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[VIDEO] Legacy of Jonty Rhodes & is he still the greatest fielder of the modern era?

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Slog

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Prolly guys like AB run him close or might even be better but I was playing cricket yesterday after ages and this guy took an amazing catch and people started calling him 'Jonty!!'

Now Jonty Rhodes has been retired for 15+ years at this point but still people refer to him whenever there is a great fielder. Now that is legacy!!
 
Huge legacy

Ponting and him for fielding is close
Jonty better at ground stopping, but Ponting hit the stumps more and was a better catchers.
Ponting took more wickets with fielding, much better test fielder
ODI's close, but would still take ponting due to his ability to hit the stumps
 
He might have been the best diver and stopper, though I thought Collingwood was as good as Rhodes.

If you go back to the seventies, Derek Randall was electric. He was doing the sliding stop on the boundary decades before it became commonplace.
 
Jadeja is an excellent fielder. But Jonty is probably the greatest of all time.
 
I think Jonty Rhodes is still the best of all time. No fielder from modern times managed to surpass Jonty.
 
Not comparing at all, however thought that a few years ago the offside field of India was hard to get through, believe it had Jadeja, Raina and someone else who I can remember... Getting past them seemed to be a challenge whenever I ended up watching an Indian game
 
Robert said:
Certainly moved things forward.
Click to expand...

Saffers who saw both said that Rhodes would huff and puff a lot, putting loads of effort in, whereas Bland moved like a cat and never seemed to break sweat. Plus he averaged 49 with the bat.
 
Herschelle Gibbs was brilliant as well.

Jonty , Gibbs, ABDV, Faf

Not sure if they have any to take forward this legacy.
 
Greatest circle fielder ever and by far. Those claiming other okayish fielders to be as good as Jonty are tripping. The guy dive stopped everything hit towards point/covers. He's the biggest reason Tendulkar had a mediocre mid 30sh average vs South Africa in 1990s (still world class for 1990s standards vs RSA).
 
No, the best overall fielder was Ponting.

Can only remember him dropping one catch and that too after a phenomenal effort until the last minute. (Dropped a catch during McGrath’s 6-fer’ in the 1st Test during the 06’ Ashes in the slips, while being completely horizontally in air).
 
Happy Birthday to him - 51 years old today.
 
I don't think he was the best fielder even in his time - he was acrobatic, he was a showman and he was a brilliant ball stopper (from his Hockey background), but all his heroics was at two specialist positions - point & short mid-wicket.

To me, the best ever all-round fielder I have seen and still is - Mark Waugh. He was absolute crack at second slip against pacers, he was one of the top 2-3 fielders at close-in in-front of batsman fielder for spinners, he was a brilliant point/cover/mid-wicket fielder with better anticipation than Rhodes and definitely with more accurate throwing arm .... and he was one one best out-fielders the game has ever seen. To an extent, I would say Mark didn't need to dive that much like Rhodes because his anticipation was outstanding and his pick-up was so clean that without acrobatics he could get into a throwing position instantly .... and he introduced the "back flick" throw from close in, in cricket.

Inzi made Jonty famous (don't get me wrong, an outstanding fielder no doubt), but I believe the toughest spot for fielding is second slip (because soft edges dies out - you have to dive forward with one hand, hard slashes pass by like a tracer bullet. Also, 2nd slip has to cover for first slip as the 1st slip is at least 2 metres deeper, and often has to cover for the other side, non existent 3rd slip) - Jonty never stood there, Mark was the best ever I had seen.

Happy Birthday indeed - he made fielding a focal point for average fans who don't bother to analyze finer aspects of the game.
 
Jonty was electric at point and deepbackward point For those that didnt see get to watch him you just didnt hit the ball in that direction and take off for a quick run - ever
 
Greatest in ring fielder ever and it's not even close. He was proactive, ran inwards and cut the angles. His presence within the ring ensured South Africa saving a lot of crucial runs that were mostly the difference between the two teams.

Indians can talk about Jonty better than most as our players were the best off side stroke makers back in the day, still are. Ganguly, Tendulkar etc just never found any easy gaps with Jonty out there making boundary stops a life or death thing. No fielder has ever had this impact on psyche of batsmen. Jonty Rhodes literally pressurized batsmen to change their game plans and scoring option
 
Fitness level of South African cricketers in the 1990s was exemplary. Every board was gunning for South African coaching staff to bring the same culture in their cricket. Every kid wanted to be an athlete of the level of Donald, Jonty etc. Those guys seemed to have spring in their body theh were so good for 1990s standard of cricket back when Asian fielders didn't even bother to dive lol
 
Def up there

I would rate him below someone like Ponting though as he didn’t hit the stumps as much and wasn’t as versatile a fielder - didn’t go in the slips
 
As someone who started watching cricket in 2010 onwards, Baz and AB are the best I've seen. I'm surprised they haven't been mentioned much or in Baz's case, at all.
 
tyron_woodley said:
and ponting isn't as explosive and flexible enough to catch blinders like jadeja.

so jadeja for me. best ever.
Click to expand...

Ponting hits the stumps more, and is a much better catch - fantastic reflexes. Jadeja is no where near as good in the slips
Saying Ponting isn't explosive is also unreasonable, took many, many great catches
Jadeja better at stops, like Rhodes, but Ponting takes more wickets with his fielding
 
therealAB said:
Ponting hits the stumps more, and is a much better catch - fantastic reflexes. Jadeja is no where near as good in the slips
Saying Ponting isn't explosive is also unreasonable, took many, many great catches
Jadeja better at stops, like Rhodes, but Ponting takes more wickets with his fielding
Click to expand...

jadeja is better in the outfield.

ponting is better in slips.
jadeja is more athletic and can also stop runs better.
 
tyron_woodley said:
jadeja is better in the outfield.

ponting is better in slips.
jadeja is more athletic and can also stop runs better.
Click to expand...

I agree. Ponting better in the slips and in the ring hitting the stumps, so he is a better wicket taking fielder for test cricket
Jadeja’s ability to stop runs is brilliant so he is potentially a better odi fielder
 
Direct hits aren't the same challenge for every fielder. Cover fielders have a far better view of stumps than deep backward point.
 
therealAB said:
Not as good a catch as someone like Ponting - not great in the slips
Click to expand...
I don't think jadeja stands in the slip cordon so we can't compare them.
But I am sure that jadeja has the better arm and throw,he hits the stumps very frequently.
 
How can you compare fielders anyway. Where are the statistics. It's one man's word against the other and public perception.

Also fielding isn't just slips and backward point and covers.
 
jeeteshssaxena said:
I don't think jadeja stands in the slip cordon so we can't compare them.
But I am sure that jadeja has the better arm and throw,he hits the stumps very frequently.
Click to expand...

Ponting has a one hour run out montage - he hit the stumps more than anyone
He was also an ATG skipper of Taylor/Waugh level
That versatility is why I select him
 
freelance_cricketer said:
How can you compare fielders anyway. Where are the statistics. It's one man's word against the other and public perception.

Also fielding isn't just slips and backward point and covers.
Click to expand...

Agreed, but those are generally the hardest positions to field so given the most importance
 
Sweden hire Jonty Rhodes as head coach

STOCKHOLM: Former South Africa Test player Jonty Rhodes has been appointed as Sweden’s head coach as part of plans for ‘growth and development’ of the game, the country’s cricket federation announced on Thursday.

“Swedish Cricket Federation to invest in junior cricket, high performance and growth through the appointment of South African cricket great, Jonty Rhodes as head coach,” said the federation’s statement.

Rhodes, who played 52 Tests and 245 One-day Internationals for the Proteas, averaged over 35 with the bat in both formats and is regarded as one of the greatest fielders ever to play the game.

Since retiring from playing, Rhodes, who also played hockey for South Africa, has been a fielding coach for the Proteas as well as for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I am really excited to relocate to Sweden with my family and work together with the Swedish cricket community,” said the 51-year-old, currently in Dubai ahead of this year’s delayed IPL.

“This opportunity has come at a perfect time and I am grateful to be able to invest my energies in a completely new environment. I can’t wait to get started.”

The Swedish federation said cricket was the second-fastest growing sport in the country, seeing a 300 percent increase in participation over two years.

“Our growth targets and key areas are directed toward junior cricket and high performance,” said Benn Harradine, sports director of the Swedish Cricket Federation.

“Jonty will play a pivotal role in lifting our players as well as assisting in securing quality coaching framework for the future sustainability of the game.”

Rhodes will start his job in mid-November.

While Sweden have never featured strongly in the cricket world, the game has long been played by Scandinavian neighbours Denmark.

Several Danes have progressed to first-class cricket including Ole Mortensen, who spent 11 years with Derbyshire, and Copenhagen-born Amjad Khan who played for Kent and Sussex as well as one Test for England in 2009.

Another Scandinavian player, Buster Nupen, who was born near Alesund in Norway, played 17 Tests for South Africa between 1921 and 1936.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1579012/sweden-hire-jonty-rhodes-as-head-coach.
 
freelance_cricketer said:
Ganguly, Tendulkar etc just never found any easy gaps with Jonty out there making boundary stops a life or death thing. No fielder has ever had this impact on psyche of batsmen. Jonty Rhodes literally pressurized batsmen to change their game plans and scoring option
Click to expand...

When FC is in this mode, he's :shh with his points.

But overall, I'd choose Ponting over Rhodes. Mark Waugh was the coolest-looking. Azharuddin was close, in style. [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] Are you sure about the back-flick thing. Azhar used to do it, but not sure if either of them introduced it.
 
MMHS said:
I don't think he was the best fielder even in his time - he was acrobatic, he was a showman and he was a brilliant ball stopper (from his Hockey background), but all his heroics was at two specialist positions - point & short mid-wicket.

To me, the best ever all-round fielder I have seen and still is - Mark Waugh. He was absolute crack at second slip against pacers, he was one of the top 2-3 fielders at close-in in-front of batsman fielder for spinners, he was a brilliant point/cover/mid-wicket fielder with better anticipation than Rhodes and definitely with more accurate throwing arm .... and he was one one best out-fielders the game has ever seen. To an extent, I would say Mark didn't need to dive that much like Rhodes because his anticipation was outstanding and his pick-up was so clean that without acrobatics he could get into a throwing position instantly .... and he introduced the "back flick" throw from close in, in cricket.

Inzi made Jonty famous (don't get me wrong, an outstanding fielder no doubt), but I believe the toughest spot for fielding is second slip (because soft edges dies out - you have to dive forward with one hand, hard slashes pass by like a tracer bullet. Also, 2nd slip has to cover for first slip as the 1st slip is at least 2 metres deeper, and often has to cover for the other side, non existent 3rd slip) - Jonty never stood there, Mark was the best ever I had seen.

Happy Birthday indeed - he made fielding a focal point for average fans who don't bother to analyze finer aspects of the game.
Click to expand...

Mark Waugh was great in slips but I always thought Tubs was better in that regard.
 
Jonty was the best ever in run saving and stops.

Waugh, Ponting and all were solid catchers. But it when comes to run stopping, acrobatic catches Jonty is the best I have seen. As he was avg with bat felt like he was in the team only for fielding.
 
AamchiMumbaikar said:
Jonty was the best ever in run saving and stops.

Waugh, Ponting and all were solid catchers. But it when comes to run stopping, acrobatic catches Jonty is the best I have seen. As he was avg with bat felt like he was in the team only for fielding.
Click to expand...

Jonty was one of the best middle order ODI batsmen in the world actually. He walks into #5, 6 in any South African ODI team ever.
 
Jonty Rhodes is well ahead of his peers. This is the general consensus and only in PP, you hear new stuffs.
 
AamchiMumbaikar said:
Jonty was the best ever in run saving and stops.

Waugh, Ponting and all were solid catchers. But it when comes to run stopping, acrobatic catches Jonty is the best I have seen. As he was avg with bat felt like he was in the team only for fielding.
Click to expand...

Was in the team only for fielding? Okay, Mr. expert.
 
King Kong said:
Was in the team only for fielding? Okay, Mr. expert.
Click to expand...

Yes, quite surprising to read that.

Average of 35, SR of 80+ might sound mediocre today but back in 90s it was a very good resume for a middle order ODI batsman. Especially that SR of 80+ was very good back then considering many top middle order ODI batsmen of 90s had SR in 60s and 70s. I reckon only a handful of batsmen had SR above 80 back then. Jonty was known for his quick runs down the order.
 
therealAB said:
Ponting has a one hour run out montage - he hit the stumps more than anyone
He was also an ATG skipper of Taylor/Waugh level
That versatility is why I select him
Click to expand...

He lost the Ashes three times, once at home. That would suggest to me that he was the worst Australian skipper ever. He was not a good tactician, iand it was easy for Vaughan to get under his skin.

He won a lot of tests because he had Warne and McGrath. After they finished he carried on with the same field settings and came unstuck.
 
King Kong said:
Was in the team only for fielding? Okay, Mr. expert.
Click to expand...

That's my personal opinion when compared with other great fielders like Ricky, Mark, Uv. Felt he was very loose in batting.

Not good enough with the bat in that South African team. Can't recall any great knock against us either!
 
Robert said:
He lost the Ashes three times, once at home. That would suggest to me that he was the worst Australian skipper ever. He was not a good tactician, iand it was easy for Vaughan to get under his skin.

He won a lot of tests because he had Warne and McGrath. After they finished he carried on with the same field settings and came unstuck.
Click to expand...

Perfect. Ponting is not a great captain, benefitted mainly because of ATG players for most part of his career.
 
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Happy Birthday to Jonty - 52 years old today
 
Happy Birthday to THE LEGEND !!!

The only ricketer i know of apart from Eknath Solkar who is remembered primarily as a fielder, despite the fact that Jonty was one of the better ODI batsmen during his era. Not among the top tier but a very good batsman nonetheless in white ball cricket.

This guy is a folk hero.

I remember as kids in school. Jonty was the inspiration to all of us kids for diving to save runs! diving to take those magical catches, even if we failed miserably and it was all a laughter for ths spectators and other kids be mocking us back in Punjab ''Oye, tu Jonty ae?'' ''Wadda aaaya Jonty Rhodes'' ''Oye Jonty na samajh aapne aap nu'' :yk
 
Kids of this era do not know the fear and cocnern Jonty Rhodes mere presence put in batsmen's head when they batted. Sachin himself had a horrible time getting it past the covers and point area and Pollock used to keep enticing him there. It worked strategically like a charm for South Africa.
 
Glenn Philips has to be included in the discussion for being one of the greatest catchers ever in the circle. That catch of Kohli was an absolute stunner he had no reaction time for that, the ball was flying, so was Philips bhai.
 
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