It is well-known already that Tuesday's victory in Melbourne secured South Africa's first-ever Test series triumph in Australia ? with one Test to spare. But that second-Test win simply capped what was already a record-breaking year for Graeme Smith's Proteas.

From individual batting (Graeme Smith) and bowling records (Dale Steyn), to team records; 2008 will long be remembered as the year of the Protea... and the year the Aussies fell from grace!

Interestingly, quite a few of these records have eluded even the great Australian sides of the last decade and its players:

  • Excluding one-off Tests, South Africa are now the only team to boast series victories against all nine Test-playing nations; both home and away. Australia have beaten every other nation at home, but do not have a Test series victory in Zimbabwe.

  • The Proteas' 11 Test victories during 2008 is a joint record along with England (2004) and West Indian (1984). The most Test matches Australia have ever won in a calendar year are 10 ? a feat they have accomplished on three occasions.

  • For the first time in history, the national team has won more Tests than they have lost ? winning 119 and losing 118. South Africa have now won 35% of their matches, a percentage bettered only by the Australians (46%).

Led by captain Graeme Smith and star bowler Dale Steyn, several individual milestones have been reached during 2008 as well:

  • Smith scored 1656 runs in 2008, a tally bettered only twice in history. Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf amassed 1788 runs in 2006, whilst West Indian great Sir Vivian Richards tallied 1710 runs back in 1976. The most ever by an Australian was Ricky Ponting's total of 1544 in 2005.

  • The burly opener has also scored more runs in successful fourth innings run chases than anyone else ? 919 runs ? bettering Matthew Hayden's mark of 913 runs. No other player has passed 50 more often than Smith in successful chases (eight times, including three centuries). Only Ponting has scored three centuries successfully chasing down a target as well.

  • Steyn, the current ICC Test Player of the Year, finished 2008 as the leading wicket-taker with 74 Test wickets ? the ninth best haul in history. Australian legend Shane Warne holds the record with 96 dismissals in 2005.

  • The 'Phalaborwa Express' took his 150th Test wicket during the Melbourne Test, his 29th match for South Africa. He became the equal fourth fastest in the history of the game to reach that milestone and the fastest South African ever. Spinner Hugh Tayfield also took his 150th wicket in his 29th Test, but took three innings' more to reach the mark than Steyn.

  • Steyn's score of 76 in the second Test in Melbourne is the ninth highest ever by a number ten batsman and the second highest for a South African behind Pat Symcox's 108 against Pakistan in 1998.

  • Steyn's efforts in Melbourne ? 76 and 10/154 ? was the 22nd time a player managed to score a fifty and take 10 wickets in a Test. 'Vinnige' Fanie de Villiers (66*, 10/108 against Pakistan in 1998) is the only other South African on that list.

* Statistics courtesy of Cricket South Africa statistician Andrew Samson.