Jacques Kallis

One-day cricket abounds in bits and pieces players. Jacques Kallis is far from being one. Kallis is that rarity in international cricket, a genuine matchwinner with both bat and ball. An average of over 40 with the bat and under 30 with the ball in both Tests and one-dayers is testament to the punch he packs. South Africa's maiden engagement in the ICC KnockOut against England provided a fine insight into Kallis' skills.

England won the toss and decided to make first use of the wicket. Kallis came on second change in the 14th over but his first spell of six overs from the Forest Road end, well stocked with trademark awayswingers, went wicketless. Returning from the same end in the 40th over, he struck firstball as Graeme Hick pulled a shortish delivery down Andrew Hall's throat on the square leg boundary. Two balls later debutant Paul Grayson edged one into Shaun Pollock at first slip, the South African skipper having just stationed himself there for that very purpose. Kallis' second spell read 2-0-3-2 and he finished with figures of 2/26 from eight overs.

The England total of 182 was hardly a daunting one. Kallis was summoned to the crease at the fall of Andrew Hall in the fourth over. He lost partner Gary Kirsten with the score at 52 and England may have had the temerity to believe they had an outside chance at this juncture. Any such presumption was dashed by the pairing of Kallis and Boeta Dippenaar who added 132 for the third wicket. Kallis's knock of 78 off 109 balls was bedecked with ten boundaries, mostly flowing cover drives punched off the backfoot and less edifying slashes behind the wicket on the off side, as South Africa completed an eight wicket rout in the 40th over.