Despite not playing international cricket from 1970 to 1991, South Africa has remained a strong team in Test cricket. They held the ICC Test Championship title for the longest period after Australia, totaling 42 months.
South Africa also has an impressive record in Test matches played overseas. Until recently, they were known as a formidable team when touring other countries in world cricket. These achievements in Test cricket are thanks to the hard work of their players, who amazed the cricket world with their outstanding performances.
Here, we look at ten of the greatest South African cricketers of all time
10. Aubrey Faulkner
Aubrey Faulkner was a top cricket player who could both bat and bowl well in Test matches. He had a batting average of 40.79 and a bowling average of 26.58. He played in 25 Tests during his career.
In 1910/11, he scored over 200 runs against Australia in Melbourne and took six wickets for just 17 runs in Leeds against England. He was known for his leg break bowling and especially for using the googly, a rare skill at the time.
Faulkner’s greatest moment came in 1921 when he scored 153 runs and then took six wickets against Australia, showing his skill and dominance in the sport.
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9. Mark Boucher
Mark Boucher retired from playing Test cricket in 2012 because of a rare injury to his right eye. Before his retirement, he achieved a world record with 555 dismissals as a wicket-keeper, making him one of cricket’s greatest ever in that position.
Throughout his career, Boucher was South Africa’s main wicket-keeper and holds the unique distinction of taking over 500 catches in Tests. He also contributed with the bat, showing his skill with an average of 30.30 across 147 Test matches, which is quite impressive.
8. Hashim Amla
Hashim Amla is considered one of the best cricketers of recent times in South Africa. He’s earned a place among their greatest Test players ever. Known for his incredible patience, Amla has scored over eight thousand runs in Test matches, including 26 centuries. He was the first South African batsman to achieve this milestone.
When Amla started his Test career, he didn’t immediately stand out. However, he made a remarkable comeback after adjusting his technique. His unusual way of preparing to bat helps him hit powerful shots on the off-side, and his flexible wrists allow him to flick the ball effortlessly.
In 2010, Amla scored 490 runs across three innings against India, including a high score of 253 not out. His performance ensured that South Africa drew the series. In 2012, he scored an unbeaten 311 runs in the first Test against England. His century in the third Test helped South Africa win the series 2-0 and rise to the top of the ICC Test rankings.
7. Allan Donald
Allan Donald led South Africa’s cricket team when they returned to international play in 1991. He was known for his smooth bowling technique, fast pace, and skill in making the ball swing.
Donald became one of the top bowlers in the world during the 1990s. He was the first South African player to take 300 wickets in Test matches. By the end of his career, he had a remarkable bowling average of 22.25. In 72 Test matches, he took a total of 330 wickets, achieving a very good bowling strike rate of 47.
6. Dudley Nourse
At the age of forty, Dudley Nourse went to bat against England in 1951 at Nottingham despite having a broken right thumb. He batted for nine hours, enduring severe pain with great determination.
During those nine hours, Nourse showed remarkable courage. When he finished, he had scored the first double-century by a South African against England. His innings also set the stage for South Africa’s first Test match victory in 16 years.
Nourse’s performance in Nottingham showcased his skill as a batting master. In his 34 Test matches, he scored nine centuries and a total of 2960 runs. His batting average of 53.81 demonstrates his exceptional ability. Additionally, he led the South African team as captain from 1948 to 1951.
5. Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn is known as one of the scariest and most reliable fast bowlers in Test cricket over the past decade. When he’s in top form, he can place the ball exactly where he wants, swing it in different ways, and bowl at high speeds.
What really sets him apart is his ability to keep up this level of performance over and over again, no matter what kind of pitch he’s playing on anywhere in the world. In 85 Test matches, he has taken 417 wickets, which is the second-highest number for any South African bowler, with an impressive average of 22.30 runs per wicket.
His strike rate of 41.4 is the best among bowlers with more than 100 Test wickets. But perhaps his biggest accomplishment is that he’s kept the tradition of fast bowling alive in a time when cricket has favored batsmen more than ever before.
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4. Hugh Tayfield
In a country not known for producing great spin bowlers, Hugh Tayfield stands out. He was exceptionally accurate and controlled as an off-spinner in Test cricket. Until 2008, he was the fastest bowler from his country to reach 100 Test wickets.
His bowling statistics reflect his skill: an average of 25.91 runs per wicket and an incredible economy rate of 1.94 runs per over. In a notable match against England in Johannesburg in 1956/7, he took nine wickets, bowling 35 overs continuously without a break. Earlier in the same series, he bowled 137 consecutive dot balls in one Test match.
3. Shaun Pollock
Shaun Pollock, South Africa’s top wicket-taker in Test matches, has a batting average of 32.31, showing why he’s highly valued in Test cricket.
Known for his smooth bowling technique, fast pace, and many different bowling styles, Pollock partnered with Donald to create one of Test cricket’s most dangerous pace attacks. His skill was clear when he took seven wickets on a challenging batting pitch in Adelaide against Australia in 1997.
Pollock was also a handy batsman, especially in lower positions in the batting order. He scored two centuries and 16 half-centuries in Test matches.
2. Graeme Pollock
Don Bradman, one of cricket’s greatest players, considered Graeme Pollock to be one of the best left-handed batsmen, along with Garry Sobers. Pollock was known for his exceptional talent in cricket.
In Test matches, he had an impressive batting average of 60.97, which is second only to Bradman himself. He scored 18 fifty-plus scores in just 41 innings, showing his skill as a batsman.
Unfortunately, Pollock’s career was shortened because South Africa’s cricket team was banned from international competition due to apartheid, a policy of racial segregation. As a result, he only played in 23 Tests.
Despite his short career, Pollock’s talent was undeniable. He was named South Africa’s player of the 20th century and was recognized as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year in 1966.
1. Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis was an exceptional cricketer known for his batting and bowling skills. He scored more than 13,000 runs and took 292 wickets in Test matches, making him a rare talent in cricket history.
He played 166 Test matches for South Africa, scoring 45 centuries and taking 200 catches. His bowling average was 32.65 runs per wicket. When he retired, South Africa was a strong team capable of winning matches worldwide.
Kallis was known for his solid batting technique and elegant strokeplay. He was also praised for his bowling, which often surprised batsmen with unexpected bounce and swing. In the field, he was a reliable catcher at slip, thanks to his large hands.
| Rank | Player | Matches | Runs | Batting Average | Wickets | Bowling Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Kallis | 166 | 13289 | 55.37 | 292 | 32.65 |
| 2 | Graeme Pollock | 23 | 2256 | 60.97 | – | – |
| 3 | Shaun Pollock | 108 | 3781 | 32.31 | 421 | 23.11 |
| 4 | Hugh Tayfield | 37 | 170 | – | 170 | 25.91 |
| 5 | Dale Steyn | 93 | 1184 | 13.34 | 417 | 22.30 |
| 6 | Dudley Nourse | 34 | 2960 | 53.81 | – | – |
| 7 | Allan Donald | 72 | 330 | 22.25 | – | – |
| 8 | Hashim Amla | 124 | 9282 | 46.64 | – | – |
| 9 | Mark Boucher | 147 | 5515 | 30.30 | – | – |
| 10 | Aubrey Faulkner | 25 | – | 40.79 | – | 26.58 |
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