10 best South African fielders of all time 

If there is one cricket team that has always been associated with superlative fielding then it is South Africa. Even before they were readmitted into international cricket, the team had been renowned for its fielding prowess. In addition to that, the experience of having played multiple sports during the formative years is one of the big reasons why South African cricketers are such good athletes.

Ever since Jonty Rhodes dazzled the world with his fielding in the 1992 World Cup, the South African cricket team's has been associated with great fielding and over the past quarter of a century, they have produced plenty of cricketers, who have gone on to become some of the world's best fielders. Here is a look at 10 of the best fielders that South Africa have ever had.

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#10 Dean Elgar

South African batsman Dean Elgar exudes the same level of efficiency while on the field as he does when he has the bat in hand and without appearing to be particularly spectacular, he has asserted his claim as one of his country's best ever fielders.

One of his most important attributes as a fielder is that he can field anywhere and hence provides the captain with the option of a top class fielder at any position he wants. Elgar is a very safe catcher and can throw himself either way on the field to save runs. From time to time, he can also pull off stunning catches.

#9 Russell Endean

Russell Endean

Russell Endean, who played 28 Test matches for South Africa from 1951 to 1958, was one of the country's most influential cricketers and is credited for being one of the most outstanding fielders of his generation. Endean had everything that one would expect from a top-level fielder.

Raw reflexes, athleticism, the ability to move quickly and above all the power to anticipate the batsman's moves. He took plenty of stunning catches in his career and was particularly effective when fielding in an attacking position to South Africa's legendary off-spinner Hugh Tayfield's bowling.

There is absolutely no doubt that he is among South Africa's best ever fielders.

#8 Temba Bavuma

Temba Bavuma

Middle-order batsman Temba Bevuma has been one of the notable successes in the South African in recent years and in addition to his talent as a batsman, he is an immensely gifted fielder. Ever since he first made his debut for South Africa, he has been an important member of their fielding unit and one of his greatest gifts is his close-in fielding capabilities.

On the other hand, Bavuma's ground fielding is right out of the top drawer and batsmen often think twice before taking liberties against him. The run out of David Warner last year in a Test match is a prime example why Bavuma is one of the best fielders produced by South Africa.

#7 Adam Bacher

Adam Bacher

Former South African opening batsman Adam Bacher had a rather short career at the international level and it is unlikely he would be remembered for any great feats of batsmanship. However, as far as fielding is concerned, he was probably one of the best fielders that the country ever produced.

If Bacher had enjoyed a career that lasted more than 19 Tests and 13 one day internationals, then cricket fans would have been able to watch a bit more of his fielding prowess. For instance, the catch he took to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar at Newlands in 1996 is still regarded as one of the best catches ever taken in test cricket.

#6 David Miller

David Miller

Swashbuckling middle-order batsman David Miller has, no doubt, proven to be a match winner for South Africa on multiple occasions with his immense power-hitting abilities. However, at the same time, his natural abilities as a fielder are often not celebrated as much as they should be.

Miller is the quintessential modern fielder who is at home anywhere within the 30-yard circle and in addition to that, he can field anywhere in the deep. His catching ability, athleticism, reflexes, running ability and a strong arm makes him someone whom the batting side simply cannot take lightly.

Miller represents the next generation of South African fielders but he is already among the country's all-time best.

#5 Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis

South African captain Faf du Plessis is one of the world's best fielders at the moment and among the many great fielders that the country has produced over the years, he is without a doubt one of the best. Other than being a superb athlete, he possesses the crucial ability of anticipation that separates the great fielders from the good ones and throughout his career, he has proven this ability time and again by taking stunning catches.

In Test matches, he usually fields at slips and his slip fielding is comparable to Mark Waugh's, one of the best fielders at the position in the last 25 years. In limited overs cricket, he fields within the circle at most times and it is quite difficult to get the ball past him for most batsmen.

#4 AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers

Following the retirements of some of the stalwarts of South African, the onus of being the nation's best batsman fell on AB de Villiers, but in addition to that, he also became South Africa's best fielder. Over the years, he has not only pulled off stunning catches in all formats of the game but has also proven to be an electrifying fielder in all positions.

Most of the time, De Villiers fields within the circle in limited overs cricket and usually saves some amount of runs in all games, due to his innate athletic abilities. In addition to that, he can anticipate the actions of the batsman and the non-striker, which makes him a doubly dangerous fielder.

#3 Herschelle Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs

One of the South Africa's best batsmen of the last quarter of a century was also one of its greatest fielders and even to this day, Herschelle Gibbs is counted among some of the best fielders to have ever played the game. He played all forms of the game and was a complete menace for batting sides irrespective of his position.

Whether he was chasing down balls from going to the boundary or throwing himself around to save runs, he was the complete package as a modern fielder. Throughout his career, he took plenty of absolutely stunning catches to turn the tide of many games but at the same time, he is also (in)famous for perhaps the most memorable drop, when he grassed Steve Waugh's catch in the Super Six game between Australia and South Africa in the 1999 World Cup.

#2 Jonty Rhodes

Jonty Rhodes

He is probably the first ever fielder in international cricket who turned fielding into a performance art and spectators or TV audiences would often be disappointed if they did not see something spectacular from Jonty Rhodes in the field. When he first came onto the scene for South Africa, he dazzled the world with a level of fielding that had never been seen anywhere else before and the raw athleticism, anticipation and the ability to take diving catches by flying, either way, made him a unique fielder.

Rhodes usually fielded at cover point, the position where the ball went at lightning speeds and the trajectories were usually unpredictable. However, he hardly ever put a foot wrong throughout his career and often came up with some of the most spectacular catches ever seen.

#1 Colin Bland

Colin Bland

The man who played for South Africa in the early to mid-1960s was a fine attacking batsman but it was because of his fielding that he has become immortal and is not only regarded as his country's best fielder but also the greatest fielder in cricket history. Bland's primary attributes as a fielder were his athletic abilities, concentration and an absolutely fiendish tendency to run batsmen out with direct hits. In addition to that, he did it time and again and as a result, he developed the reputation of a fielder whose very presence made batsmen panic.

Additionally, he was an incredibly quick mover and took plenty of catches that have gone down in cricket folklore. Renowned English journalist called him the 'Fielder of the Century' and in his book titled Frank Keating's Sporting Century, he wrote about Bland's dedication towards his craft. He wrote, “I had watched Bland practising obsessively for hours at the local sports club by throwing at a single stump placed inside a hockey goal-net.”

Opinions might be divided but Bland still stands tall among the all-time great South African fielders.