Proteas spinner Simon Harmer achieved a historic milestone by claiming his 1,000th first-class wicket during South Africa's second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. The 36-year-old off-spinner dismissed Pakistan's Noman Ali to join an elite club of only three previous South Africans. His accomplishment highlights the challenges of sustaining a red-ball career in the modern era dominated by white-ball formats.
Simon Harmer reached 1,000 first-class wickets on October 23, 2025, during the fourth day of the second Test match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The dismissal came when Harmer bowled a full ball from around the wicket to Pakistan's Noman Ali. The delivery gripped off the abrasive surface, caught a faint edge, and was taken by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, securing South Africa's eight-wicket victory.
Harmer is the fourth South African to achieve this feat, following Charlie Llewellyn (1,013 wickets), Mike Procter (1,417), and Allan Donald (1,216). The global record belongs to England's Wilfred Rhodes, who took 4,204 wickets in 1,110 matches from 1898 to 1930, an era without limited-overs cricket.
At 36, Harmer accomplished this despite debuting in 2009 amid the rise of T20 and limited-overs formats, which have reduced first-class opportunities in favor of franchise leagues. He has never played T20 franchise cricket outside South Africa, though he has featured in England's domestic T20 Blast. His skill set as a tall, accurate finger spinner suits red-ball cricket more than the deception-heavy demands of white-ball games.
Harmer's wickets are distributed as follows: 513 for Essex (since 2017), 278 for the Warriors, 64 for the Titans (his current domestic side), 59 for Eastern Province, and the rest for national teams. He refined his craft with Essex on a Kolpak deal before returning to international cricket in 2020 after Brexit. His Test career, starting in 2015, totals just 12 matches, partly due to overlapping with Keshav Maharaj's debut in 2016.
Earlier in the match, Harmer recalled a 2019 county game against Babar Azam, bowling around the wicket to dismiss him LBW for his 997th wicket—his first from that angle in Tests. He then claimed a maiden five-wicket haul. "It’s been a monkey on my back," Harmer said of the five-for. "...even sweeter to take my thousandth wicket for South Africa, while playing for South Africa. I’m not really a stats man, but it’s a milestone not many have achieved so to get over the line, especially in a Proteas shirt is something that I’ll remember for a long time."
With upcoming Tests in India next month and Sri Lanka later in the World Test Championship cycle, Harmer and Maharaj's complementary spins could feature more prominently. Harmer's persistent action—delivering 55,618 balls in 15 years—underlines his dedication to a craft increasingly rare in cricket's evolving landscape.