Its very rare that you find a cricketer who is a specialist fielder, a fielder who doesnt think twice about diving, jumping.running, sliding and God knows What just to protect runs.Jonty takes on almost the entire responsibility of ensuring that the other team doesn’t score too much - if possible, not score at all!! Okay, you might say, whats the big deal - isnt that what fielders are for? However, all fielders dont display the similar stamina, the unstoppable enthusiasm and the sincere dedication which has made Jonty achieve near perfection in his fielding. Add to that, such physical exertion undertaken by a man who suffers from epilepsy since childhood - and there you have a person who is not only brilliant at what he does but also extremely admirable. It’s not just about taking such a different aspect of the game and fine tuning it, it’s also about encouraging the other players to reach to that level.
Jonty’s fielding expertise came into prominence when he got Haq run out by a superb lunge at the wickets!! Time and again he has proved his excellence by his fabulous direct hits, unbelievable catches ( most of the time you can’t even imagine that it was humanly possible to take them) and sliding stops. And he doesnt stick to his fielding position in the field - no, he runs around trying to help his team in every way. Apart from fielding, Jonty is perhaps one of the fastest runners in between wickets. In the South African team, he’s the best person to rely on for scoring fast and steadily. On top of that, his batting display against the spinners is also commendable. You can always see him running from his place at backward point to encourage the bowler or the keeper.
As a commentator once said ’’ 3/4ths of the world is covered by water, 1/4th by Jonty Rhodes’’