16 Facts About Rory Kleinveldt: The Big South African Pacer

Rory Kleinveldt is another South African cricketer in the long list of the big-hitting, fast-bowling all-rounders that the country is known to produce. He represented the national side in 20 international matches across all three formats however failed to establish himself as a regular member. Rory though has had a successful First-class career and continues to deliver the goods.

1. Birth:

Rory Kleinveldt was born on 15^th March 1983 in Cape Town, South Africa.

2. Early impressions:

Rory was a member of South Africa’s Under-19 team which made the final of the 2002 World Cup, and after a stint with the South African Academy side, was fast-tracked into first-class cricket by Western Province in 2002-03.

3. Demotion to the B team:

An unremarkable debut resulted in a spell with the province’s B side but consistent performances, including a 6 for 22 against Border which he counts as his best spell, soon made Rory a regular in the first XI of the Western Province.

4. Nickname:

Rory is a big man and has had a few issues with his weight. He was nicknamed ‘Bigshow’ by his Western Province team-mate Mark de Stadler, but his progress continued with several impressive seasons with the Cape Cobras.

5. South Africa A:

Rory was rewarded with a spot in the South Africa A side touring India in 2007, and finally a call-up to the national one-day squad in October 2008.

6. T20I debut:

Rory did not make his ODI debut after being selected in the squad. He got his international cap in a T20I against Bangladesh in November 2008 however, it was a disappointing one. He scored three and bowled a wicket-less 20-run over in a forgettable outing.

7. 2010 World T20:

Rory’s second international game – in the 2010 World Twenty20 – was also a forgettable outing. In a match against India he bowled 4 overs , picked up 2 wickets however was hammered for 48 runs. South Africa lost this match by 14 runs.

8. Test debut:

He was dropped from the national side after the 2010 World T20. A series of strong spells for Cape Cobras in the 2011 season, though, helped him force his way into the one-day squad for the home series against Sri Lanka however he did not get a game. He made his Test debut against Australia in Brisbane in November 2012. In this drawn Test, he went wicket-less in his 21-over spell and conceded 97 runs.

9. Dope Test:

Rory was named in the ODI squad to play Sri Lanka in January 2012, but he did not get a game before he was withdrawn with an injury. Two months later, he tested positive for marijuana and was immediately dropped from the Cobras’T20 campaign. He confessed at the first opportunity and conceded that he had “behaved irresponsibly and made a big mistake.”

10. Most treasured wicket:

In an interview Rory mentioned that his most treasured wicket is that of England’s star batsman Kevin Pietersen. “I got him (KP) out for a first-ball duck – caught behind by Mark Boucher – in a warm-up game for the World T20 in 2010,” he was quoted by espncricinfo.

11. County Cricket:

Rory was signed by English county Northamptonshire for the 2014 season however had to cancel the deal due to a knee injury. He returned to Northants (Northamptonshire) in 2015 and made a huge impact. He will be playing for the county in the 2016 season as well.

12. County Championship Player of the Year:

Rory was voted as Northamptonshire’s County Championship Player of the Year and Players’ Player too for the 2015 season. He was Northants’ leading wicket-taker in the Championship, with 57 at 27.14, while also contributing 391 runs. He took 15 T20 wickets and helped the club to NatWest Blast Finals Day, where they finished as runners-up. He finished the 2015 season with 79 wickets across the three formats.

13. Reprimand:

He was reprimanded for being rude a match against Glamorgan in mid-September last year. He was reported for a Level 1 offence, ‘using language that is obscene, offensive or insulting and/or making an obscene gesture.’ The reprimand will stay on his record for two years.

14. MCL:

Rory played in the inaugural edition of the Masters Champions League. He played for the Capricorn Commanders team that was led by Englishman Paul Collingwood. He picked up 4 wickets from an equal number of matches in the tournament.

15. International Stats:

Rory played 4 Tests for South Africa and picked up 10 wickets with a best of 3/65 against Australia in a drawn Test in Adelaide. His 10 ODIs produced 9 wickets with a best of 4/22 against Pakistan in Bloemfontein in a match which the Proteas won. He scored 105 runs with a best of 43 at The Oval against England in the semi-final of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England. The home side won this match by 7 wickets. His 6 T20Is have produced 9 wickets with a best of 3/18 against New Zealand in Durban. South Africa won this match by 8 wickets. His 3 innings with the bat in this format produced 25 runs.

16. First-class career:

Rory’s 116 First-class matches have produced 348 wickets with a best of 8/47. He has scored 2719 runs including a ton and 12 fifties with a best of 115 not out. His 135 List-A matches have accounted for 157 wickets with a best of 4/22 and his bat has yielded 1220 runs including 2 fifties and a best of 55. His has played 100 T20s and scored 641 runs with a top score of 46 and taken 84 wickets with a best spell of 3/18.