Woolmer, but at the first drinks break match referee Talat Ali ordered him to remove it.

When South Africa reached 248 / 8, Cronje declared ; both teams then forfeited an innings leaving England a target of 249 to win the Test, which they did with two wickets left and only five balls remaining.

Cronje top scored with 56 after South Africa were left reeling at 21-5 in the Final of the triangular tournament which featured England and Zimbabwe.

On 15 June, Cronje released a statement that revealed all his contact with bookmakers.

In the 2000 Centurion Test, Marlon Aronstam contacted him offering R500, 000 for the charity of his choice together with a gift if Cronje declared and made a game of it.

After the match Aronstam visited Cronje, giving him two amounts of money ( R30, 000 and R20, 000 ) together with a leather jacket.

Finally, Roberts resorted to bombarding Cronje into submission, but it took a further ten precious days and with the British troops using the polluted Modder River as water supply, resulting in a typhoid epidemic killing many troops.

General Cronje was forced to surrender at Surrender Hill with 4000 men.

As a kingpin, Cronje exposed the dark side of betting, however with his untimely death in 2002 most of his sources also have escaped law enforcement agencies.

South African captain Hansie Cronje later speared the umpires ' dressing room door with a stump.

That was until Hansie Cronje, the South African captain, entered into a deal with his English counterpart, Nasser Hussain, that South Africa would continue batting till they reached about 250 and then declare.

It later emerged that Cronje had been approached by a bookmaker, and asked to ensure the game would end with a positive result.

Cronje scored 354 runs at an average of 88. 50.

" During the return tour, Cronje received $ 50, 000 from Gupta for team information.

However, instead of being the aggressor Baden-Powell and Mafeking were forced to defend when 6, 000 Boer, commanded by Piet Cronje, attempted a determined assault on the town.

The Scots Guards then saw action at another major battle, at the Battle of Paardeberg, which last for a number of days in February, though the Boers there were eventually defeat when the Boer leader Piet Cronje surrendered.

However, it is widely believed the sides containing the likes of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Gary Kirsten and Hansie Cronje grossly underachieved, gaining a reputation as " chokers ", due to them reaching the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup three times, but failing to progress into the finals, when Herschelle Gibbs dropped Australian captain Steve Waugh in 1999 in a Super Six match.

Cronje once again came up against Australia and once again ended on the losing side.

In 1997, Cronje played for Ireland as an overseas player in the Benson and Hedges Cup and helped them to a 46-run win over Middlesex by scoring 94 not out and taking three wickets.

For example Hansie Cronje of South Africa competed for Ireland in the 1997 Benson & Hedges Cup, and more recently New Zealander Jesse Ryder played for Ireland in 2007.