Northamptonshire Player Number: 493

“A Steelback to the core” was how head coach David Ripley described the big South African when he delighted Northamptonshire supporters by agreeing to extend his stay at Wantage Road for 2017, and the faithful were even happier as Rory claimed 9-65 against Nottinghamshire in September – the best figures by anyone bowling seam for the County in nearly 100 years. His wealth of experience at domestic and international level made him a terrific acquisition when he first arrived in 2015, and he continues to produce runs, wickets and tight one-day overs when the team needs them most. He finished last summer as the club’s leading wicket-taker in both the Championship and the T20 Blast. To date, Rory has played four Tests and 16 shorter-format internationals for the Proteas.