GRAEME POLLOCK

'Robert Graeme Pollock' (born February 27, 1944, Durban, Natal) is one of South Africa's most famous cricketers and one of the greatest Test batsman of all time, with the third-highest batting average after Don Bradman and Mike Hussey. He is one of the greatest left-handed batsmen the world has ever seen and was chosen as South Africa's Cricketer of the 20th Century in 2000 (see picture which shows him with the award at Newlands Cricket Ground). He played for South Africa from 1963-64 to 1969-70. Pollock was an excellent judge of line and length and this enabled him to always get into the correct position to play any kind of delivery. A tall man, Pollock used his height well to get to the pitch of the ball. His Test average from a curtailed career of 23 matches is the third highest of all time at 60.97 after that of Sir Donald Bradman (99.94 after 52 matches), among batsmen who have played in at least 20 innings. Pollock made two double centuries against Australia: 209 in 1966-67 and 274 in 1969-70. Both series were won by South Africa by very convincing margins of 3-1 and 4-0 respectively. The latter score stood as a record for several years as the highest in Test cricket by a South African batsman. Arguably Pollock's finest innings at the international level came on a rain-affected pitch at Trent Bridge in 1965 where he made a masterly 125 against an England attack that included accomplished bowlers like John Snow, Tom Cartwright and Ken Higgs. His first class career was long and fruitful, spanning 27 years, from 1960 to 1987.
In 1974-75 Pollock scored 222 not out for Eastern Province against Border in the Gillette Cup ^[1]; this remained the highest individual innings in List A cricket for nearly thirty years, until surpassed by Ali Brown's 268 in 2002.
Pollock's father, Andrew Pollock and a Scottish immigrant, played for Orange Free State, while his brother, Peter Pollock, was also a Test cricketer, and a highly successful fast bowler. His nephew, Shaun Pollock, who still plays for the South African Test team is South Africa's leading wicket-taker.

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