Simon Harmer fights back tears after maiden 10-wicket haul against Australia

Simon Harmer fought back tears after taking his maiden 10-wicket haul against Australia. The South African spinner reflected on a difficult career journey, his years playing county cricket and his return to Test cricket.Simon Harmer picked up his maiden 10 wicket haul to lead in South Africa's win in Cape Town. (Image: AFP)Cape Town,Oct 31, 2026 20:05 ISTFor Simon Harmer, the most revealing moment of a memorable day in Cape Town came after the cricket was over. The South African spinner had just taken his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket, helped his team beat Australia by 176 runs and sealed a 2-1 series victory. But when asked what he would tell his younger self, the 37-year-old struggled to find the words.SA vs AUS, 5th Test Day 5: Highlights | Scorecard“I don't think I would change my journey for anything. The person that I've become,” Harmer said before pausing, visibly fighting back tears.He gathered himself and added, “So yeah, just chuffed.” It was a brief answer, but one that carried years of setbacks, uncertainty and a long road back to the international stage. After losing his place in the South African Test side following the 2015 tour of India, Harmer spent several years away from international cricket, playing county cricket for Essex in England.Rather than allowing that period to bring his career to a standstill, he made the most of the opportunity. Harmer became a key figure for Essex, refined his craft and established himself as one of the most accomplished spinners in county cricket. His return to the South African setup in 2022 brought him back into the Test arena, giving him another opportunity to make his mark at the highest level. That journey gave his words in Cape Town a significance beyond the figures on the scoreboard.A DAY TO REMEMBERHarmer had plenty to celebrate. His career-best figures of 6-16 in Australia's second innings helped bowl the visitors out for 111 and completed a remarkable South African comeback in the series.The hosts had entered the final day needing 10 wickets, with Australia chasing 288. Kagiso Rabada, returning after illness had kept him out on Days 2 and 3, made an immediate impact with two wickets in the opening over. He removed Travis Head six overs later, leaving Harmer to tighten the grip on the Australian batting line-up.The spinner finished with match figures of 10-120, earning the Player of the Match award. Asked about his approach, Harmer said the key was to put the expectations surrounding the occasion to one side.“I think it was just dealing with the expectation, putting that to one side and understanding what I needed to do, getting the ball in the right areas as often as I could,” he said.As the innings progressed, he relied on changes of pace, trajectory and angles to keep the Australian batters under pressure.SPINNER'S DREAMRabada's early strikes had put South Africa firmly in control, but Harmer still had to do the work of closing out the innings. He recognised that Australia would soon be playing for a draw, a situation that offered a spinner on a turning surface the chance to attack.“As a spinner on a turning wicket, that's kind of what dreams are made of,” he said.With fielders around the bat and pressure building, Harmer found the conditions ideal for the kind of bowling he enjoys. He described the experience as “a hell of a lot of fun”, while acknowledging that Rabada's spell had made his own task easier.The performance was particularly satisfying after Harmer had questioned his bowling following the second Test in Gqeberha. He felt he had tried too hard to take wickets there and wanted to focus on control before looking to exploit any assistance from the surface in Cape Town.THE JOURNEY MATTERSSouth Africa's victory completed a turnaround after losing the first Test in Durban by 214 runs. They responded with an innings-and-31-run win in Gqeberha before sealing the series in Cape Town, reclaiming the No. 1 position in the ICC Test rankings.For Harmer, the result was another milestone in a career that has rarely followed a straight line. His years in county cricket, his return to the Proteas and now a maiden 10-wicket match haul have all become part of the same story.He had been asked to look back and offer his younger self some advice. Instead, Harmer became emotional while reflecting on the person his experiences had shaped.“I don't think I would change my journey for anything.”In the aftermath of a career-defining performance, that was perhaps the most telling thing Harmer said all day.- Ends