Andrew Hall

A former South African all-rounder who could win matches for his side with both bat and bowl in his hand, Andrew Hall was a gutsy player and with an abundance of talent. 

Hall was selected to play the third ODI against West Indies in 1999 where he batted at No 9 and scored an unbeaten nine. He opened the bowling with the new ball and went wicketless for 38 runs. South Africa won the match and Hall was not selected for the remaining four ODIs. 

In his early days, Hall’s bowling was underutilized but was impressive with the willow down the order in limited-overs cricket. Hall showed his promise in his second ODI, which was a decider against Australia at Johannesburg. He opened the batting and scored a quickfire 46 off 49 balls which gave impetus to the run chase. South Africa won the game by four wickets and Hall certainly made an impression on the selectors.

In a tour to Australia, Hall bagged his first two wickets in international cricket of Micheal Bevan and Steve Waugh in the death overs. Hall made the difference with the ball and led the Proteas to a close victory in the series decider. On his Test debut against Australia in 2002, he scored an invaluable 70 after South Africa were reeling on 90 for 6. The highest point in Hall’s Test career was the tour of England in 2003 when he cemented his position in the team as the strike bowler and a useful lower-order batsman. His 16 wickets in the Test series were one of his career highlights. His knock of 99 in Leeds ensured South Africa took the lead in the series.

While Hall made sporadic appearances in Test cricket, he was a utility player in ODI cricket.  He was a part of the unforgettable match where South Africa chased down 434 against Australia at Johannesburg in March 2006. Hall was included in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup and struck 14 wickets in the tournament with a best of 5/18 against England in Super Eights. 

After his heroics in the 2007 World Cup, Hall surprisingly announced his retirement from cricket at the age of 31, and in 2008, he signed for Northamptonshire as a Kolpak player. He set a record in a T20 game against Nottinghamshire when he picked up six for 14 and scored 66 unbeaten. He was named as the skipper of Northants and played his final first-class game in 2014 before hanging up his boot.

(As of April 2021)