00:01Mark Rushmere's international story reads like one of the cricket's great what might
00:06have been tales.
00:07A stylish right-handed, opening bestman, he earned just a single test cap.
00:12South Africa's historic comeback match after isolation, against the West Indies in Babados.
00:17For a player once tipped as a prodigy, that long appearance came as a surprise.
00:22Mark Rushmere had won the leadership mantle early, captaining Eastern Province at just
00:282023 and after making his one-day debut at the 1992 World Cup.
00:32Let's watch his batting technique against the West Indies at Port of Spain in 1992 in the
00:38third ODI where he scored 29 runs of 71 balls.
00:58Watch there.
01:00Most of Patterson's previous deliveries had been coming in to Rushmere.
01:04That one just held its own passing just outside the off stump.
01:08Made more hype for him a little bit, he had a four off the previous ball and there really
01:16was no necessity for him to try and play the shot he did there.
01:23A little bit of fumbling, so things just going against the West Indies in this over.
01:32Larat back with square leg.
01:36That's how peculiar this game is, when things aren't going, but not quite.
01:49That's a glorious shot, that'll go all the way.
01:51Lovely shot for four, opening the face of the bat and square on the offside.
01:57So Rushmere begins to find a few shots, the series so far.
02:04Yes, they really have, they've really bowled, bowled particularly well and they've fielded
02:07very, very well, they have tremendous side at the moment.
02:13He's a long way down, just getting back in time, he was almost past the point of no return
02:19and Lara lurking in that position.
02:25I think that was a drop catch, I think it carried to Williams, certainly Rushmere got
02:34an edge on that one, it went away low to Williams' right and perhaps when we have a look at it
02:40again we'll be able to see whether that actually carried.
02:43What did you think Mike?
02:44I thought it carried dead close.
02:45Yes, so did I.
02:47Definite edge, a difficult chance, but a definite chance.
02:51Well, that's the first escape that South Africa have had today.
02:56Yes, I think that has to go down in the book as a chance.
03:00Oh, it's another edge, but this time Williams can't reach it.
03:05It's four runs, so Rushmere leading rather an edgy life at the moment.
03:10So that is the 50 up, it is 52 for no wiki.
03:14Your problem catching in the slips?
03:16Yes, well, Kepler's obviously a top slip catcher, and then after that we haven't got too many.
03:22A reasonable shot, but as you say, he's probably missing off stump.
03:27Oh, what a fine stroke.
03:28That was short, pulled round the corner.
03:30I don't think he's going for four.
03:31No, Patterson cuts it off, but two good runs to Rushmere, and the score at the end of the over, 60 for one.
03:42That is, I think, the loveliest view of Queen's Park Oval, looking across towards the northern range of mountains.
03:49We are in our little area, you see just the top of the side screen.
03:55Oh, that's a fine stroke.
04:00And what an amazing pickup that was by Kirtley Ambrose.
04:05What an astonishing fielder he is.
04:08That was hit very hard indeed, and golly, that was a phenomenal vis-a-fielder.
04:14Absolutely marvellous.
04:15You know, the athleticism of Kirtley, he's such a tall guy.
04:19There we see the shot again, really good shot from Mark Rushmere, hitting it straight,
04:22and really it had four runs written all over it.
04:25Ball bouncing along, bubbling along there, and Kirtley very, very easily just picks it up,
04:30casually turns around, and it would have been close.
04:34But going back to Roger Harper, yes, I hadn't seen him for a number of years,
04:38and his actions certainly had changed.
04:40But having said that, he did a great job yesterday, and he's bowling well again today.
04:46Well, Rushmere obviously decided he was coming down the wicket for that one.
04:51When he found the ball was a lot shorter than he anticipated, he was in trouble.
04:55And it just turned a little bit, that as well.
04:58He does vary it. He varies his pace, and he bowls the odd straight one, and one that turns a bit.
05:02So he's making life tough for the batsman.
05:04Oh, he's gone, he's gone, caught and bowled by Harper, by Harper's standards, that was a dolly.
05:17So Rushmere is out, caught and bowled by Harper, for 29.
05:24And as we were just saying there, players, again, that just showed, showed him very the pace,
05:28slow ball there, crosses it up, turned a little bit, and by West Indian Sand,
05:33standards of fielding, an absolute goddie.
05:37And the score now, 6-7 for two.
05:39He appeared destined for a long run at the top. Many even spoke of him as a future South African
05:47captain. But the game can be ruthless. His international chances slipped away as from
05:52deserted him, and critics seized on a perceived weakness against the hook shot,
05:57cost aside at the highest level. Mark Rushmere never found his way back into the national side.
06:03He called time on his playing career in 1999. Although his reputation at home remained intact,
06:09widely respected as one of the finest captains in domestic cricket. However, cricket, it seemed,
06:15was always in his blood. His father, Colin Rushmere, had been a dependable all-honor for
06:20eastern province and western province in the 1950s and 1960s. Mark Rushmere's test career was extremely
06:28short, but historically significant. He played one test match for South Africa, their first after
06:34readmission to international cricket against the West Indies in Barbados. In that match,
06:39he batted in two innings, scoring a total of six runs with a high score of three,
06:43resulting in a batting average of three. He neither bowled nor took a catch, and his test career ended
06:49with that single appearance. In one day, Mark Rushmere represented South Africa in four matches,
06:55all as a top-order passman. He played four innings and scored 78 runs, with a high score of 35.
07:01His batting average stood at 19.50, and he did not register any half-century or century.
07:08He was not used as a baller in ODIs and finished with one catch in the field. His ODI appearance
07:13included games during the 1992 World Cup South Africa first-hour returning to the global stage.
07:19Rushmere truly made his mark in first-class cricket, where his consistency and leadership
07:24shown through. He played 144 first-class matches, batting in 253 innings and amassing 8,494 runs,
07:33at a strong average of 39.32. His highest score was an impressive 188, and his tally included
07:4020 centuries and 41 half-century. Although primarily a specialist passman,
07:45he bowled occasionally taking two wickets and proved reliable in the field with 73 catches.
07:51These numbers underlined his stature as a high-quality, domestic performer.
07:56In listed cricket, Mark Rushmere was equally dependable. Across 189 matches,
08:01he played 176 innings and scored 5,455 runs at an excellent average of 37.62. His highest listed
08:10score was 139, and his run tally featured 6 centuries and 35 fifties. He did not ball in this format,
08:18but contributed in the field with 58 catches, further highlighting all his hour-round ability
08:23as it valued top-order bestman and leader. Overall, Mark Rushmere's statistics reflect
08:28a cricketer who dominated the domestic scene with consistency and class. Even though his international
08:34career never truly took off, his strong average and volume of runs in first-class
08:39analystic cricket explains why he was once seen as one of the Saudi Urika brightest batting prospects.
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