SACA Media Release - Standard Bank Rankings
Nashua Cape Cobras left-arm spinner Claude Henderson has ended the South African domestic cricket season as the number one ranked player on the Standard Bank Rankings on the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) website.
The 36-year-old Henderson proved once again that there is no substitute for experience as he finished 70 points clear of Nashua Dolphins wicketkeeper/leg-spinner Daryn Smit. Not only did Henderson finish first on the overall rankings, but he was also first in the rankings for the SuperSport Series, fourth in the Standard Bank Pro20 standings, and a credible 21st in the MTN Domestic Championship.
Smit owes his final season placing to three top-20 finishes in South Africa's three domestic competitions, with a third place in the SuperSport Series rankings being his best result.
Third place on the overall standings goes to Cobras all-rounder Rory Kleinveldt, while Dolphins all-rounder Jon Kent finishes in fourth place.
The Gestetner Diamond Eagles duo of wicketkeeper/batsman Morne van Wyk and batsman Boeta Dippenaar occupy fifth and sixth position, with their team-mate, all-rounder Ryan Bailey, ensconced in 10th place.
Somewhat surprisingly the Nashua Titans, after winning the SuperSport Series and the MTN Domestic Championship, have only one player in the top 10 with their skipper, all-rounder Pierre Joubert, in seventh place, while the Chevrolet Warriors are represented by wicketkeeper/batsman Davey Jacobs in eighth place.
Another veteran Cobras bowler, 34-year-old Charl Langeveldt, sits in ninth place on the rankings.
The overall leader for the MTN Domestic Championship was Titans left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, who saw his impressive domestic season result in a call-up to the national side. Van der Merwe ended 25th in the overall rankings.
In something of a coup for spinners, the final Standard Bank Pro20 rankings were also led by a left-arm spinner, this time the Warriors' Robin Peterson, whose devastating hitting at the top of the innings aided his strong final position. Peterson ended the overall rankings in 19th place.
The on-field Standard Bank Rankings count for 50% of the SACA Most Valauble Player (MVP) ratings, with the other 50% coming from the SACA Player Education results. SACA hopes to announce the results of the MVP ratings for the 2008/09 season on Thursday 9 April 2009.
It is important to note that the National players do not feature prominently on the Standard Bank Rankings as only player performances in South Africa's three domestic cricket competitions count towards the Rankings. The Proteas players play very few matches for their respective franchises in domestic cricket due to the demands of international cricket.
The Standard Bank Rankings are run by SACA, using comprehensive match statistics from Cricket South Africa's official statistician, Andrew Samson. The full list and details of the ranking criteria can be found at www.saca.org.za and www.standardbankcricket.com.
The rankings are designed to provide both players and franchises with a statistical measure of a player's value and performance over and above straightforward batting and bowling averages.