Top 6 underrated classics

#2 Jonty Rhodes – 76 versus Australia, Sydney, 1994

Jonty Rhodes

South Africa had made a strong return to Test cricket after a 22-year ban. They had been unlucky not to win their inaugural Test after readmission against West Indies after a major collapse saw them lose their last eight wickets for just 26 runs. On their tour of Australia in 1994, South Africa had drawn the first Test but ran into a lot of trouble in the 2nd Test in Sydney against the peerless Shane Warne who was to prove their nemesis for more than a decade.

With a wicked mix of leg breaks, flippers and top spinners, Warne bamboozled the Proteas and bowled them out for just 169. Perhaps the highlight of Warne’s display (7/56) was his setup and dismissal of Daryl Cullinan who never quite managed to figure out the wiles of the leg spin great. Australia established a lead of 123 which was surely going to be a match winning one on a pitch that was taking a lot of turn.

In their second innings, South Africa did slightly better but found themselves at a precarious 110/5 with only Jonty Rhodes remaining among the top batsmen. Rhodes added a crucial 72 with the wicketkeeper Dave Richardson and a further 36 with the last man, Allan Donald. His superb 76* took South Africa to 239, setting the home team a target of 117. It may not have seemed much but South Africa’s bowlers at least had something to bowl at.

Australia were cruising at 51/1 but lost their next seven wickets for just 24 runs as Fanie de Villiers and Donald sparked off a collapse. Despite a brief scare, when Damien Martyn and Craig McDermott added 35 for the ninth wicket, the tourists held their nerve and pulled off a quite stunning 5-run win – one of their greatest Test match wins. They surely had Rhodes to thank for that.