Unlucky not to play tests (or more tests) for South Africa XI Post Isolation

[GRAB]

Criteria: not missed out because were too old once we reached post isolation, or because of constant / career-ending injuries (Martyn, Schultz, Ngam etc.), or because chose to play for another country instead (you know which two in particular.)

1. Andrew Puttick
Got an ODI in which he made a duck, but a consistent and compact domestic run-maker who, whenever there seemed to be an opening opening, someone else appeared ahead of him - Graeme Smith out of nowhere, the reinvention of Neil McKenzie et. al.
2. Terence Lazard
Broke a longstanding record for the highest FC score for South Africa for about month at the beginning of the 93/94 season before his record was in turn broken by one DC Cullinan. Chose to move from Western Province to the less ***y Boland team, and by the time our persistence with Andrew Hudson waned, he had faded to an early retirement... I do know we tried Rudi Steyn, Gerhardus Liebenberg and several others during that time.
3. John Commins
Made a lot of unsexy runs for WP and Boland, and amassed runs for SA A. Batting with a runner because of a groin strain, he forgot to not run, worsening his injury and running himself out. He could never force his way back into the side...
4. Justin Ontong
His first test he was under unfortunate circumstances. He struggled with McGill too, I think? Got another match 3 years later then was dropped again. After that, got pigeonholed as a limited overs player, despite piles of runs for Cobras.
5. Dale Benkenstein(C)
Also pigeon-holed as a limited overs player to some extent, though once the anointed successor as captain to Cronje. He struggled for any sort of fluency batting mostly seven in a number of limited overs games, but I don't think even got as far as a test squad...
6. Zander de Bruyn
Never sure what he did wrong to be dropped so quickly, although wasn't there a change of coach at the time? You feel if Jacques Kallis wasn't in the side he may have played more, as a top six batsmen with solid back-up fast-medium swing as a second string in his bow.
7. Nic Pothas (Wk)
Richardson's successor, but after Richardson is ruled out of the '96 WC, Palframan is selected, Boucher replaces Palframan at Border, and thereafter his chances faded... Never played a test, but I think he got 2 ODI's.
8. Ryan McLaren
Regarded as a bits and pieces player, I still feel at his best his bowling was test quality. Probing lines outside off and a wobbly seam work for Philander, and McLaren could bowl over 140... Got two tests four years apart
9. Steve Elworthy
Picked for the 1992 WC but an injury saw him replaced by Tertius Bosch. A beautiful, high action and lots of wheels he had to wait 6 more years for both odi and test debuts at the age of 33. He still played the last of his four tests at 37.
10. Claude Henderson
Four of his seven tests were on the ill-fated tour of Australia in 2001, where he was, along with Pollock, our leading wicket-taker. He got two more games against Bangladesh, where he was hardly needed, and we never went back to him again; this despite being a finger spinner who, on bouncy pitches especially, could be a genuine attacking option. It always felt like our spinners were picked on batting first...
11. Charl Willoughby
Left-arm fast-medium whose style of accurate fourth-stump bowling would be emulated by rightie Philander to great success. Got two opportunities against Bangladesh and England on dead pitches. If he was ever picked at Newlands you feel his career trajectory may have been different...

BTW, looking back, that's a lot of WP/Boland players, but I'm not a Cobras fan, so...

 

[jimmy101]

Wow didn't realise Elworthy was originally in the 92 WC squad.

 

[GRAB]

Wow didn't realise Elworthy was originally in the 92 WC squad.

Hmm, wrote this as a stream of consciousness. Now trying to find something to back-up that statement, and failing, but then not finding much on the squad at all. Only that Peter Kirsten was selected even though he wasn't on the shortlist of 30. Difficult to corroborate, as pre-Internet era. I think at the very least that must have a [citation needed].

 

[Bolo]

Craig Matthews- only 18 tests spread across a number of years, but proved himself high class in both test and FC. Could bat a little as well. May have got in a bit late due to apartheid, but also a victim of strong competition- by 95 RSA had Kallis, Macmillan, Donald and Pollock.

A number of spinners from the last few years- not necessarily that good, but would definitely have been given a fair run in the Boje/Symcox/Harris eras

 

[jimmy101]

Hmm, wrote this as a stream of consciousness. Now trying to find something to back-up that statement, and failing, but then not finding much on the squad at all. Only that Peter Kirsten was selected even though he wasn't on the shortlist of 30. Difficult to corroborate, as pre-Internet era. I think at the very least that must have a [citation needed].

That's okay mate. On another note, where can you find those original 30-man shortlists?

 

[Bolo]

Also Alan Dawson. One of the best FC bowlers in the country for many, many years. Got 2 tests in 2003, when probably getting a little old. Would have played more if he'd been born a little later, and probably deserved to play more anyway considering how thin the bowling resources were at the time.

 

[SeamUp]

I like and I was immediately thinking who else.

I suppose in batting it was those two senior openers Kuhn and Cook (They better than Sven Koenig, Rudi Steyn, Gerhardus Liebenberg, Dougie Watson) .

HD Ackerman and maybe Martin van Jaarsveld at 3/4. current selector Errol Stewart for keeper.

Being a big WP supporter I like the fact that C.Henderson and Willoughby are there GRAB but I had a bigger attachment to Alan Dawson. Actually I think most WP supporters would say the same.

I must admit, I can't remember the Elworthy-thing. I do remember Kepler Wessels being a prick about Jimmy Cook and Clive Rice making ultimatums that they're too old and not performing to get picked and he would throw in the towel if they were selected. It nearly worked for Peter Kirsten but he shut a few people up and was our best batsmen at the tournament.

The bowling intrigues me. Think it is under-estimated how strong Seam attacks were in the Currie Cup & Castle Cup early 90s


WP : Pringle, Matthews, McMillan, Simons, Rundle
EP : Schultz, Bryson, Shaw (McCurdy & the other Aussie replaced by Baptiste)
Natal : Rawson, Packer (Marshall/S.Pollock/Klusener/Symcox)
FS : Donald, van Zyl, Boje , Henry (Stephenson/Player)
TVL : Snell, Jack, Rice, Eksteen
N TVL : T.Bosch, de Villiers, Elworthy, Morris


I suppose tons of those bowlers will count unlucky. Like Bolo mentions C.Matthews with 18 tests with the massive competition but Snell and Jack were the fearsome pace duo at the Wanderers and they got a hand-full each.

 

[SeamUp]

Hahaha I took too long to put my reply ! Damn work !

 

[GRAB]

Ackerman and Dawson were on my shortlist, but how many WP guys can you include? I think of Dawson as a better L/O bowler, perhaps unfairly. Both Dawson and Willoughby contributed a lot to Philander's (and Kleinveldt's) growth as a bowler. Poor HD's career was ruined by Muralitheran, but perhaps they were a tad harsh... Sven Koenig was also on my shortlist. Considered Rudi, but his bowling could be all over the shop when he had a bad day. Serious paceman on his day though. Another paceman I think I should have considered was Gary Guilder. Left armer,who just couldn't find a way in, after his Natal teammates Pollock and Klusener (another when-we, although unlike Johnson, didn't try playing for Zim). Ross Veenstra was another good leftie, but never seemed to settle anywhere, and often even struggled to keep his place for Natal (originally from Transvaal though)...

 

[Bolo]

I must admit, I can't remember the Elworthy-thing. I do remember Kepler Wessels being a prick about Jimmy Cook and Clive Rice making ultimatums that they're too old and not performing to get picked and he would throw in the towel if they were selected. It nearly worked for Peter Kirsten but he shut a few people up and was our best batsmen at the tournament.

Interesting. I wasn't aware it had much to do with Kepler. I guess you could rationalise the decision by saying that he was trying to make hard calls to maximise winning odds and not allow fanboy sentiment to play a role.

How horrible he was as a captain (and particularly an ODI captain) makes me agree with you though.

 

[J_C]

Fanie de Villiers should've played a lot more than just 18 Tests.

 

[fredfertang]

Wow didn't realise Elworthy was originally in the 92 WC squad.

He was a massive disappointment in his season with Lancashire, so much so he was even dropped for a Lord's final

 

[Marius]

I have to say I don't remember Elworthy being in that squad, maybe in the preliminary squad but I doubt the final squad.

 

[Marius]

Ackerman and Dawson were on my shortlist, but how many WP guys can you include? I think of Dawson as a better L/O bowler, perhaps unfairly. Both Dawson and Willoughby contributed a lot to Philander's (and Kleinveldt's) growth as a bowler. Poor HD's career was ruined by Muralitheran, but perhaps they were a tad harsh... Sven Koenig was also on my shortlist. Considered Rudi, but his bowling could be all over the shop when he had a bad day. Serious paceman on his day though. Another paceman I think I should have considered was Gary Guilder. Left armer,who just couldn't find a way in, after his Natal teammates Pollock and Klusener (another when-we, although unlike Johnson, didn't try playing for Zim). Ross Veenstra was another good leftie, but never seemed to settle anywhere, and often even struggled to keep his place for Natal (originally from Transvaal though)...

Klusener isn't a when-we, he's from Zululand, and was born in Durban.

 

[Dendarii]

Klusener isn't a when-we, he's from Zululand, and was born in Durban.

Gilder is the when-we who is being referred to, having been born in Harare, and then completing his schooling in South Africa.

 

[GRAB]

Gilder is the when-we who is being referred to, having been born in Harare, and then completing his schooling in South Africa.

Yes, apologies for the ambiguous antecedent.

 

[AndrewB]

The Wisden Cricket Monthly for February 1992 gives a preliminary World Cup squad of 20 for South Africa; apparently Pringle as well as Kirsten wasn't in this squad. Besides the other 12 who played for SA in the World Cup, it included Rudi Bryson, Daryll Cullinan, Ray Jennings, Craig Matthews, Mike Rindel, Brett Schultz, Tim Shaw and Corrie van Zyl.

 

[Bolo]

Tim Shaw is a guy that should have had more of a career. He was impossible score off in ODIs and probably deserved a crack at the test side too considering the competition.

 

[Marius]

The Wisden Cricket Monthly for February 1992 gives a preliminary World Cup squad of 20 for South Africa; apparently Pringle as well as Kirsten wasn't in this squad. Besides the other 12 who played for SA in the World Cup, it included Rudi Bryson, Daryll Cullinan, Ray Jennings, Craig Matthews, Mike Rindel, Brett Schultz, Tim Shaw and Corrie van Zyl.

So no Elworthy.

 

[Prince EWS]

I was thinking a couple of weeks ago about how useful Zander de Bruyn could have been to South Africa's side right now if he was born a decade or so later.