The evolution behind the Proteas stumps

South Africa’s options behind the stumps show how wicketkeeping has gone from a specialist position to a major selection call.

Pick the best wicketkeeper. Simple, right?

It was certainly closer to that when South Africa returned to international cricket in 1991. chickenroad.qpon

Dave Richardson’s main job was to take the chances created by Allan Donald, Fanie de Villiers and, later, Shaun Pollock. Any runs he scored were welcome, but his place rested on his work behind the stumps.

Richardson completed 152 dismissals in 42 Tests between 1992 and 1998, providing continuity behind the stumps during South Africa’s first years after readmission.

Then Andy Flower and Adam Gilchrist complicated things.

Flower and Gilchrist change the job

Flower showed that a wicketkeeper could also be the best batsman in the team. He scored 4,404 Test runs at an average of 53.70 while keeping for Zimbabwe, often carrying their lineup against stronger opponents.

Gilchrist changed the role in a different way.

In Tests, he came in at number 7 and attacked tiring bowling units, scoring 5,570 runs at 47.60 and a strike rate approaching 82.

In ODIs, he opened the batting and was explosive from the outset. Gilchrist scored 9,619 runs at a strike rate of 96.94, giving Australia fast starts while also taking responsibility behind the stumps.

Suddenly, safe hands were only part of the deal.

READ: Jansen’s Fire too strong for Miller, Stubbs

Boucher gives South Africa its own model

Mark Boucher succeeded Richardson in 1997 and became almost impossible to leave out.

His 555 Test dismissals remain the world record, but his batting also grew during his career. Boucher was rarely asked to dominate an innings. He was there to scrap, extend partnerships and squeeze more runs from the lower order.

That suited South Africa.

The Proteas had an embarrassment of batting riches in Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. Boucher gave them something different: certainty behind the stumps and a combative presence at number 7.

He also knew how to bat with the lower order, which is a skill in itself. Boucher could farm the strike, trust his partner when required and keep an innings moving after the recognised batsmen had gone.

De Kock brings the firepower

Boucher’s retirement created a problem. South Africa initially handed the gloves to AB de Villiers, which allowed them to select an extra batter or bowler.

It worked on paper. The physical burden of keeping and carrying the batting was always going to be difficult to sustain.

Quinton de Kock provided the longer-term answer.

He could take the gloves and change a match with the bat. De Kock scored 3,300 runs at an average of 38.82 in 54 Tests, while his 232 dismissals place him behind only Boucher among South African Test keepers.

In white-ball cricket, his impact was even greater. De Kock opened the batting and could place the opposition under immediate pressure with his fast hands and destructive strokeplay.

ALSO: Wolvaardt stars despite Brave’s first defeat

Is Pretorius the next step?

South Africa now have several different options.

Kyle Verreynne has become the Test specialist. Ryan Rickelton can keep and bat in the top order. De Kock remains a destructive white-ball option, while Tristan Stubbs provides emergency cover.

Then there is Lhuan-dre Pretorius.

The 20-year-old left-hander is perhaps the clearest indication of where the position is heading. He is a wicketkeeper by trade, but his batting has already been strong enough to earn selection on its own.

Pretorius was the leading run-scorer in the 2025 SA20, making 397 runs at a strike rate of 166.80. He then struck 153 on his Test debut against Zimbabwe, becoming South Africa’s youngest Test centurion.

He has yet to establish himself as the Proteas’ first-choice keeper, but that is what makes his development interesting. Pretorius could compete for the gloves, a place in the top order or both.

That creates a healthy dilemma.

Do the selectors choose the strongest gloveman, the most dangerous batsman or the player who gives them the best-balanced XI?

The gloves still matter. A missed chance can decide a Test. Yet runs increasingly settle the argument when there is little separating the candidates behind the stumps.

Richardson was picked because he kept. Pretorius may be picked because he bats. That, more than anything, shows how the job has changed.

Photo: Gallo Images

The post The evolution behind the Proteas stumps appeared first on SA Cricket Mag.

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 4, 2026 – Kabras Sugar youngster Rayvon Ambale says winning the Dala 7s is a perfect reward for his persistence amid injury struggles since the start of the year.

The Kenya Morans winger revealed that he has been struggling with a fracture, which kept him out of action for a majority of the year before his return for the National Sevens Circuit (NSC).

“I mean, it has been very tough for me. From the start of the year, on January 1st, I had a fracture. So, for me coming back and being able to participate at this level, I am very grateful for what I have achieved,” the Butula High School alumnus said.

Ambale’s return to action couldn’t have gone any better after he played a starring role in his team’s triumph at the past weekend’s Dala 7s in Kisumu.

He was on the mark, scoring a second half try as the sugar millers beat arch-rivals Menengai Oilers 17-5 to win a trophy they last hoisted in 2024.

It was the icing on the cake of a sweet outing for Ambale whose impact in the NSC was clear for all and sundry from the first leg of the competition at the Prinsloo 7s in Nakuru, a fortnight ago.

At the lakeside, he added to his 51 points accumulated in Nakuru to take his tally to 128 and cement his position at the leaderboard as the highest points scorer across two legs.

BlogJannik Sinner Wins Monte Carlo Masters, Regains World No 1 RankingJannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (5), 6-3 on Sunday to capture the Monte Carlo Masters and retake the world No 1 ranking. This victory marked Sinner'sOuvrir →

Ambale was justifiably crowned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at Dala 7s, an individual honour that the youngster reveals has motivated him to continue giving his best for the sake of Kabras Sugar.

“Definitely, of course, it motivates me to keep taking it and also to win the next leg. That is what we are here for. I would say we have a very good squad coming up. This year, we are going to, as I said, we are going to be unpredictive and hopefully we are going to win the overall tournament,” he said.

Borrowing from his painful experience of the last six months, the former Bath Academy Rugby player has lent a word of encouragement to anyone stuck in the cul-de-sac of life, with seemingly no way out of their afflictions.

“I would just tell them to be patient, it takes a lot of time. Just be patient and keep working every time. If you have life and you have injuries, just do those small things that matter and hopefully you will just pay off,” he said.

As the NSC heads to Nairobi for the third leg of competition (August 15-16), Ambale will be looking to continue reaping the dividends of patience and persistence amid a trying time on the treatment table.

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 4, 2026 – Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba says her side will use their painful exit from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) as a crucial learning curve, admitting that a lack of clinical execution and limited high-level international friendlies ultimate cost them on the big stage.

The Starlets’ continental campaign came to an official close on Monday night following a 2-0 defeat to Algeria at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, leaving Kenya bottom of Group A without a point or a goal after three matches.

They lost 4-0 to hosts Morocco and 1-0 to Senegal in their first two matches.

Reflecting on the tournament after the final whistle, Odemba acknowledged the disappointment of coming away empty-handed, but pointed to key areas where the team must evolve to compete at the highest level in Africa.

“We had hoped to perform better today and throughout the tournament. We have picked valuable lessons, particularly in our tactical approach and preparation. We have also learnt the importance of converting the chances we create,” Odemba said.

Throughout their Group A fixtures against hosts Morocco, Senegal, and Algeria, Kenya repeatedly created promising opening, including multiple woodwork strikes, but struggled to punish opponents in key moments.

While the team benefited from playing in the FIFA Series prior to the tournament, Odemba highlighted the need for consistent exposure to top-tier international opposition if the Starlets are to bridge the gap with Africa’s elite.

“Although we had good preparations, including participating in the FIFA Series, playing more international friendly matches would have made a difference,” Odemba emphasized.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohamed echoed the head coach’s sentiments, stating that while the outcome was disappointing after a ten-year absence from WAFCON, focus now shifts to long-term reconstruction.

“The most important thing is that we have gained valuable experience. It is disappointing that we did not win a single match, but we will go back, correct our mistakes, and plan well to build a stronger team for the future,” Mohamed noted.

Kenya exits Group A, alongside Senegal, having scored 0 goals and gaining no points, as hosts Morocco (7 points) and Algeria (6 points) advance to the WAFCON 2026 knockout stages.

Le combattant brésilien de MMA Allan Nascimento, qui évoluait dans les rangs de l'UFC depuis 2021 est décédé lundi à l'âge de 34 ans, a annoncé l'organisation mardi 4 août. « Notre cher boxeur de la catégorie poids mouches, Allan Nascimento, a été retrouvé inanimé après avoir apparemment été victime d'une crise cardiaque pendant son sommeil », a déclaré l'UFC sur ses réseaux sociaux. « Malgré les efforts de l'équipe médicale dépêchée sur place, son décès a été constaté sur les lieux ». Le Brésilien avait disputé son dernier combat le 20 juin dernier à Las Vegas, subissant une défaite sur décision partagée face à l'Américain Mitch Raposo. Depuis le début de sa carrière, il comptait 22 victoires, dont 16 par soumission, pour sept défaites. « Véritable pilier aux portes du Top 15, Nascimento était toujours aux côtés de ses coéquipiers lors de leurs entrées sur le ring, entretenant des liens particulièrement étroits avec l'ancien champion des poids légers et actuel détenteur du titre BMF, Charles Oliveira », a précisé l'UFC. Ce dernier lui a rendu hommage, estimant avoir perdu « un frère ». « Ça fait tellement mal. Je t'aime pour toujours, tu ne seras jamais oublié », a-t-il déclaré sur Instagram.