Jonty Rhodes may have been more revered for his extraordinary fielding skills than his batting record at Test level, but his 117 for South Africa against England at Lord’s in 1998, his highest career score in Test Matches.
Rhodes had looked fluent off the front foot in the previous Test at Edgbaston, so England altered their tactics, bowling shorter which meant a tentative start to his innings, particularly as he entered the fray with his side in trouble 46 for 4.
However, Rhodes was also an impressive cutter of the ball and adapted his game perfectly. He dominated a South African fifth-wicket stand of 184 with his captain Hansie Cronje, and scored his first Test century for almost five years, hitting fourteen fours and a six in his innings.
He inspired South Africa to 360 all out, and with Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock bundling England out for only 110, not even a Nasser Hussain century as the hosts followed on could save the game and the Proteas triumphed by ten wickets.