Best South African to play test cricket for England ?

[SeamUp]

It isn't a bad collection isn't it ?

There have been a few others but there are a clear 6 that stood out.

The one's included are the one's who spent the majority of the initial part of their lives in SA. So guys like Prior and Strauss are less like the guys below.

The answer may seem easy but is it that easy ?



BASIL D'OLIVEIRA
44
2484
40.06
5/15
158
1966-72

TONY GREIG
58
3599
40.43
8/20
148
141 wickets
32.20
6 5w hauls
8-86
1972-77

ALLAN LAMB
79
4656
36.09
14/18
142
1982-92

ROBIN SMITH
62
4236
43.67
9/28
175
1988-96

KEVIN PIETERSEN
104
8181
47.28
23/35
227
2005-14

JONATHAN TROTT
52
3835
44.08
9/19
226
2009-15

 

[S.Kennedy]

Question reminds me of a bit of crowd sledging from the Proteas supporters during a D'Oliveira Trophy: on a placard, ''our South Africans are better than your South Africans''!

 

[Burgey]

Pietersen. Bloke was a genius bat. Then Greig. A quality, underrated all rounder in a tough era.

 

[the big bambino]

Greig for mine. Those figures are among the best all round efforts in the game.

This thread could morph into greatest ever SA English XI

 

[OverratedSanity]

Kp

 

[harsh.ag]

Yup, KP. Legit sensational.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

KP just over Greig.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Has to be KP. Surprised Trott's average ended up that low.

 

[Coronis]

Greig underrated vs KP's overrated.

 

[Daemon]

KP the best imo but Greig meant so much more to cricket. Larger than life both on and off the field.

 

[MagicPoopShovel]

KP..Greig a close second. Underrated.

 

[Gob]

**** i miss Tony

Kp the answer though

 

[Bijed]

Pietersen, but factor in commentary and it's Greig

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Greig ahead of KP, but Robin Smith was great to watch as a kid - hit the ball so hard.

Before Grant Elliot came along Allan Lamb was the only South African to play in a World Cup final.

 

[fredfertang]

Greigy by a distance, and a splendid symmetry in the fact that Greigy was also, by a similar distance, the worst

 

[S.Kennedy]

It is physically impossible for me to select Pietersen. I can not do it. Too much the wanker. Greig it is.

 

[Moonsorrow999]

It is physically impossible for me to select Pietersen. I can not do it. Too much the wanker. Greig it is.

So basically you'd pick Pietersen then.

 

[S.Kennedy]

So basically you'd pick Pietersen then.

No, I think I might've picked Greig actually.

 

[Zinzan]

KP marginally ahead of TG, but the latter does tend to get underrated.

 

[Adders]

KP marginally ahead of TG, but the latter does tend to get underrated.

And the former overated. KP was a player of great innings but not a great player IMO.

Havent checked but I doubt he won many POS awards. You think of his most iconic series and there was a better performing England player than him in it. Off the top of my head 2005 Ashes Flintoff, 2010/11 Ashes Cook, India 2012 Cook.

That said even though I despise him so much (possibly clouding my judgment) he was capable of innings that very few players in history were.

Tony Greig by a country mile.