KA Maharaj’s 5 for 123 was in a losing cause in the just concluded Durban test between South Africa and Australia to provide the 38^th occasion of a South African bowler’s five-wicket haul going in vain on its home soil.  All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Inns	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	A Rose-Innes	18.0×4	05	43	5	2	Eng	P Elizabeth	12 Mar 1889
2	WH Ashley	43.1×4	18	95	7	1	Eng	Cape Town	25 Mar 1889
3	J Middleton	25.4×5	06	64	5	1	Eng	P Elizabeth	13 Feb 1896
4	GA Rowe	49.0×5	09	115	5	1	Eng	Jo’burg	02 Mar 1896
5	J Middleton	26.0×5	08	51	5	3	Eng	Jo’burg	14 Feb 1899
6	JH Sinclair	12.0×5	04	26	6	1	Eng	Cape Town	01 Apr 1899
7	CB Llewellyn	18.1	03	43	5	1	Aus	Jo’burg	18 Oct 1902
8	CB Llewellyn	31.4	09	73	5	3	Aus	Jo’burg	18 Oct 1902
9	CB Llewellyn	30.5	04	97	6	1	Aus	Cape Town	08 Nov 1902
10	JM Blanckenberg	38.0	13	83	5	2	Eng	Jo’burg	26 Dec 1913
11	JM Blanckenberg	24.1	05	61	5	2	Eng	Cape Town	01 Jan 1923
12	AE Hall	37.3	12	63	7	4	Eng	Cape Town	01 Jan 1923
13	HLE Promnitz	37.0	14	58	5	2	Eng	Jo’burg	24 Dec 1927
14	GF Bissett	17.0	05	37	5	1	Eng	Cape Town	31 Dec 1927
15	B Mitchell	25.5	02	87	5	2	Aus	Durban	28 Feb 1936
16	NBF Mann	37.4×8	14	59	6	2	Eng	Durban	16 Dec 1948
17	CN McCarthy	12.0×8	02	43	6	4	Eng	Durban	16 Dec 1948
18	AMB Rowan	60.0×8	09	167	5	2	Eng	P Elizabeth	05 Mar 1949
19	HJ Tayfield	08.4×8	01	23	7	2	Aus	Durban	20 Jan 1950
20	HJ Tayfield	53.0×8	21	130	5	1	Eng	Cape Town	01 Jan 1957
21	HJ Tayfield	51.0×8	18	120	5	1	Aus	Cape Town	31 Dec 1957
22	PS Heine	37.5×8	06	96	6	1	Aus	Jo’burg	07 Feb 1958
23	SF Burke	53.5	19	128	6	1	NZl	Cape Town	01 Jan 1962
24	SF Burke	27.1	10	68	5	3	NZl	Cape Town	01 Jan 1962
25	EJ Barlow	33.3	09	85	5	1	Aus	Cape Town	31 Dec 1966
26	CR Matthews	36.0	12	80	5	2	Aus	Cape Town	17 Mar 1994
27	CR Matthews	19.0	09	42	5	3	NZl	Jo’burg	25 Nov 1994
28	AA Donald	19.2	04	79	5	1	Pak	Durban	26 Feb 1998
29	SM Pollock	22.3	06	50	6	3	Pak	Durban	26 Feb 1998
30	M Ntini	18.5	02	100	6	2	Aus	Jo’burg	31 Mar 2006
31	M Ntini	21.0	06	59	6	2	Pak	P Elizabeth	19 Jan 2007
32	DW Steyn	19.0	06	50	6	1	Ind	Durban	26 Dec 2010
33	VD Philander	20.0	03	70	5	4	Aus	Jo’burg	17 Nov 2011
34	M de Lange	23.2	03	81	7	1	Srl	Durban	26 Dec 2011
35	DW Steyn	20.0	03	73	5	3	Srl	Durban	26 Dec 2011
36	DL Piedt	36.0	04	153	5	3	Eng	Durban	26 Dec 2015
37	K Rabada	23.1	05	78	5	2	Eng	Jo’burg	14 Jan 2016
38	KA Maharaj	33.4	05	123	5	1	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018

It also provides the eleventh occasion of a South African bowler’s five-wicket haul going in vain in a  Durban test. All such occasions are listed below

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Inns	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	B Mitchell	25.5	02	87	5	2	Aus	Durban	28 Feb 1936
2	NBF Mann	37.4×8	14	59	6	2	Eng	Durban	16 Dec 1948
3	CN McCarthy	12.0×8	02	43	6	4	Eng	Durban	16 Dec 1948
4	HJ Tayfield	08.4×8	01	23	7	2	Aus	Durban	20 Jan 1950
5	AA Donald	19.2	04	79	5	1	Pak	Durban	26 Feb 1998
6	SM Pollock	22.3	06	50	6	3	Pak	Durban	26 Feb 1998
7	DW Steyn	19.0	06	50	6	1	Ind	Durban	26 Dec 2010
8	M de Lange	23.2	03	81	7	1	Srl	Durban	26 Dec 2011
9	DW Steyn	20.0	03	73	5	3	Srl	Durban	26 Dec 2011
10	DL Piedt	36.0	04	153	5	3	Eng	Durban	26 Dec 2015
11	KA Maharaj	33.4	05	123	5	1	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018

It also provides the twelfth occasion of a South African bowler’s five-wicket haul going in vain against Australia at home. All such occasions are listed below

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Inns	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	CB Llewellyn	18.1	03	43	5	1	Aus	Jo’burg	18 Oct 1902
2	CB Llewellyn	31.4	09	73	5	3	Aus	Jo’burg	18 Oct 1902
3	CB Llewellyn	30.5	04	97	6	1	Aus	Cape Town	08 Nov 1902
4	B Mitchell	25.5	02	87	5	2	Aus	Durban	28 Feb 1936
5	HJ Tayfield	08.4×8	01	23	7	2	Aus	Durban	20 Jan 1950
6	HJ Tayfield	51.0×8	18	120	5	1	Aus	Cape Town	31 Dec 1957
7	PS Heine	37.5×8	06	96	6	1	Aus	Jo’burg	07 Feb 1958
8	EJ Barlow	33.3	09	85	5	1	Aus	Cape Town	31 Dec 1966
9	CR Matthews	36.0	12	80	5	2	Aus	Cape Town	17 Mar 1994
10	M Ntini	18.5	02	100	6	2	Aus	Jo’burg	31 Mar 2006
11	VD Philander	20.0	03	70	5	4	Aus	Jo’burg	17 Nov 2011
12	KA Maharaj	33.4	05	123	5	1	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018

It also provides the third occasion of a South African bowler’s five wicket haul going in vain in a  Durban test against Australia. All such occasions are listed below. It is noted with interest that KA Maharaj’s five wicket haul went in vain after 68 years and two months. The previous occasion of such an instance was  HJ Tayfield’s 7 for 23 going in vain at Durban in Jan 1950

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Inns	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	B Mitchell	25.5	02	87	5	2	Aus	Durban	28 Feb 1936
2	HJ Tayfield	08.4×8	01	23	7	2	Aus	Durban	20 Jan 1950
3	KA Maharaj	33.4	05	123	5	1	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018

The following table lists eight South African bowlers whose five wickets hauls went in vain at home after they conceded 100 plus runs.

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Inns	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	M Ntini	18.5	02	100	6	2	Aus	Jo’burg	31 Mar 2006
2	GA Rowe	49.0×5	09	115	5	1	Eng	Jo’burg	02 Mar 1896
3	HJ Tayfield	51.0×8	18	120	5	1	Aus	Cape Town	31 Dec 1957
4	KA Maharaj	33.4	05	123	5	1	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018
5	SF Burke	53.5	19	128	6	1	NZl	Cape Town	01 Jan 1962
6	HJ Tayfield	53.0×8	21	130	5	1	Eng	Cape Town	01 Jan 1957
7	DL Piedt	36.0	04	153	5	3	Eng	Durban	26 Dec 2015
8	AMB Rowan	60.0×8	09	167	5	2	Eng	P Elizabeth	05 Mar 1949

KA Maharaj’s 5 for 123 provides the  tenth occasion of South African spin bowler’s five wicket haul going in vain on home soil. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Inns	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	A Rose-Innes	18.0×4	05	43	5	2	Eng	P Elizabeth	12 Mar 1889
2	GA Rowe	49.0×5	09	115	5	1	Eng	Jo’burg	02 Mar 1896
3	B Mitchell	25.5	02	87	5	2	Aus	Durban	28 Feb 1936
4	NBF Mann	37.4×8	14	59	6	2	Eng	Durban	16 Dec 1948
5	AMB Rowan	60.0×8	09	167	5	2	Eng	P Elizabeth	05 Mar 1949
6	HJ Tayfield	08.4×8	01	23	7	2	Aus	Durban	20 Jan 1950
7	HJ Tayfield	53.0×8	21	130	5	1	Eng	Cape Town	01 Jan 1957
8	HJ Tayfield	51.0×8	18	120	5	1	Aus	Cape Town	31 Dec 1957
9	DL Piedt	36.0	04	153	5	3	Eng	Durban	26 Dec 2015
10	KA Maharaj	33.4	05	123	5	1	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018