Blitzboks’ streak sets up French clash
9 Dec 2011
GARETH DUNCAN, reporting from the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, watched the Springbok Sevens enjoy a flawless run on day one of the PE Sevens to create a Cup quarter-final draw against France.
It was a successful start to the tournament for the Blitzboks, who won all their group games and didn’t concede any points as they delivered a strong all-round game. While the crowd diminished during the final hours, mainly because of windy and cold weather, South Africa never lost their form as they showed good form throughout day one.
The most important win was against Australia, which proved to be the Pool C decider. After suffering a last-minute 17-14 defeat to the Aussies in the Plate final at the Dubai Sevens last weekend, South Africa dominated in 26-0 triumph.
The hosts won most of the possession in the first half, but struggled to turn this advantage into points. But returning playmaker Cecil Afrika managed to break the deadlock on the stroke of half-time as he sniped a gap for a 7-0 lead.
Unsung hero Mark Richards then grabbed a second-half brace to help clinch the win for Paul Treu’s charges while Steven Hunt also continued his rich try-scoring form, diving over for his sixth try of the day.
The victory sets up a Cup quarter-final fixture against France on day two. The other top tier play-offs see Samoa tackle Wales, World Series log leaders Fiji face England and unbeaten New Zealand take on rivals Australia.
Earlier in the day, the Springbok Sevens thrashed Kenya 45-0.
To the chants of ‘Kyk hoe wen ons met Cecil!’, the Blitzboks delivered a convincing performance to ease past their African comrades. But while hometown boy Afrika was impressive – it was fellow PE-born speedster Hunt who was the star of the show, scoring four tries thanks to fantastic attacking play from the home team.
Hunt sealed his hat-trick in the first stanza as the Kenyans struggled to restrict the rampant Blitzboks. Afrika also grabbed a try to contribute to the 26-0 half-time lead.
Hunt ran in for his fourth try early after the restart while substitutes Richards and Boom Prinsloo came off the bench to complete the rout.
In their first game, the Springbok Sevens thumped Canada 33-0.
The Blitzboks entered the field to a standing ovation from a 8000-strong crowd, who showed up early on Friday. It seemed to have inpsired the hosts, who surged into a 12-0 lead thanks to tries from Branco du Preez, who dotted down from close range, and Chris Dry, who had an easy run in thanks to a clever chip from Afrika.
South Africa were dealt a blow when Hunt was yellow carded shortly before half-time because of a breakdown infringement. But Canada couldn’t capitalise on their one-man advantage as they struggled to break a strong defence.
Once the Blitboks returned to seven men, they regained the ascendancy. Hunt scored the first points of the second half as South Africa countered off a poor kick from the Canadians. Cornal Hendricks burst through to grab a try on debut while Richards finished off proceedings.
Blitzboks’ fixtures, day one:
South Africa 33 Canada 0
South Africa 45 Kenya 0
South Africa 26 Australia 0
Click here for all fixtures and results
160 Comments
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9 Dec 2011, 21:45 pm
@Dawn-99:
That was Symcox.
I think he ate it.
9 Dec 2011, 21:45 pm
@Dawn-99:
He was about 7 feet tall- no one would have dared.
9 Dec 2011, 21:54 pm
@IAAS-100:
You can’t compare Richards and Pollock as they played totally different roles as 1 and 4. Kallis has had the luxury of a long test career in an age of a packed schedule of games. Obviously his talent as an all rounder helps his achievements. For me, he is the reverse of Mike Procter in that he’s a batsman/bowler, whilst Procter was a bowler/batsman.
9 Dec 2011, 21:59 pm
@David-103:
Pollock was the master. And Richards wasn’t far behind.
I have brilliant memories of both.
And as for Kallis, he has stamped his authority on the game internationally. Interms of pure stats, he is up there with Gary Sobers.
9 Dec 2011, 22:07 pm
@David-103:
Yes, Richards and Pollock had different roles. And both could take attacks apart. And both could bat all day. But Pollock did it best imo.
Both were better batsmen than Kallis. But I stand by my assertion that Kallis is the best cricketer SA has produced.
And Procter was very good.
9 Dec 2011, 22:08 pm
@IAAS-104:
Let’s agree to disagree about the status of Richards v. Pollock.
Sure, Kallis is close to Sobers on stats, but Sobers dominated with both bat and ball, something that Kallis hasn’t. For me, Kallis has never lived up to his talent as a youngster as an attacking stroke player. It was coached out of him.
9 Dec 2011, 22:20 pm
@David-106:
That assertion has come from Barry Richards himself – which pisses off Jaques no end.
I could still watch Kallis bat all day. And you know what?
He is still a proven match winner – with bat or ball. That says a lot for his longeivity in the game.
9 Dec 2011, 22:31 pm
Well done Cobras.
Who said Western Province don’t win trophies?
9 Dec 2011, 22:45 pm
@IAAS-107:
What assertion are you referring to? Jaques was coached to fulfill a role based on his amazing talents, which meant eliminating some of his more outrages shots, like his driving on the up,
Anyway, I’m off to bed.
10 Dec 2011, 01:12 am
@IAAS-104:
Boet, when people in the know discuss cricket, or the GREATS of cricket, Kallis will be a footnote…. and here I’m talking about the modern greats… like Lara, Ponting, Tendulkar, S. Waugh, Gilchrist etc.
As far as SA cricket is concerned. he’ll be remembered as a great. A fair distance behind Pollock and Richards though. I think he’ll be ahead of Proctor, Barlow and all the other all rounders… but that’s it.
He will always be known as the best all rounder that SA have ever produced…and that is it.
His dour batting for the 1st half of his career (38% SR) as well as the fact that batsman like Lara, Tendulkar and Ponting dominated as batsman in his time, will actually devalue his place in cricket… but then again some other greats in the recent past past like The Wall (Rahul Dravid), Chanderpaul, are in the same position as him.
10 Dec 2011, 01:25 am
@Tacitus-33:
“I don’t go to rugby to experience a “festival atmosphere”. I go there to watch my team clobber the opposition.”
So… you are not going to watch too much rugby at Loftus in the foreseeable future I suppose…. as I don’t see them “clobbering” any team in the next few years to come.
Enjoy the rugby on your TV then… like most of us.
10 Dec 2011, 02:23 am
@nama1-111:
“as I don’t see them “clobbering” any team in the next few years to come.
With “them”, I’m referring to your beloved Bulls/Blue Bulls of course.
10 Dec 2011, 02:44 am
@nama1-110:
“Boet, when people in the know discuss cricket, or the GREATS of cricket, Kallis will be a footnote…. and here I’m talking about the modern greats… like Lara, Ponting, Tendulkar, S. Waugh, Gilchrist etc.”
Ironically ‘people in the know’ have just made mention of Kallis being one of the true greats of world cricket and one of the greatest to ever come out of RSA during the current Aus/NZ test… so you’re entitled to your ‘incorrect’ opinion.
As for the 7′s… a great effort keeping opponents score-less… but the game only starts now… can the correct balance of Ork be maintained against the bigger sides is the question…
10 Dec 2011, 03:40 am
@bryce_in_oz-113:
“…one of the greatest to ever come out of RSA”
No disputing that.
I, for one, will always back him as the greatest since readmission. The only current player who can possibly surpass him since is Dale Steyn… if he can keep up his performance for the next 8 – 10 years.
So hopefully you now have MY PERSONAL opinion about KALLIS.
What I’ve said, and I’ve been saying this for a while, is that some INTERNATIONAL cricket “fundis” don’t regard Kallis in the same light as players like Tendulkar, Ponting, Lara, Gilchrist, S. Waugh and some others. Whether you agree with that or not, does not matter. It still remains a fact that Kallis was a very boring batsman until fairly recently. One can come up with a few excuses for that.
Yes, of course people lauded him as one of the greats during the series against the Aus as he became one of only a handful of players to score more than 12000 runs in test cricket… but you go and ask that same “people in the know” to name their best eleven of all times and I can guarantee you Kallis won’t be in their team.
Where do you rate Sangakara and Jayawardena? They’ll be the next batsman to reach the 10 000 run mark, I believe?
What do you mean by “the correct balance of Ork?”
10 Dec 2011, 04:16 am
@nama1-114:
The mention came earlier today during the current Aus/NZ test where they were discussing their own personal top 10 test batsmen of all time and how the Reliance rankings in this regard ranked in their opinion… all has Kallis in their top 10… they felt as I do that the Reliance rankings are pretty accurate, the only question being that Lara is outside of the top 20 test batsmen of all time (from memory)…
Sanga up there both IMO and the rankings… his latest resurgence adding to that opinion…
Orks- backs in the 70kg range and the balance of their use to ‘consistently’ beat the bigger sides once the play-offs arrive…
Boks only have one back in the 90′s (leading try-scorer), two in the 80′s and four in the low 70′s… compare that to NZ, Fiji, Samoa, Eng, France…
10 Dec 2011, 04:49 am
@bryce_in_oz-115:
So, who does the Reliance ranking has as its top 10 batsman. Mostly of Aussies and Englishman in there?
Any ranking system that does not have Lara in its top 20, I’ll take with a pinch of salt.
“Boks only have one back in the 90?s (leading try-scorer),…” – James Small? Weigh more than 80, I believe.
“two in the 80?s” – Naas, yes. About 78kg’s, I believe. Danie? More than 80kg’s, I think.
“four in the low 70?s… ” Mannetjies the only one I can think of. 72kg’s, I think.
10 Dec 2011, 05:09 am
@nama1-116:
Come on Bryce, are you watching your 2nd team (cricket)? They’re on a lst cause this summer if you ask me. NZ may just beat them in this test. India will definitely beat them on tour>
Btw, p. 116 was a joke.
10 Dec 2011, 05:29 am
@nama1-116:
I’m talking about the game of 7′s and ‘Blitz-Boks’ Orks… ie Afrika, Du Preez, Delport, Mark Richards etc etc…
Reliance ICC Top 10 ‘test’ batsmen of all time (and how they’re calculated)…
http://www.relianceiccrankings.com/alltime/test/
@nama1-117:
Aus cricket team definitely not my ‘second’ team… just not a fan of the current crop of individuals at all since most the ‘good-guys’ like Gillespie, McGrath, Lee, Gillchrist have left… Proteas, India, Sri Lanka I’d have to say…
Aussies have just taken another series in RSA though (pathetic having only 3 tests) and the Black Caps have it all to lose in the current test…
10 Dec 2011, 05:41 am
@Nama1. Go to the Cricinfo website and find the Harsha Bogle article comaring all the stats for Kallis, Ponting and Tendulkar for the past 10 years. Kallis heads them both in every section and his record gets even more impressive when you exclude the matches against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. That is without considering his contributions as a bowler. Kallis is clearly the standout cricketer of his generation.
10 Dec 2011, 06:10 am
@bryce_in_oz-118:
thanks for the link.
@stormer in a teacup-119:
Saw that article and know that Kallis’s has the superior record.
Here’s a little “test”.
You have Sehwag and Hayden as your openers. You have to select your no. 3, 4 and 5 batsman from the following:
Lara
Kallis
Tendulkar
Ponting
Dravid
Chanderpaul.
Forget for a moment that Kallis can also bowl.
Who will you next three batsman be?
10 Dec 2011, 06:11 am
@nama1-120:
You can also add Sangakara to that list.
10 Dec 2011, 06:24 am
Some questionable entries in the Reliance rankings – isn’t there always with these sorts of lists – not sure there have only been 16 better batsmen than Hussey, and 23 more than KP in the history of the game.
10 Dec 2011, 06:28 am
Nama
Ponting, SRT, Lara
10 Dec 2011, 06:32 am
@nama1-121:
It’s difficult to rate batsmen without taking their position into account. A lot of 4 and 5s wouldn’t fare too well opening against the new ball.
10 Dec 2011, 06:38 am
@RedMan-122:
“Players make the all-time list by sustaining excellent form over a prolonged period.”
Yousouf Yohana aka ******** Yousouf ahead of Pollock?
A travesty.
He had one golden patch in which he broke the record for the most 100′s and the most runs in a calender year and all of a sudden he is the 12th best batsman of all time?
Tendulkar behind KP and Hussey?
Bullcrap!!!
How more “prolonged” can you get? Tendulkar has been playing test cricket for 20 + years now and he had one of his best seasons of his career just last year.
This list is useless imho.
I know it does not count for much, but it is still mine.
10 Dec 2011, 06:47 am
@David-124:
That’s why I said Sehwag and Hayden will open.
You have to choose three guys to bat at 3, 4 and 5 from the list I give.
All of them have batted at 3 and 4, but there ain’t that much difference between batting at 4 or 5.
Can’t remember any of them batting at 5. If one did, it was not for a prolonged period I believe.
@RedMan-123:
90% of the rest of the world will agree with you.
That does not mean that you say Kallis is that much kakker than them, does it?
Can you explain why you go for those three.
Reliance rates Sangakara and Kallis higher than Lara and Tendulkar.
10 Dec 2011, 08:41 am
yup, haters are gonna hate. Most foreigner look at us strangely when we disparage kallis – they actually think we don’t really understand the game when we talk about our “excitement envy” wrt kallis. For many years, carried the team
But he is true true quality – I mean did you see his 100 against India in Cape Town last year when he reverse swept Harbajan. And was injured
10 Dec 2011, 08:50 am
That list means sweetfannyfuckall…merely the highest rating that they achieved in their career.
Barry Richards without a doubt the best batsman we ever produced. Even the Don has him as his opener in the best side ever. ’nuff said
10 Dec 2011, 09:25 am
@trupisero-128:
i agree with you…
i’d say richards was our best ever batsman… certainly in the four (i think) tests he played his average was 77 or there abouts… had he played longer… who knows…?
i also think he ‘looked’ the best in terms of style and panache at the crease…
statistically kallis is awesome there is no doubt… the best all rounder we’ve ever produced… but gary sobers is IMO the best ever…
where kallis falls short in both departments (batsman and all rounder) IMO…
is that he has never had the x or eXcitement factor… he has never really dominated bowlers and flayed them to all corners of the park like lara, tendulkar, sehwag, richards, and even herschelle when he was in form…
kallis has always been a boycott-type accumulator… excellent yes… but seldom really exciting like the types name above…
#justsaying…
10 Dec 2011, 09:39 am
just checked… richards’ test average was 72.57…
10 Dec 2011, 09:49 am
@Upho-130: There’s the story where Richards, after edging a ball, and promptly told by the bowler how edgy it was, responded by telling the bowler “i’ll show you edgy” , turned the bat sideways and drove the next ball for 4
10 Dec 2011, 10:07 am
@trupisero-131:
hehehe…
yeah… the guy had it all in terms of batting skills…
pity the world never got to see him play a full test career… i really believe he’d be right up there in the best ever two or three…
i don’t like to use the word… but will say in his case… the guy was all class on a cricket field…!!
10 Dec 2011, 10:31 am
I think people are unfair towards Kallis.
Richards was great , no doubt, but the fact remains he only played in four tests at home against one nation and in what was arguably the strongest Springbok team ever (Barlow, Pollock x2, Lindsay,Proctor etc..). He never played on the subcontinent, never had to face the Windies pace attack in a TEST match, never had the responsibility to “carry” a Test batting lineup on top of his bowling duties, – Kerry Packer cricket, county cricket , currie cup cricket and Sheffield cup cricket cannot be compared to test cricket.
For those reasons it is imo not possible to compare him with Kallis who played 146 tests all over the world and under all kinds of conditions – the fact remains Kallis’ test record is real while Richards does not even have a test record and we can only speculate how good he might have been.
10 Dec 2011, 11:03 am
@nama1-110:
Kallis a footnote? Tell me you’re not serious.
When one of the other greats on your list – Brian Lara – said that if he could choose one batsmen to bat for his life, that batsmen would be Kallis.
That’s good enough for me.
10 Dec 2011, 11:32 am
@nama1-120:
Batsmen 3,4 and 5.
3) Ponting
4) Tendulkar
5) Kallis
And don’t forget one your openers Hayden was dropped by Australia earlier in his career and came back a better batsmen after a stint in county cricket.And then he hit a purple patch that lasted a few years.
And I was in Aus during the Proteas tour of 2008. The Aussie media were scathing of Hayden and he retired before he had the ignomy of being dropped.
And the way he’s batting right now, the same fate could befall Ponting.
10 Dec 2011, 11:57 am
Ja Nama, footnote, phew what do you know.Most English/Aussie experts rate him as the best.Glad your opinion does not influence Wisden or the likes
10 Dec 2011, 12:02 pm
@Robzim-133:
fair points all rob… not trying to be unfair to kallis… as i said, his statistical record is awesome and speaks for itself…
but it would also be unfair to dismiss richard’s and the promise he showed in those four tests… cruelly cut short by apartheid… and yes indeed he was a victim… (though not in the sense of millions of black, colored and indian south africans of course)
but it is also true that kallis has never ‘belligerently’ dominated an attack like the other greats of the game… and has only recently got the double-ton-****** off his back… in his four tests richards showed he can dominate an attack… and often did in first class cricket… something kallis has seldom if ever done…
and it would also be unfair in richards to dismiss him as being in the best ever south african side… as if he was carried by them undeservingly… he was indeed one of the players that made that side the greatest produced by this country…
no… i wouldn’t want to be unfair to kallis and always acknowledge his statistical record… but by the same token it would be remiss to ignore the excitement factor as that is one of the things that defines all great sports people… and… very sadly… kallis has always lacked in that department…
trust me… i followed him from the time he started playing for wp and (much like pierre spies) have always waited for that great dominating dashing knock that will define him his career and be spoken about for ever…
his defining knocks… as brave, patient, obdurate and unyielding as they have been… just can’t be considered in the same breath as the great exciting knocks of the other greats…
but make no mistake… kallis is a great of world cricket… of that there is no doubt…
10 Dec 2011, 12:21 pm
@j59-127:
I was actually at Newlands earlier in the year when he scored his 2nd century on the 4th day of that match. A very, very hot Newlands it was that day.
For the record: I’m a big Kallis fan and has stated so in the past when he, together with GS and Boucher, was slated on this forum by some people. I mentioned the other day that Ponting only averages in the mid 30′s since Hayden retired which put Kallis’ performance over the years in perspective. I also believe that he will reach 50 centuries before he retires. Ponting won’t get there, I think this most probably being his last season as a test player.
@IAAS-135:
You have to imagine these guys at the peak of their powers.
As I said somewhere, 90% of people, given the opportunity to choose the best three amongst the names I mentioned, will probably go the Ponting, Lara, Tendulkar route. It does not mean that they don’t rate Kallis.
However, Kallis’ inability to consistently dominate bowlers, like the aforementioned three were able to do regularly, means that he will lose out when one has to choose only three of them.
Yes, I know he holds the record for the quickest 50 in test cricket and yes I know he scored a very quick 50 against Aus just the other day. The point is that he did not CONSISTENTLY dominate bowlers throughout his career.
I think Upho says it best when he says: “kallis has always been a boycott-type accumulator… excellent yes… but seldom really exciting like the types name above…”
Also remember that I was not trying to make a point about Hayden. The conversation was about the best batsman in positions 3-5 in the recent past.
10 Dec 2011, 12:36 pm
@JL1-136:
By that I mean, his name may well come up during the discussions but at the end of the day, he will miss out.
Jeez, why is it so difficult to understand that although I rate Kallis immensely and believe that he is the best cricket player we have had since our reintroduction to international cricket, I also believe that given the choice, most people will not select him ahead of Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar.
Read the freakin cricket websites and see for yourself.
10 Dec 2011, 12:38 pm
@Upho-137:
All fair points too.
I admit that Kallis comes up short against some of the others as an “entertainer”- one probably has to try and find out why he was never an entertainer- perhaps it was his role in the SA team, maybe it was “coached” out of him as he often had to carry or provide stability as the standout batsman in a team full of “erratic” performers.
Anyway, in Pollock, Richards and Kallis we had 3 of the best batsman who ever played the game. Probably better not to compare them to one another.
The fact that Kallis also managed to take 270 test wickets at about 32 runs a wicket (nearly as good as specialised test bowlers like Morne Morkel and Makaya Ntini who averaged at about 29 runs per wicket) shows how freakishly talented he is.
The only person in the history of the game who can be compared with him as a genuine all rounder is Sobers- their stats are remarkably similar- Sobers is only marginally the better batsman (57.8 versus 57.2) and Kallis the better bowler (34 versus 32 runs per wicket ).
I doubt very much whether we will see another local player like that in our lifetime.
10 Dec 2011, 12:53 pm
@nama1-138:
Kallis does have his detractors. But then again, us South Africans often are the last to recognise and appreciate an international superstar. Very much like a Matfield who were heralded as superstars by offshore pundits long before us saffas.
@Robzim-140:
And if you compare Ponting’s and Kallis’s batting records, they are very similar in number of test tons scored and batting average. And then there’s the number of wickets taken.
A test of a true allrounder is whether they can command a spot in a team purely on batting alone or bowling alone. Sobers and Kallis as you mentioned are the standout examples of this. Cricketers such as these don’t come along that often.
10 Dec 2011, 13:15 pm
for sure rob… everything you say is true…
they are three of the best ever…
and only kallis and sobers can be compared to each other as all rounders… everyone else comes a very distant third to these two…
10 Dec 2011, 13:22 pm
@Upho-129: haha you suffer from “excitement envy”
Go and watch some 20/20 then
Kallis is a great…haters just try and “bend” him to their definition of greatness…when actually, there in reality, is Jacques Kallis, being himself, being great
Let me ask you this: what would he need to do (1 sentence if you can), to satisfy you that he is great?
…….well for me – he probably needs a 300+ test score….
10 Dec 2011, 13:30 pm
@j59-143:
Nobody disputes that he is a great.
In fact, everybody acknowledge that fact.
10 Dec 2011, 13:45 pm
@j59-143:
you obviously like the term you’ve coined… but sadly for you, you are using it incorrectly… it would imply I’m envious of kallis ‘excitement’ … which quite clearly I am not…
no one’s trying to bend anything… except perhaps you… don’t cherry pick people’s posts… read them properly…
Barry Richards is also an accomplished, successful and respected cricket administrator …. He would be the perfect man to take over from Gerald Majola… who really should be fired if he hasn’t got the guys to resign….
10 Dec 2011, 15:35 pm
“Karless” described as “great” and/ or “exciting”?
Seems the long, hot potential summer has already taken its toll on some of the local plebs.
“Karless” can best be described as being phlegm on an excellently cut cricket field.
He is, like that phlegm, thick because of he is more viscous and thus slow and sluggish, he has a dull and ugly dirty green or dark greenish -yellow tinge to his cricketing personality and is as sickly as that probably TB-infected lungs are, as shown by his selfish lifestyle as he crashes his car into gates in a state of ungainly drunkeness.
@Robzim-140:
I am not sure you are out of this hole you dug for yourself by repeating and glorifying what the ‘commentator’ said on tv as “Karless” came out to bat.
If you want to use the silly term “great” wrt “Karless” state the criterion of statistics in that notion.
In PURE cricketing terms S.A. has NO comparisons to Pollock and Richards(no specific order) as batsmen or Proctor as an all-rounder.
Those three have single-handedly won matches anywhere and everywhere. They can dominate and devastate a controlling bowling attack and in Proctor’s case he can also bowl you to a win with a devastating winning spell of his wrong-foot bowling.
As for sadly using Gary Sobers’ name alongside “Karless” as an allrounder is insulting and begs explanation as Sir Garfield Sobers is the most complete cricketer there has ever been. He could bowl any number of varietal styles to suit the conditions and has won matches by devastatingly bowling his unplayable off-breakers when the situation demanded it.
“Karless” mostly and thus selfiishly plays for himself more than anything else as he does not accept there is no ‘I’ in the TEAM game of cricket.
10 Dec 2011, 16:33 pm
I would rate Kallis higher than Ponting or Tendulkar. Leaving out his bowling achievements Kallis’ role has for many years been the glue that held the innings together rather than the icing on the cake. At an age when batsmen tend to get more conservative to cover up the creeping weaknesses in their games Jacques is relaxing and blossoming. I can’t imagine anyone talking about any cricketer with Kallis record as having played within himself yet that is how we think of Jacques much of the time.
Aside from the contributions with the ball the effort and commitment it requires is enormous. Most other top class batsmen give away the bowling duties early on. Jacques could well breach the 300 wicket milestone in both forms of the game.
His bowling has also avoided the fate of many alrounders, of becoming a toothless medium pace. He regularly reaches the speeds the out and out quicks achieve. Against England at Newlands he clocked 150.
This guy is out there by himself.
10 Dec 2011, 16:48 pm
Richards was undoubtably one of the true g ods of the game. He was perhaps technically the best ever. His short test career record was excellent, but don’t forget he was playing in the best side we ever produced and one of the greatest teams to ever take the field.
10 Dec 2011, 17:20 pm
@ET.-146:
Kallis is not only a South African GREAT in cricket but a world GREAT.
If, by the end of your career you can boast that your stats compare favorable or even better than the best that the world has ever produced in your chosen sport, you go down as a GREAT in my book.
Let’s consider the following stats by Kallis:
1. One of only FOUR players in the history of test cricket to score more than 12 000 test runs.
2. The 2nd most test 100′s in the history of test cricket.
3. A batting average of more than 55.
56,89 to be precise. The 13th best average in the history of test cricket.
4. Scored 5 centuries in 5 test matches once. The 2nd best sequence of 100′s in consecutive test matches of all time.
Yes, he may have been a “boring” batsman most of his career… he may not have dominated bowlers like the Pollocks’ and the Richards’ of this world… he may even have been selfish on occasions and played for his stats instead of for the team.
That notwithstanding, Kallis is a GREAT in world cricket and will be inducted into the cricket hall of fame in the future. No doubt about that.
10 Dec 2011, 17:25 pm
@nama1-149:
Oh yes, I have just highlighted ONE aspect of his game for you.
There are of course still his bowling and his slip catching.
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