Cricket: Jacques of all trades joins elite

Talk about single-minded: Jacques Kallis didn't even know he was on the cusp of one of test cricket's prestigious achievements. South Africa's most impressive batsman since reunification, Kallis has been busy enough this week dealing with the attention caused by his 100th test cap and knew nothing about his impending entry into the elite category for allrounders.

When play began in the first test between New Zealand and South Africa last night, the Western Province 30 year-old needed just four more wickets to achieve the 3000-run/200-wicket double, a milestone so far eclipsed by only seven players.

Only the best of the best have made it that far, leaving Kallis ready to join the likes of Sir Gafield Sobers, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Sir Richard Hadlee, Chris Cairns and team-mate Shaun Pollock.

Adding even more lustre to the effort is the fact that Kallis, when he takes another four wickets, will immediately rank second to only Sobers in terms of batting allrounders, having already scored 7840 runs.

"Am I really?" he asked when informed of his proximity to the milestone. "I'm glad you guys have been paying attention. It will be nice to get into that sort of club; to be ranked alongside those players who've made such a big impact on the game. But it won't be entering my head when I'm on the field."

Kallis, who made a lean start to his career, said it was hard enough getting his head around the idea of playing 100 tests, let alone dwelling on the allrounders' landmark. Now the South African vice-captain, he made his debut against England at Durban in 1995 but was dismissed for 1 and 7, after which he strung together scores of 6, 39, 0, 2, 2, 61 and 15.

"I never thought I'd get this far. Obviously it's an honour to have played so long and this will be a milestone that I can look back on one day and enjoy," Pollock said. "I've never been a big one for stats and, although this is my 100th game, I don't expect any favours or special treatment from anyone. At the end of the day it's just another test match. But it'll be special for me one day."

Kallis joined team-mate Shaun Pollock and New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming in reaching the 100-test mark (Fleming the first New Zealander to do so) when the test began overnight, having previously played 98 matches for South Africa and one for the ICC XI. Pollock, having already achieved the double, will bring up the 100 mark at the same ground at which he made his debut, some 11 years previous against Michael Atherton's England.

"For me this is where it started, at Centurion Park, so it's nice to bringing up the 100 milestone here," he said. "To look back and see a hundred test matches - that is special.

Pollock said he could remember his first test vividly, when he took 3-98 after being brought on as second change by the late Hansie Cronje.

"I can remember walking down the stairs and feeling very nervous when it was time to bowl. I tried to get in at the stumps but kept firing it down leg. Once everything settled down I got more into it but I can remember it all pretty clearly."

Allrounders

3000 test runs/200 test wickets

(Not including first test, New Zealand v South Africa)

Garry Sobers, West Indies
Tests: 93, runs: 8032, wickets: 235

Ian Botham, England
Tests: 102, runs: 5200, wickets: 383

Kapil Dev, India
Tests: 131, runs: 5248, wickets: 434

Imran Khan, Pakistan
Tests: 88, runs 3807, wickets: 362

Richard Hadlee, New Zealand
Tests: 86, runs: 3124, wickets: 431

Chris Cairns, New Zealand
Tests: 62, runs 3320, wickets: 218

Shaun Pollock, South Africa
Tests: 99, runs: 3372, wickets: 389

Jacques Kallis, South Africa
Tests: 99, runs: 7840, wickets: 196

Daniel Vettori needs 56 runs in this series to pass the 2000 runs/200 wickets milestone.