Sheer weight of runs scored in first-class cricket during last season swayed the national selectors when they sat down to select the SA team for the first Test against Bangladesh.
They could not ignore the claims of Martin van Jaarsveld who scored 1,268 runs (ave 74,58) with five centuries including two for the Northerns Titans in a SuperSport match against Griquas. Van Jaarsveld is the only new cap in the team which plays Bangladesh in the opening Test of a two-Test series at Buffalo Park on Friday.
His aggregate was 429 runs more than the next highest of his Northerns teammate, Jacques Rudolph, who scored 839 runs in the season.
Van Jaarsveld (28) has been around for a good few years. He made his first-class debut for Northerns B against Natal B in 1994-95 and the following year graduated to the senior Northerns team.
In 1998-99 he toured Sri Lanka with the SA A team and has been a regular in South Africa’s second team ever since.
A magnificent century for SA A against a strong touring Australia A team in a limited overs match last month caught the selectors’ eye and he made his debut in limited overs internationals against Bangladesh two weekends ago.
Unfortunately Van Jaarsveld still did not get to bat as South Africa coasted to a 10-wicket win, but in his second match he blasted 42 runs in double-quick time.
Van Jaarsveld certainly knows how to occupy the crease. Of his five tons last year, three were over 150, including 182 not out against Griqualand West.
Three seasons back he scored 238 not out against the long-suffering Griqua bowlers at Kimberley — his highest in first-class cricket — and so far he has reached three-figures on 13 occasions.
With his right-arm medium-pacers he bagged a wicket with his only ball in international play against Bangladesh. When play starts on Friday a proud Martin van Jaarsveld will receive his South African cap from the Proteas skipper, Mark Boucher. He has certainly deserved the honour. – Sapa