23 December 2002
With the 2003 Cricket World Cup fast approaching, it’s time to take a look back on South African cricket in 2002. Apart from a solid hiding from Australia at the beginning of the year there were some strong performances from the national team, while there was excitement in the domestic ranks as the four-day Supersport Series produced a first-time champion, Easterns. This is my take on the past year’s cricket:
Player of the Year: Jacques Kallis
The best all-rounder in world cricket: by the end of the Test series against Sri Lanka he was ranked sixth in both batting and bowling in the Price Waterhouse Coopers Test rankings. During the course of eight Tests he scored 601 runs and picked up 29 wickets at an average of 26.97. In 28 one-day international innings he scored 1 173 runs at an average of 51, including one hundred and 9 fifties. He also sent down 210.5 overs and captured 32 wickets at an average of 31.78, while conceding 4.82 runs per over. It should be taken into account that South Africa faced Australia more than any other opponent in 2002, playing 11 matches against the team recognised as the top eleven in cricket today. Not that the Australians kept Kallis down; he scored 402 runs against them at an average of 50.25, including a century and three fifties.
Newcomer of the Year: Graeme Smith
Graeme Smith was hurled into the deep end when he made his Test debut against a rampant Australian team in Cape Town. He was dismissed for only three in his first Test innings, but showed his grit and determination with a fighting 68 in the second innings. By the end of the Sri Lankan series in November, Smith had scored 426 Test runs, including 200 against Bangladesh, at an average of 47.33.
Smith cracked the one-day nod in the fourth ODI against Australia, scoring 41. Matters went even better from there as he added scores of 46, 84 and 73 in the remaining matches. He narrowly missed out on a first one-day international century when he was run out on 99 against Sri Lanka, the first player in history to suffer that fate in an ODI. In 16 matches he scored 625 runs at an average of 41.66. Smith turns 22 on 1 February 2003, so it appears that one of the opening batting positions will be in solid hands for many years to come.
Test Batsman of the Year: Jacques Kallis
In eight Tests Kallis compiled 601 runs, including one century and five fifties, at an average of 60.1. After the completion of the series against Sri Lanka in November, Kallis was averaging exactly 50 after 64 Tests, the mark of a player of the highest class. He has scored 4 350 Test runs, including 10 centuries and 25 fifties.
Special mention: Herschelle Gibbs
Opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs improved markedly during the course of 2002, showing the ability to both graft for his runs and also take a bowling attack apart with apparent ease and nonchalance. In seven Tests he scored 583 runs at an average of 53, including two centuries and two fifties. At the completion of the Sri Lanka series, Gibbs was averaging just less than 42 and had scored 2 805 Test runs, including seven centuries and 11 fifties.
Best Test innings: Herschelle Gibbs
With South Africa two-nil down in the three-Test series and trailing by 148 runs on the first innings in the third Test Gibbs scored 104 off 198 deliveries against an attack that included Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne to help South Africa reach 340 for 5 in the fourth innings of the Test to record an unlikely and morale-boosting victory.
Special mention:
Special mention: Jacques Kallis
The world’s best all-rounder, Jacques Kallis, was not far behind Ntini in the bowling stakes, capturing 29 wickets in eight Tests at an average of 26.97. He claimed one five-for – 5 for 21 vs Bangladesh, as well as hauls of three and four wickets in the second Test against Sri Lanka. By the completion of that series his number of victims totalled 134 at an average of 28.34.
Best Test bowling: Nicky Boje
Boje’s 4 for 63 off 25.2 overs vs Australia in the first innings of the 3rd Test in Sydney leads the way: the Australians totalled a mammoth 554 with the other four frontline bowlers all conceding 100 runs or more. Two of Boje’s victims made centuries: Justin Langer (112) and Damien Martyn (117).
Special mention:
Special mention:
1st Test vs Sri Lanka, Johannesburg, Nov 8 -10
SL 192 all out and 130 all out (Ntini 3 for 22, Hall 3 for 1)
SA 386 (Smith 73, Kallis 75)
SA won by an innings and 64 runs
Worst Test match performance of the year:
No competition here, there is only one contender: the first Test against Australia in Johannesburg that lasted only three days as the Proteas were annihilated by an innings and 360 runs. Batting first Australia amassed 652 for 7 declared as Matthew Hayden and Damien Martyn made centuries and Adam Gilchrist lambasted an unbeaten 204. In reply South Africa simply folded. They were dismissed for 159 and 133 as only three times in the match did one of the batsmen pass 30 and no one went on to record a fifty. It was the lowest of the lows.
Special mention:
3rd Test vs Australia, Sydney, Jan 2 – 6
Aus 554 and 54 without loss
SA 154 and 452
Australia won by 10 wickets
Best one-day international innings: Jacques Kallis
Playing against Australia in Perth, Kallis scored 104 not out off 120 balls. The next highest score was just 34. SA made 250 for 5, but lost by 33 runs. Taking into account the standard of the opposition, the trouble the South Africans had encountered against Australia throughout the summer and the lack of help from his teammates, this innings rates number one for 2002 amongst many fine efforts.
Special mention:
Special mention:
Special mention:
VB Series vs New Zealand, Adelaide, Jan 27
SA 253 for 5 (Boucher 57* off 32 balls)
NZ 160 all out (Boje 4 for 31)
SA won by 93 runs
VB Series vs New Zealand, Perth, Feb 1
SA 270 for 5 (Rhodes 107*, Pollock 69* off 34 balls)
NZ 203 for 8
SA won by 67 runs
VB Series vs New Zealand, Melbourne, Feb 6
NZ 190 all out (Ntini 5 for 31)
SA 191 for 2 (Kallis 59*, Dippenaar 79*)
SA won by 8 wickets
7th ODI vs Australia, Cape Town, Apr 9
SA 249 for 7 (39 overs, Smith 73)
Aus 185 all out (Boje 5 for 21, Pollock 3 for 28)
SA won by 65 runs (D/L method)
4th ODI vs Sri Lanka, Kimberley, Dec 4
SL 184 all out (Donald 3 for 18)
SA 190 for 2 (30.5 overs, Gibbs 108*, Kallis 64*)
SA won by 8 wickets
Catch of the Year: Neil McKenzie
McKenzie’s catch against Sri Lanka in the 4th ODI in Kimberley was a spectacular effort; he plucked a ball that was travelling like a tracer bullet out of the air with one-hand, diving high and to his right, before falling in a graceful roll on to the ground. It was the kind of catch that will be shown in television highlights’ packages for years to come.
One-day international batsman of the year: Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis was, without doubt, South Africa’s most consistent performer in one-day internationals in 2002. Herschelle Gibbs scored slightly more runs than his Western Province team-mate, but then again he played more innings and his average was over 10 runs lower than that of Kallis who averaged 51. Kallis totalled 1 173 runs and included in that total was an unbeaten century against Australia, as well as nine fities. Sri Lanka suffered most at his hands as he averaged 71 in seven outings against the 1996 world champions. What made Kallis’ performances all the more exciting is that he showed the ability both to bat through an innings as the cornerstone of South Africa’s batting effort or to take on the bowling with powerful hitting that could destroy an attack.
Special mention:
Captain Shaun Pollock wins this one because of his consistency. Despite bowling at the death, Pollock still managed to maintain a run per over rate below four. He also captured 45 wickets at an average of 23.98 to lead the Proteas from the front. Some of his better analyses are list below:
Special mention:
6th ODI vs Australia, Port Elizabeth, Apr 6
SA 326 for 3 (7 extras)
Aus 330 for 7 (49.1 overs, 23 extras)
Australia won by 3 wickets
Morocco Cup vs Sri Lanka, Tangier, Aug 15
SL 267 for 7
SA 174 all out (45 overs)
Sri Lanka won by 93 runs
3rd ODI vs Sri Lanka, Benoni, Dec 1
SA 253 for 7
SL 258 for 3 (41.4 overs)
Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
ICC Champions Trophy semi vs India, Colombo, Sep 25
India 261 for 9
SA 251 for 6 (194 for 1 after 38.1 overs)
India won by 10 runs
Provincial team of the year: Easterns
There can be no doubt about this one: Easterns won the Supersport Series title for the first time in their history, destroying a heavily favoured Western Province team, boasting five Proteas and a Zimbabwean international, by 273 runs in the final. Andrew Hall with match figures of 11 for 99 was the hero of the match, but it required more than just one victory for Easterns to earn a place in the final. They did that with little trouble, winning three of their four pool matches, before their crushing victory to secure the title. It was a wonderful achievement for the underdogs.
Special mention: Free State Eagles
Free State won three, drew one and lost one of their five Supersport Series pool matches and won their first three Standard Bank Cup matches as 2002 drew to a close. Veteran Gerhardus Liebenberg, along with Morne van Wyk, Boeta Dippenaar and Jonathan Beukes showed good form with the bat, while Victor Mpitsang, Kosie Venter and Dewald Pretorius excelled with the ball. Like Easterns, Free State are often overlooked when the top teams are considered, but their performances prove that they are up there with the best.
Provincial Player of the Year: Andrew Hall
Andrew Hall was an inspiration to his team as Easterns collected the Supersport Series title for the first time. He was especially dominating with the ball, collecting 36 wickets at the miserly average of 12.94 per wicket and his performance in the final, in which he captured 11 for 99, won the match for Easterns. Hall was also solid with the bat, scoring 265 runs at an average of 33.12.
Provincial Batsman of the year: James Henderson
James Henderson made the move from Boland to North West and then turned in a superb season, scoring a total of 576 runs, including three centuries, two of which he scored in the Dragons’ match against Gauteng in Potchefstroom. He averaged a superb 82.28 and was the leading scorer in the Supersport Series with 576 runs to his name.
Provincial Bowler of the year: Charl Willoughby
This award could have gone to Andrew Hall too, but he won the Player of the Year nod, so Charl Willoughby earns recognition here as bowler of the year. The left arm paceman was the top wicket taker in the Supersport Series, claiming 38 victims, two more than Hall, and an impressive 16 more than the next most successful bowler. Willoughby was also economical, conceding only 2.7 runs per over, and picking up his wickets at an average of 21.15.
Sad moment of the year
When former national captain Hansie Cronje was killed in a place crash on 1 June, South African cricket fans lost a man who was still very popular among many. After the problems Cronje had experienced with match-fixing he was starting to re-build his life and had recently accepted a job in Johannesburg. He is a man that could have, and wanted to, offer South African cricket a lot.
An inspirational captain, Cronje remained in touch with many of the players in the national team who still respected his input and advice. It was a sign of the esteem that the side held him in when they attended his funeral, along with former coach Bob Woolmer, that was held at Cronje’s former school – Grey College in Bloemfontein – and broadcast on both the public broadcaster SABC and pay channel M-Net. It was a tragic end to a life that ended too soon…
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