Ntini and Ngam make SA cricket history

For the first time in nearly half a century, two black bowlers were named among the top five South African cricketers for the year.

Pacemen Makhaya Ntini and Mfuneko Ngam were honoured in the yearly accolade, which forms part of the Mutual & Federal South African Cricket Annual, launched here Monday night.

The annual awards were started in 1952, but were always dominated by white cricketers in the apartheid era when sport was desegregated along racial lines.

The other three players were South African captain Shaun Pollock, spin bowler Nicky Boje and batsman Neil McKenzie. Pollock is the only one to have been honoured previously. He won the award in 1996 and 1998.

Colin Bryden, editor of the Mutual & Federal Annual, said the five players selected as cricketers of the year had been outstanding in an exceptional year for South African cricket, during which the team had won Test and limited overs series against New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

Ntini, who appears on the cover of the 544-page publication, entrenched himself as a regular member of the South African team with his ability to bowl long spells at high pace.

He took 23 wickets in six home Test matches at an average of 19.21, second only to Pollock, and went on to have a successful tour of the West Indies, where he captured the key wicket of Brian Lara in three successive Test innings.

Ngam made a sensational impact in his debut international season. With an easy, rhythmical action he showed himself to be among the fastest bowlers in the world.

He shone against New Zealand and Sri Lanka before his season was cut short by injury, but he has now recovered and is returning to the field.

Pollock, in his first full season as captain, proved to be an outstanding leader while remaining among the leading all-rounders in world cricket.

During the season, he made two Test centuries as well as being a match-winning opening bowler. He became the first South African and the eighth player in history to complete the Test double of 2,000 runs and 200 wickets.

Pollock was catapulted into the limelight when he had to take over from disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje last year, following the latter's admission to being involved with match fixing.

Boje continued in the form that he showed at the end of the previous season when he excelled in India and Sri Lanka. He established himself as South Africa's first-choice spin bowler and excelled as a batsman, making two centuries in limited overs internationals.

McKenzie became a regular member of the South African batting line-up, making two Test centuries during the season and showing outstanding temperament and determination.

Bryden said his fielding was outstanding, even in a side already renowned for its fielding skills. McKenzie followed in the footsteps of his father, Kevin, who was cricketer of the year in 1974 and 1986.

Indo-Asian News Service

--Indo-Asian News Service

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