From Athers ball-tampering to KP texting saga: 6 dramas on Proteas tours to England

Proteas coach Mark Boucher, ever candidly, reminded everyone ahead of the Test series between his charges and England starting on Thursday that the on-field skirmishes of the two nations always creates a huge amount of hype.

And when there's hype, there's fertile ground for drama, be it on or off the field.

Sport24 looks back at five sagas - from each of South Africa's tours to England since 1994 - that dominated the headlines instead of the play itself.

1994: Mike Atherton's dirt in the pocket

The obdurate English opener and polarising captain almost saw his leadership career implode barely after it started.

On the grand occasion of the Proteas returning to Lord's for the first time since 29 years of exile due to Apartheid, England found themselves put under pressure by their enthusiastic opponents.

By tea on the third day of that first Test, Atherton, prompted by veteran Graham Gooch telling him their bowlers were getting no assistance from the ball while South Africa - led by Allan Donald and Fanie de Villiers - made it "talk", decides to put dirt in his pocket in order to "keep my hands and the ball dry three or four times".

However, he's caught on camera doing so and all hell breaks loose.

The British press, neatly nestled in their ivory tower, hammered the then 25-year-old skipper and Atherton did himself no favours by spinning two versions of the story.

To team management, he made the reasonable argument that he was not changing the condition of the ball - it was already worn - but merely maintaining it.

When summoned to match referee Peter Bruge, Atherton "panicked" and told him it was just to keep his sweaty hands dry.

He was granted a reprieve by Bruge, but team management was furious about him not coming clean and