14 Facts about Nantie Hayward - South African’s fearsome fast bowler

Mornantau ‘Nantie’ Hayward started out as a tearaway fast bowler with attitude and a haphazard run-up. He later sorted out his run-up, but the fast bowling attitude remained. He always looked to trouble batsmen with raw pace and bounce. Hayward was seen as the successor to the great Allan Donald as the spearhead of the South African attack, however, couldn’t quite live up to those expectations. He was a fearsome opponent who always relished a challenge.

1. Birth:

Nantie Hayward was born on 6th March 1977 in Uitenhage in the Cape Province of South Africa. He studied at the Daniel Pienaar Technical High School.

2. England tour of 1998:

In 1998, Hayward was picked for the tour of England. It was a largely unhappy trip for the fast bowler. He never quite came to terms with English wickets and lost his rhythm and run-up midway through the tour. He did not make his international debut.

3. Test debut:

He started taking wickets consistently and forced his way into the team for the second Test when England toured the Rainbow Nation in 1999. It was an auspicious debut as he took 4 for 75 in conditions, which suited the batsmen and impressed with his willingness to keep running in under a hot sun in Port Elizabeth.

4. Speed:

Hayward succeeded where others have failed in that he has improved his control over line and length without losing his most precious asset, his raw pace. He was regularly timed at 148kph and has also bowled at 151kph (94.5mph).

5. Worcestershire:

Hayward was never consistently selected and even signed a contract with English county Worcestershire in 2003 which did not allow his release for international matches. This was after his 14 Tests, the last of which was against Pakistan in January 2003.

6. Comeback:

Hayward accepted the condition as he no longer saw himself as being chosen for the South African side, yet he reversed his decision in 2004 and was immediately selected for the tour of Sri Lanka but failed to make an impression in the two matches he played. He only managed four wickets during that tour and faded out of national reckoning.

7. Middlesex:

He played for Middlesex in 2004, but injury saw him sidelined for much of the 2005 season and he was only available for four first-class matches.

8. Ireland:

He signed for Ireland as an overseas player for their 2007 Friends Provident Trophy campaign and joined Hampshire as a Kolpak player in May 2008 for the remainder of the season.

9. Return to UK:

Hayward returned to the UK in 2009 to play for Derbyshire from mid-June until the end of the campaign. He took 11 wickets in 5 LV= County Championship outings.

10. Test stats:

In 16 Tests for South Africa Hayward took 54 wickets at an average of 29.79 with a best bowling display of 5-56 against Pakistan in Durban in 2002.

11. ODI stats:     

The fast bowler played in 21 one-day internationals, taking 21 wickets at an average 40.86 and an economy rate of 5.18. His best spell was 4/31 against India in Sharjah.

12. Compliment from Steve Waugh:

Hayward didn’t play a Test match since August 2004 and an ODI since April 2002. Aussie legend Steve Waugh appeared to have reached this conclusion in his autobiography, saying that: “I’m amazed he didn’t…become world-class…a collective cheer went up in the Australian camp whenever his unpredictable raw pace was overlooked (by the South African selectors).”

13. Indian Cricket League:

Hayward played for the Kolkata Tigers in the Indian Cricket League at the end of the year. He, however, returned to the South African fold after opting for CSA’s amnesty offer.

14. First-class record:

He played 135 first-class matches claiming 445 wickets at an average of 28.89 with a best of 6/31. His 151 List A matches yielded 203 wickets at an average of 27.16 and a best of 5/37. He played 27 T20s and took 24 wickets with the best of 3/21.