Top 5 left-handed South African Test openers of all time

South Africa is the third oldest cricketing nation in the world, having started playing Test cricket back in 1889 and over the course of their stellar history, the team has produced plenty of excellent opening batsmen.

The greatest of them all was Barry Richards, who missed out on international cricket due to the boycott that was in place for close to two decades.

Richards was a right-handed batsman but the exercise of this article is to have a look at some of the best left-handed opening batsmen that the country has ever had.

The left-handed opening batsman is perhaps not spoken of often enough but many of such openers from South Africa have gone on to become greats. Here are 5 of the very best.

#5 Jacques Rudolph

The left-handed batsmen was primarily a number 3 batsman for South Africa from 2003 to 2012, during the course of which he played 48 Tests but in 6 of those Jacques Rudolph opened the batting for his country.

There is no doubt that it is a small sample but there are not many left-handed opening batsmen who have actually represented the country and played more Tests than him. Rudolph's free-flowing stroke-making and a decent defensive technique came in handy in those Tests. He did not do too badly and in fact, averaged 35.33 in those 6 Test matches in which he opened the innings.

Rudolph made 318 runs as an opener and although he did not score a century, he did score a 95 not out. He made two half-centuries.

#4 Trevor Goddard

He is renowned for being one of South Africa's finest all-rounders in the late 1950s and 1960s, but at the same time, he remains one of the best opening batsmen to have played for the country.

Trevor Goddard played 43 Tests between 1950 and 1970 and out of those, the left-hander opened the innings in 39 of those. Goddard was known for his determination, solidity and the ability to play the long innings, which is why he is often recognised among the best opening batsmen that South Africa has ever had.

In the 39 Test matches that Goddard opened the innings for South Africa, he made an aggregate of 2460 runs at an average of 35.65 and scored 1 century, along with 18 half-centuries.

#3 Dean Elgar

Following the retirement of South Africa's influential captain and opening batsman Graeme Smith in 2014, left-handed batsman Dean Elgar became South Africa's number one opener. Although he has had to play with a variety of partners ever since Elgar has established himself as one of the world's top opening batsman over the last three and a half years.

Elgar is a compact batsman, who is not uncomfortable against extreme pace and swing or spin and has provided South Africa with a lot of solidity at the top of the order. Out of the 43 Test matches that he has played so far, he has opened in 35 of them and scored 2453 runs at an excellent average of 43.80.

By the time he finishes his career, he will definitely be up there among the great left-handed opening batsmen of modern times.

#2 Gary Kirsten

Towards the end of his stellar career for South Africa, Gary Kirsten often batted at number 3 but he is best known for his role as a superb opening batsman over the course of 84 Test between 2002 and 2014. Kirsten had an excellent technique but it was coupled with patience, the comfort against all kinds of fast bowling and last but not the least, the ability to play the long innings.

Kirsten was perhaps the most important batsman in the South African top order for years and held it together through his tenacious batting.He might not have been a completely orthodox batsman but he was mighty effective and in those 84 Tests as an opener, he made 5726 runs at an average of 41.79.

He scored 14 centuries and 28 half-centuries during his illustrious career as one of the world's best opening batsmen.

#1 Graeme Smith

At number one is the batsman who pushed Gary Kirsten down the order and went on to become one of the greatest opening batsmen in the world, despite the obvious deficiencies in his technique.

However, Graeme Smith made the most of his limitations and became a batsman who was not only hard to dismiss but also an opening batsman who could play the long innings whenever necessary. Although one cannot conclude that captaincy made the left-hander a better batsman, it cannot be denied he holds the unique record of having scored the maximum Test runs as captain.

In his 113 Tests as South Africa's opening batsman, Smith made 9014 runs at an outstanding average of 49.14 and scored runs all over the world. He made 27 centuries and 36 half-centuries during his distinguished career as an opening batsman.