Top 10 South African middle order batsmen of all time

As a cricketing nation, South Africa is right up there with the very best due to their achievements and the sort of cricketers that they have produced throughout their stellar history.

Whether one wants to talks about fast bowlers, wicketkeepers, fielders and batsman, one or two South Africans will always be in the conversation.

Among the batsmen, the nation has produced some of the finest middle-order batsmen to played Test cricket and that is a staggering achievement considering the fact that they had been boycotted by the rest of the cricketing world for around two decades.

So, here is a look at the best middle-order batsmen that have ever represented the rainbow nation.

#10 Mark Boucher

The feisty South African wicketkeeper-batsman batted at several positions in the batting order but it was at number 7 that he batted on most occasions during the course of his Test career that spanned 15 years and 147 Test matches.

Mark Bouncer debuted for South Africa in 1997 and bowed out in 2012, but during the period he became a highly dependable number 7 batsman for the side. As a batsman, Boucher often made telling contributions for his side in the middle-order and it was his orthodox technique that served him well during his career.

When required he could unfurl the strokes as well and perhaps that was more on show in one-dayers than in Test cricket. In the 117 games in which he batted in the middle-order, Boucher made 3938 runs at an average of 28.74 and made 3 centuries. He also scored 23 half-centuries.

#9 Jonty Rhodes

The former South African cricketer is perhaps best known for being one of the greatest fielders to have ever played the game but for eight years from 1992 to 2000, Jonty Rhodes was a regular in the team's middle-order.

Just like his fielding, Rhodes' batting was also inventive in nature and he was the quintessential 'busy player' as commentators like to say. He did not have the best technique in the world but the made the most of it and provided South Africa with an extra edge at number and number 6 positions.

Rhodes was also one of South Africa's best players of spin in that era. In 52 Tests, he scored 3 centuries and 17 half-centuries and averaged 35.75. Rhodes made a total of 2503 runs in those Test matches.

#8 Hansie Cronje

The ex-South African skipper, who represented the country from 1992 to 2000 initially started his career as a number 3 in the batting line up but later on he moved to the middle-order and in 49 out of his 68 career Test matches, he batted in the middle-order.

His preferred position was number 5, although he did bat at other middle-order positions as well. Cronje was primarily an attacking batsman and believed in leading from the front. He had a decent technique and was fairly comfortable against both pace and spin.

In those 49 Tests, he scored 2638 runs at an average of 36.13. Cronje scored 3 centuries and 17 half-centuries.

#7 Ashwell Prince

From 2002 to 2011, Ashwell Prince was a pillar of the South African middle-order and out of his 66 Tests for the nation, he batted in the middle-order positions in 59 of those games. In the majority of the games, he batted in the number 5 position and lent the South African batting line-up a lot of solidity and stability.

Prince was blessed with an excellent technique and had the ability to graft that made him such an asset for the team. He lost his place in the side frequently due to loss of form but that did not stop him from making 3341 runs at an average of 43.38 as a middle-order batsman.

Prince made 10 centuries and 11 half-centuries and also holds the distinction of being the first non-white South African captain.

#6 Daryll Cullinan

Right-handed batsman Daryll Cullinan served as one of the stalwarts of the South African batting line up throughout his career that spanned around 8 years between 1993 and 2001. In all but one of his 70 Tests did Cullinan not bat in the middle-order and his preferred position throughout his career was the number 4 position.

Cullinan was one of the most technically adept batsmen of his generation and had the patience to bat for long periods. On the other hand, he was an excellent stroke-maker and had almost all attacking strokes in his repertoire. His difficulties against Shane Warne are perhaps a bit overplayed since he was not actually poor against spin bowling and he proved that by scoring a century against Muralitharan during the tour of Sri Lanka in 2000.

Additionally, he was unfazed by conditions and had the ability to alter his game according to the challenges. Cullinan made 4504 runs at a healthy average of 44.59 and also notched up 14 centuries, in addition to 20 half-centuries.

#5 Faf du Plessis

The current South African captain Faf du Plessis may have made his debut only 5 years ago in 2012 but over the course of that period, he has become one of the world's premier batsmen. Du Plessis has batted at number 3 as well but the majority of his career has been spent in the middle-order, number 5 being his preferred position.

Du Plessis is a complete batsman, who is comfortable playing off both the front foot and the back foot, while at the same time swing, seam or spin does not faze him much. On the other hand, he is one of the most patient batsmen in world cricket and can block for hours if a Test match is to be saved.

However, when the strokes come out in earnest, it is a treat to watch him in full flow. In the 36 Tests (out of 45) that he has played in the middle-order, Du Plessis has scored 2280 runs at an excellent average of 48.51. He has scored 6 centuries 12 half-centuries.

#4 Dudley Nourse

The right-handed batsman Dudley Nourse made his debut for South Africa in 1935 and in a career that lasted till 1951, he played in 34 Tests for his country. He was a middle-order batsman of rare quality and made the number 4 position his own during the course of his career.

Nourse had the unique abilities the separate the great batsmen from those who are merely good. He could graft and stonewall under difficult circumstance and when necessary, he could unfurl all his strokes that could make the bowlers feel a bit foolish.

On the other hand, Nourse was also adept at playing on difficult pitches and that is a quality that made him such a good player.

He scored 2940 runs at an average of 54.44 as a middle-order batsman and slammed 9 centuries, in addition to 14 half-centuries. He will always be remembered as one of South Africa's finest middle-order batsman.

#3 AB de Villiers

He might not play as many Test matches anymore but AB de Villiers will always be part of the conversation if one is talking about the best batsmen that South Africa have ever produced.

He is perhaps one of the most naturally gifted batsmen to have played Test cricket in recent years and has played at a variety of positions in the batting order. He has opened the innings, batted at three and even at 8, but is as a middle-order batsman that he has made his name in Test cricket.

De Villiers' preferred position is either number 5 or 6 and since his debut in 2004, he has batted in the middle-order positions in 89 out of the 107 Tests in his career. His brilliant technique, his range of strokes and the ability to play the long innings makes him a one of a kind batsman.

As a middle-order batsman, De Villiers has made 6707 runs at an outstanding average of 54.52 and made 18 centuries, along with 32 half-centuries.

#2 Graeme Pollock

He is often regarded as the greatest batsman that South Africa have ever produced and it is a pity that due to the boycott suffered by his nation, Graeme Pollock's career was only restricted to 23 Test matches.

Sir Donald Bradman stated that Pollock was the greatest left-handed batsmen to have ever played the game and was on the same level as Garry Sobers. An average of 60.97 in 23 Test matches is a clear indication of the sort of talent that he possessed as a batsman.

He batted at number 4 most of the time and Pollocks' greatest gift other than his technical excellence was his timing. He was a young sensation and scored his first Test century when he was only 19 years old.

On the other hand, his masterly 274 not out against Australia in 1970 at Durban remained the highest individual score by a South African for decades. Pollock scored a total of 2256 runs in 23 Tests and made 7 centuries, in addition to 11 half-centuries.

#1 Jacques Kallis

Former South African all-around great Jacques Kallis is the highest run-scorer in the nation's cricketing history with a tally of 13,206 runs in 165 Tests and 9813 out of those runs were scored when he was batting in one of the middle-order positions.

He batted in the middle-order in 122 Test matches and his preferred position was at number 4. For the majority of his 18 year Test career, Kallis was the bulwark of the South African batting line-up and he was the player around whom the batting revolved.

Kallis' technical excellence, his ability to bat well in any kind of pitch, his classical stroke-play and loads of patience made him one of the games greatest batsmen.

In those 122 Test matches as a middle-order batsman, Kallis scored at an average of 57.38 and made 36 hundreds as well as 41 half-centuries. He is, without a doubt, South Africa's greatest ever middle-order batsman.